PEORIA MAGAZINE May 2022

John Cummings, Metamora mayor

C O M M U N I T Y S P O T L I G H T

MULLING METAMORA More people are, for the Americana, the Lincoln lore, the rustic vibe

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY RON JOHNSON

M ETAMORA – As he scans the Peoria area, John Cummings sees Metamora as sitting in a uniquely attractive spot. It’s close enough to Peoria (as well as Bloomington-Normal) for quick access to work, shopping and entertainment. But unlike some bedroomcommunities, it’s detached enough to carry a small town feel. “We’re not a suburb,” Cummings said. “We can provide what most people want.” The numbers bear him out. Between 2010 and 2020, the village saw a 7.4 percent boost in population, to 3,904 people. That’s significant in light of the populationdecreases not only statewide but inWoodford County as a whole, and even in a nearby Germantown Hills that had experienced explosive growth in previous decades.

Another is Metamora Industries and its sister company, McBride & Shoff Machine Shop, the latter of which landed the first subcontracting work with Caterpillar Tractor Co. in 1942. The village’s biggest employer is Snyder Village, where 250 workers tend to 400-plus residents. About half of Snyder residents have transportation to get around, often to Peoria, said ExecutiveDirectorKeithSwartzentruber. “They find it’s really not that far,” he says. “Fifteen minutes? That’s like going from one side of Peoria to the other.” That proximity to the city is a lure, but so is the rural vibe. “Having a sense of ‘small town’ can be good,” said Swart zentruber, who lives out in the nearby countryside with his wife of 44 years, a Metamora native. Metamora’s rural roots go back almost 200 years. Settlers from New England

So, what’s the draw to Metamora? There are multiple factors, said Cummings, who has been in office for a year. Many newcomers cite schools that boast solid reputations for academics and athletics. Metamora also contains the basic necessities of modern life — a grocery, discount store, sitdown restaurants, fast food and a thrift store. For specialty or big-box stores, Peoria is just 15 minutes away, while a ride to BloNo is but 40 minutes. At those distances, Metamora remains a viable residential area for employees working in those and other central Illinois towns, Cummings said. Meantime, Metamora boasts work opportunities of its own. One of the bigger workplaces is Hallmark Cards’ Metamora Fixture Operations, which manufactures card racks used for retail display worldwide.

60 MAY 2022 P EORIA MAGAZINE