Dave Barry calls it the most American city in the nation.  It's the home of  the Broom Corn Festival and the birthplace of Raggedy Ann and is located in the heart of Illinois Amish Country.

Arcola is located in the central part of the state on Interstate 57, approximately two and one-half hours from both Chicago and St. Louis. It's location lends to its character, surrounded by rich, Illinois farmland that has become home to a large Amish population. Also, it gave rise to what was once the town's main industry, the growing of broom corn used to make enough brooms that led to the town claiming the title of "The Broom Capital of the World".

While the cost of the labor-intensive growing of broom corn has shifted the production of the raw material used in the bristles to Mexico and Latin America, the town today remains a major source of the manufacature and distribution of brooms.

Each fall on the first weekend after Labor Day, it celebrates its heritage with the annual broom corn festival.

Thousands flock to the small village of 2,000, swelling its population, to stroll the brick, tree-lined streets, watch one of the best small-town parades in the nation and tour the historic and restored buildings of the business district. The Festival features a tent for dancing, free street entertainment and some of the vest food concessions you will ever experience. A favorite is always the fried onion blossoms or the locally produced and sumptuous breakfast pork chops.

So, he turned to wearing very dark sun glasses in place of the mask It became the inspiration for the formation of the Lawn Rangers.

About that drill team aspect, the Rangers, who seem to increase their numbers yearly and are virtually legends in downstate Illinois, meet once a year for practicing their routines. The session takes place the morning of the parade on the town's high school football field (which has spawned a number of state champions and even an NFL standout). To be a Ranger for that day, you must bring the stiff initiation fee of a case of beer. It's all wonderful fun, though, and the participants take their association with the town and the Festival serious and proudly.

While in Arcola, be sure to visit Rockome Gardens, located approximately three miles from downtown. The site is home to a salute to the region's Amish heritage, featuring a crafts village, an authentic Amish home and rides in an Amish buggy through the rolling countryside. It is also the home to the annual Amish fund-raising blankets and crafts sale by which the group raises money to help their less-fortunate brothers and sisters.

The "garden" features some of the most unique handicraft of using stones for decorations and stone work that you will see. All of the rocks and stones came from farm fields surrounding Rockome. Another highlight of your visit will be the opportunity to sample some authentic Amish country cooking at the restaurant at the Gardens.

If that isn't enough to entice you, Arcola is the birthplace of Raggedy Ann, the doll that has capitvated our hearts for more than 80 years. The loveable doll is the creation of Johhn Gruell. But the poignant story behind her creation is a wonderful tribute to Johnny's daughter, Marcella.

Prior to World War I, the pre-teen Marcella found a tattered rag doll in her grandmother's attic. She excitedly showed it to her father, Johnny, who was an artist of some repute and had moved about 125 miles east to the larger city of Indianapolis.

Johnny drew a face on the doll and took a pair of sissors to cut out a paper hear on which he wrote, "I Love You."

That might have been the end of the story, but just a few years later, Marcella fell victim to a contaminated smallpox vaccination in 1917 and died.

The grief-stricken father turned to writing storiers about a little girl, Marcella, and herdoll, Raggedy Ann. The rest is, of course, history. Today, Marcella lives forever in the stories written by her father, who loved her so much, that he immortalized her in the Raggedy Ann books. It is almost 100 percent certain that few of the millions of children around the world who have read about Raggedy Ann and her mistress, Marcella, know that they are reading about a real little girl.

Today, the beautiful brick buildings of the business district of Arcola feature a wealth of Raggedy Ann memorabilia. Also, each year, the town celebrates two festivals, one in the summer, The Raggedy Ann Festival, and the other during Christmas, with a Raggedy Ann Christmas, when the rag doll comes to life in the personification of a local girl (and a boy to represent Raggedy Andy), and ride into town with Santa Claus.

Amish country, festivals, Raggedy Ann--is it any wonder it's called "Amazing Arcola"?