[3] The Arthur area is home to the largest and oldest Amish community in Illinois,[4] which was founded in the 1860s.

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.

Early additions to the town included those by Murphy, Reeves, Hunsaker, Gibson, Warren, Reeder, followed by Kensington, Campbell, Boyd, Bennet, Fitzjarrald, and others.

In 2022, the community council revealed a flag for the village to celebrate its sesquicentennial.

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

[5] Arthur is in southwestern Douglas County and northeastern Moultrie County, with Illinois Route 133 passing through the southern part of the village, leading east 9 miles (14 km) to Arcola and west the same distance to Lovington.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Arthur has a total area of 1.34 square miles (3.47 km2), all land.

32.07% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.45% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[9] The Arthur community was the eighth largest Amish settlement in the world, with 4,410 as of 2017.