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Article Excerpt
Byline: Randy Mink Daily Herald Correspondent
Though only three hours south of Chicago, the gently paced Amish communities of central Illinois seem worlds away from the rush of suburban life.
For nostalgia-minded travelers seeking escape, touring the countryside around the towns of Arcola and Arthur satisfies a yearning for the simple life and a curiosity about the Amish, a people who've found contentment and purpose without the modern conveniences most Americans take for granted.
Shopping for quality handicrafts and dining on home-style cooking are just icing on the cinnamon roll for weekend wayfarers looking to commune with the Prairie State's rural past.
Since our daughter started attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign two years ago, we've combined some campus visits with Amish Country sightseeing. On I-57, Arcola is a half- hour from the Champaign exits, a straight shot south.
With more than 4,000 Amish residents, the Arcola-Arthur area in Douglas County is the largest Amish enclave in Illinois and the fourth largest (after those in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana) in America.
Who are the Amish and what makes them tick? Find out at the Illinois Amish Interpretive Center in Arcola (population 2,700). Museum exhibits and an 18-minute video presentation strip away some of the mystery while spotlighting the area's history and Old Order Amish way of life.
The Amish faith is based on a break from the Roman Catholic Church during the Anabaptist movement in Europe in the 1500s. After persecution for generations, the first Amish emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1740. Three families moved to central Illinois in 1865.
Pursuing an all-but-forgotten lifestyle, these "plain people" do not use electricity, nor do they operate automobiles or farm machinery. Instead, they travel by horse and buggy, use teams of horses to plow the fields and light their homes with propane lamps. Refrigerators and stoves are gas-powered, too. They do not own radios, televisions or telephones.
The Amish wash their clothes with a wringer/washer and hang them out to dry. A clothesline...
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