A Slow Day in Illinois Amish Country: Arcola, Arthur and the Roads Between
East central Illinois looks like flat farmland from the highway, and it is. But if you turn off at Arcola and drive west toward Arthur, the landscape starts to fill with details: white farmhouses, clotheslines, hitching rails, and now and then a black buggy on the shoulder.
Understand where you are
This part of Douglas and Moultrie counties is home to the largest Old Order Amish community in Illinois. The Amish are a Christian group that traces its roots to the Anabaptist movement in Europe and that chooses to live simply, dress plainly and limit the use of modern technology. If you want a short and reliable background, the encyclopedia article on the Amish is a good place to start.
Two rules will make your day better. First, these are working farms and family homes, not exhibits. Second, many Amish people prefer not to be photographed, so ask before pointing a camera at anyone, and skip faces altogether if you are unsure.
Start with context
A good first stop is the Amish Interpretive Center, which was built at Rockome Gardens to explain daily life to visitors. It has a short video, a timeline that runs from the 1700s to the 1800s, a quilt frame with a project in progress, and rooms set up the way an Amish house is arranged: no electric lights, a propane refrigerator, a gas stove and kerosene lanterns on the nightstand. Ten minutes in front of these displays will help you understand what you see on the road afterward.
Late morning: gardens and craftspeople
From there it is a short walk to the gardens and the crafters' hall. In the 2000s the crafters worked from ten to six on most days of the season. Visitors could watch a soap maker stir a batch over an open fire, a glassworker heat a rod until it softened, a woodcarver cut geometric chips out of a plank, and a coppersmith shape sheet metal with tools older than he was. Ask questions. People who make things by hand usually love to explain how.
Lunch: eat what the region is known for
Family-style dining is the local tradition. The table is loaded with fried chicken, a second meat such as ham or roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, dressing or chicken and noodles, vegetables, bread, and pie. If you see shoo-fly pie on the menu, order a slice. It is a molasses pie with a crumb topping, and you can read about its history in the article on shoofly pie. For a lighter lunch, a sandwich from the deli and a bag of cheese curds from the cheese house does the job.
Afternoon: shops, food and the drive home
Bulk food stores are one of the real pleasures of the region. You can watch cheese being made through a window, look at a working beehive, and buy flour and cornmeal that were ground on site. Bakery cases are worth a look before the day gets late, because the best items sell out.
Amish-owned furniture shops and quilt stores dot the back roads. Quilts are priced by the hour of labor that went into them, so a fair price can look high until you learn how long it takes to piece and stitch one by hand. Pay what the maker asks or admire it and move on; haggling is not part of the culture.
A short list for a good day
- Fill the tank and bring cash. Smaller shops may not take cards.
- Give buggies plenty of room and never honk. Horses startle easily.
- Plan for Sunday. Many Amish-owned businesses are closed for worship and rest.
- Bring a cooler for cheese, baked goods and jams.
- Leave time to sit. A porch swing or a bench under a maple tree is part of the experience.
The point of a day like this is not to see everything. It is to notice how much can be done with patience, and to take a little of that patience home.
If you have a second day
Add a drive along the county roads with no destination in mind. Stop at roadside stands for produce, jars of preserves, baked pies, and handmade items such as woodwork, baskets and rag rugs. Many stands work on the honor system with a cash box, so keep small bills handy. If you see a school house, remember that Amish children generally finish their formal schooling after the eighth grade, and that the building is a working school, not a photo stop.
In the evening, look for a small-town diner in Arcola or Arthur and ask what the local pie is that day. Conversations at the counter often turn into the best directions to the next quiet road.
Seasons make a difference
Spring is muddy but fresh, with plowing behind teams of horses. Summer brings tall corn, road-side flowers and long light. Autumn is the busiest time for festivals, pumpkins and corn mazes. Winter is quiet; a few businesses close, but the ones that stay open are calm and easy to visit, and the bakeries feel especially welcoming.