Arthur, located on the Douglas-Moultrie county line, is the hub of the fourth largest Amish settlement, about 4,000 people, in the United States and the largest in Illinois.
Traveling from Champaign, it can be reached by leaving I-57 at Arcola for the nine mile drive west on state route 133.
The highway takes you through an area replete with Amish farms which can be identified by immaculate white homesteads with black buggies parked in the barnyard. Often you will see the women in their plain-colored clothing tending to their large gardens or the men in their broad-brimmed straw or felt hats working in their fields.
A note of caution — watch for the black, horse-drawn buggies traveling the roads. They move much slower than normal traffic.
From Decatur, the recommended route is Rt. 36 to the Moultrie-Douglas county line where the large Arthur sign directs visitors south on the paved road which turns into Vine Street, the main business street in the village.
The friendly, down-home atmosphere lends itself to the community’s motto, "Where you’re a stranger only once."
Visitors will also notice the village residents and Old Order Amish settlers live and labor in a spirit of mutual respect. Two of the 30 hitching racks in Arthur are located just east of the visitors’ center. They provide an area for Amish families to tie up their buggies while they shop for groceries and other necessities in the village businesses.
Dick’s Pharmacy still offers a soda fountain, serving old-fashioned sodas, sundaes, fountain drinks, like Green Rivers and chocolate and other flavored fountain Cokes, phosphates, milk shakes, malts and other treats to tempt any sweet tooth.
Arthur also offers a variety of restaurants catering to every taste, but many first-time visitors want to sample the traditional Amish fare offered. With advance notice, the employees at the visitor’s center in the replica of an old railroad depot can recommend a local Amish home in which to dine. Prearrangements are required.
For those desiring to spend the night, Arthur offers its Country Inn and two bed and breakfast facilities.
Further information about the community, its history and its ambiance is available from the Amish Country Visitor’s Information Center by mail at 106 E. Progress St., Arthur, IL 61911 or by calling 1-800-722-6474. Further information is available on-line at www.IllinoisAmishCountry.com.