Arthur

Arthur, village, Douglas and Moultrie counties, east-central Illinois, U.S. It lies about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Champaign. Founded in 1873 as a railroad switching point, it was originally called Glasgow but was soon renamed for a brother of Robert Hervey, president of the Paris and Decatur Railroad. Members of the Old Order Amish settlement, a conservative religious group in the area since 1865 and now numbering some 3,500 to 4,000 members, have contributed to the character of the community. Horse-drawn buggies, the mode of travel for many Amish, share the country roads and village streets with automobiles, and local Amish businesses produce a number of traditional goods. Agriculture (corn [maize], soybeans, poultry, and livestock) and tourism are important to the local economy; manufactures include cabinets, furniture, garage doors, storage tanks, paper packaging, plastics, and farm implements. Lake Shelbyville, along with two state parks and a wildlife area, is southwest. Inc. 1877. Pop. (2000) 2,203; (2010) 2,288.