For the month of July, we at the IDHH are highlighting one of our first collections ingested back in July of 2016. The Arthur, Once Upon a Time collection from the Arthur Public Library depicts daily life in Arthur, Illinois from the early to mid 1900s. First settled in 1850, Arthur now has a population of around 2,500, and is home to the largest Amish settlement in Illinois, with around 4,000 Amish people living in the area.
With nearly 500 images to explore, the Arthur, Once Upon a Time collection offers a glimpse into Arthur of the past. Though it was originally started by Mr. Noel C. Dicks, a local pharmacist and owner of Dick’s Pharmacy, who started gathering photographs of pharmacists and physicians who practiced in the town, contributions from local people have expanded the collection to encompass an entire spectrum of Arthur experiences from the paving of Vine Street to images of local businesses.
Here are a few of our favorite images from the Arthur, Once Upon a Time collection:
Railroad, hand car. Circa 1900. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Street scene, Vine street. Circa 1900. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Factory, Broom Factory. Circa 1900. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Drug Store, Barrum Soda Fountain. Circa 1900. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Farming, Plowing corn. Circa 1905. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Business, Clothing stores, Whitlock’s Mens Store. Circa 1905. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. U.S. Post Office, Rural Route mail carrier. Circa 1910. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library. Fire Department, 1930 truck with men. 1930. Arthur Public Library. Arthur, Once Upon a Time – Local History Images of Arthur. Arthur Public Library.
For more images of Arthur, Illinois, view the full Arthur, Once Upon a Time collection on the IDHH.
