Arthur is a village in Douglas and Moultrie counties in Illinois, with Arthur's primary street, Vine Street, being the county line. The population was 2,231 at the 2020 census. which was founded in the 1860s.

History

In 1877, the population was approximately 300 people. The community was incorporated as a village in April of that year.

The first village election was held on June 12, 1877, and C. G. McComb, Matt Hunsaker, W. H. Reeder, H. C. Jones, J. W. Sears, and Nick Thompson were elected trustees, and J. W. Barrum, clerk.

The original town was laid out on the farms of M. H. Warren on the Moultrie County side and the Pendleton Murphy farm on the Douglas County side. Early additions to the town included those by Murphy, Reeves, Hunsaker, Gibson, Warren, Reeder, followed by Kensington, Campbell, Boyd, Bennet, Fitzjarrald, and others.

On April 7, 1998, an F2 tornado struck south of Cadwell and moved northeast to south of Arthur. It lifted near Bourbon. Twenty homes, six barns, and other buildings were either damaged or destroyed. One mobile home was blown off its foundation. There were eight injuries.

In 2022, the community council revealed a flag for the village to celebrate its sesquicentennial. The new flag is flown in front of the welcome center and the police department. The new flag was put up upon the start of the Strawberry Festival.

On December 31, 2023, the village of Arthur would close a time capsule not set to open until 2073.

| align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Arthur had a population of 2,231. There were 958 households and 612 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 1,036 housing units at an average density of .

Among households in Arthur, 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.3% were married-couple households, 19.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The village of Arthur characterizes itself on its website as an Amish-friendly community, with more than 4,000 "Plain People" living in the region centered on the village. The Amish settlement near Arthur was founded in 1864 and by 2013 had 30 church districts The Arthur community was the eighth largest Amish settlement in the world, with 4,410 as of 2017.

Education

In July 2012, Arthur's longtime school district consolidated with the much smaller school district in nearby Lovington. High school students from both towns attend school in Arthur, while grade schools are maintained in both towns. The two schools have shared a football team for many years. In August 2014, the Atwood Hammond school district consolidated with Arthur Lovington, with the school name being changed to ALAH High School.

Notable people

  • Margery C. Carlson, botanist
  • George Corbett, NFL running back of the 1930s

References

  • Illinois Amish Country
  • More Information about Arthur, IL