Southern Illinois is old oil country. Most people don't think of the Land of Lincoln as the land of Black Gold, but a southern swath of the state from Oblong City to Lawrenceville is full of rusting oil pumps, some still working, slowly pulling crude from below. Others sit silently in the sun, rusting and thirsty. The boom days are long past, but the slow trickle of oil remains, a nod to the area's prosperous past. Crooner and Frosty the Snowman star Burl Ives called Oblong City his birthplace.
And nearby a small Amish settlement has established itself. And there is where our new Amish Cook columnist, Gloria Yoder, calls home. I had the pleasure of spending the day in her settlement yesterday and I'll be sharing recipes, images, and stories from her settlement over the days ahead. But I thought I'd share three photographs today. Below, the small settlement's school sits waiting for students to return in a few short weeks. And, below, one of Gloria's sisters corrals the horses.
They have a couple of horses and a pony. The pony was hitched up yesterday for a ride to the nearby bulk food store. And Gloria's mother Dorcas Raber still uses an old Maytag wringer washer. This was the wringer washer doing the laundry yesterday. You'll hear more from Dorcas in the months ahead, I am sure. 
Gary
What powers the washing machine, Kevin?
clk
I used the wringer machine until 2005... when it conked out. the mr. had me buy an automatic....
the wringer machine was my moms'....she never would use the automatic at all.....can you imagine
washing my dads' work clothes in it? she would hang clothes outside in the summer and inside the basement
in the winter......I still hang clothes outside from time to time....
dynnamae
I used a wringer washer until 1986. Then we bought a Maytag automatic washer. It has never needed any servicing all these years. It would be great if they still made machines to last like that today.
Linda from KY
I loved the pictures! My grandmother used an old wringer washer. My favorite is of the horses. It looks like a beautiful place to raise a family.
I thought Burl Ives played the snowman in the claymation classic, "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." I didn't know he was from IL, though.
Kevin
Yikes, Linda, you are right, Burl was in Rudolph, not Frosty!
Vickie
Hi Kevin:
I need to ride along with you, my family says I have never met a stranger and talk to everyone. I enjoy strangers. My mom used the old wringer until I was a teen and one day got her arm caught in the wringer. Lucky I was at home and able to pull the plug, we got her arm out and she still has scars from it. Dad dismantled and made her use the auto for his work clothes after that. Good luck on the new ventures.
V
Julie B.
I do remember how wringer washer and put rubber diapers through that wringer diapers and explodes and I ruined a couple of shirts
Did you ever get anything caught in a wringer?or ruined a couple of shirts?
Missy
I used a wringer washer from '99 until about 2005 but only during spring, summer and fall. Used my automatic during the winter. On a hot day there was nothing better than doing a few loads of laundry and getting wet.
Sue brown
Question: is the recipe Gloria put in her colum "world-famous burger a public domain recipe? Thanks, waiting for your reply
Kevin
Sue, sure, you can use the recipe...If you are going to put it on a website, maybe attribute it to The Amish Cook
Lynette Coffin
Want to try some receipes..Been in Amish country many times. Daughter in Lancaster, Pa. (Mennonite)