A Road Trip to Amish Country: Arthur, Illinois (2024)

Americans have a strange habit of freezing moments in time. Whether it’s Colonial America in Williamsburg, or a Jimmy Stewart movie of the 1950s, we always seem to think that those periods existed in stasis, never evolving but staying arrested in time. The Amish, likewise, have achieved an image in the collective American mindset of being stuck in the past. Traditionally, the Amish have eschewed technology that can damage family life or encourage laziness. This author made the two and a half hour drive from St. Louis to one of the largest Amish settlement in Illinois, and was surprised how much this traditionally technological averse sect was keeping up with the changing times.

The Amish community around Arthur, Illinois, and the neighboring towns numbers around 4,600 members, which makes up a major portion of the entire population. Since the community sits right at the intersection of the borders of three separate counties, an accurate percentage is hard to calculate. The density becomes obvious when approaching certain intersections in town where carriages outnumber automobiles on the road. Out in the countryside, entire roads for miles have no electrical lines, pointing to the preponderance of Amish farms.

Due to the large population in such a small area not being able to provide enough arable land for Amish farmers, the community, despite its portrayal in popular culture, has adapted in different ways. First off, very few Amish actually still farm on their land, choosing instead to turn their acreage over to farmers who practice agriculture with tractors and regular machinery. Farm fields in the rich soil of eastern Illinois are large compared to traditional fields, and row upon row of tightly planted crops indicate which fields are machine-planted. The logic: fields planted with modern machinery generate far greater yields and profits for Amish landowners. Vows of simple living are compatible with being good businessmen.

Likewise, a ban on power tools at home does not extend to businesses in the area where many Amish men and women now work. The area is dotted with dozens of woodworking shops, which make everything from roof trusses to cabinetry. The prices reflect an understanding of the demand of this skilled craftsmanship; prices for some single pieces of furniture are upwards of $1,000. Perhaps the most beautiful work of Amish woodworkers is in the Arts and Crafts style.

South of Arthur, the Family Health Foods store shows that the Amish are even getting into the organic (which they’ve always been) food trend, as well as other probiotics and natural supplements. While Amish baking and vegetables have always been popular, they now are realizing the burgeoning market for food from non-corporate sources. The herbal supplements aisle looks no different than the one at Whole Foods.

Meanwhile, out at the Amish farms, technology that seems out of step with the sect’s plain way of life is now perfectly acceptable. The Amish have long used wind power to pump water out of wells, but now an increasingly number of their houses, while still lacking a commercial service line, are turning to solar power panels. While still not relying on electricity to power modern conveniences, they will use modern technology to follow USDA standards for the refrigeration of milk or other farm products. Also, most of the farms now used gas-powered industrial mowers for maintenance of yards; interestingly, it’s women are primarily in charge of mowing with these large, ungainly machines.

Finally, the greatest contribution to the naturally beautiful farmland around Arthur is the lack of clutter and other garbage that seems to permeate too many rural farmsteads. No rusty tractors, long past their prime sitting up on concrete blocks, no acres of junk piled up behind the barn. The vast majority of barns and houses are immaculately painted, and the ones that are not are still well-maintained. It’s amazing what the Amish can accomplish, carefully adapting to the modern world while avoiding most of the technology that permeates the average American’s everyday life. Also all of the Amish people in and around Arthur looked healthy and well-exercised. As technology causes our bodies to lapse into disuse and our minds to require constant stimulation, the Amish are perhaps showing us a better way.

Chris Naffziger writes about architecture atSt. Louis Patina. Contact him via e-mail at naffziger@gmail.com.