Where and how did the Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale begin.  Below are some bits of history outlining the roots of the sale as it is today. 

    The Arthur Mennonite Church saw a need to fill, which consisted of  canning meat initially.  Beef was purchased by the church and canned for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).  This first relief effort took place on November 1, 1945. 

    Local financial support of MCC began at the Arthur Mennonite Church as early as February 1948 when a monthly relief offering was initiated by the church.

    In late fall of 1959, John Roth and Clarence Yordy from Morton, Illinois visited Arthur looking for support for a new Relief Sale location of Congerville.  Their first contact was Orva Helmuth.  Together with Orva, they decided to spend their day in Arthur visiting local Amish church leaders and in doing so they generated much interest in the community.

    On March 12, 1960, Ura Yoder and Orva Helmuth took a pickup load of items to that first Relief Sale in Congerville, Illinois.

    The next year (1961), a larger pickup load of items went to the Congerville MCC Relief Sale from the Arthur Mennonite/Amish community.  This year the Congerville sale netted over $5,000.

    In the winter of 1961 – 1962, there was greater MCC Relief interest in the Arthur area.  This is when the big was asked, “Why don’t we have our own Relief Sale here in Arthur?” Soon a committee was formed, including people from all the Mennonite churches in the Arthur area.  This is when plans were put into place for the first Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale.

    The first Arthur Mennonite Relief Sale was held at the Arthur Sale Barn just north of Arthur (north of what is currently the John Deere Building) on February 17, 1962.  The income was approximately $2,000.  Items for sale included several quilts and other new items.  There was also a bake sale at that first relief effort as a community.

    Three years later on February, 27, 1965 the sale totaled $2,044.

     On February 12, 1966, the Relief Sale was held at the Bontrager building south of the Kitchen Seed Company.  This is the only time it was ever held there.

    Due to the unpredictable February weather in Illinois, the Relief Sale was moved to the Arthur Fair Grounds and held in the fall in September of 1970.

    In 1971, another fall event, the income netted at the Arthur Relief Sale $6,000.

    On July 28, 1979, The Arthur Relief Sale was held at the Arthur Fairgrounds one week after the Moultrie-Douglas County Fair.  This has set the precedence for the event since as we still hold the event one week after the Fair. 

    In the Spring/Summer timeframe of 1985, interest was expressed in opening an MCC Self-Help store in Champaign, Illinois (35 miles north of Arthur).  A committee was formed, including members from East Bend, Dewey, Urbana, and Arthur Mennonite churches.  The store opened in August of 1985 at 47 E. University, Champaign.  Today the store is located at 105 N. Walnut in Champaign.  Still run by volunteers daily.

    In August of 1986 the sale totaled $52,425. And included a bake sale, lots of local handcrafted furniture, a craft stand and a stand by MCC's Self-Help store.  The event continues to be held at the fairgrounds where by now it has engulfed the space of two large tents and four buildings.

    After heavy rainfall on several different occasions, it was decided to move the sale from the Arthur Fair Grounds to the Otto Center, one half mile south of Arthur. Everything would now be under one roof.  This was decided on November 6^th, 2001.