The far north suburb of Zion was founded by a 19th century preacher who required those who leased land in the town to stay out of certain sinful businesses— from brothelkeeping to practicing medicine. It was only in 2004 that restaurants even started serving pork. But the same year they also legalized alcohol sales, and as Zion seeks to find an economic base after the 1998 closing of a nuclear power plant, two beer enthusiasts sought to make an abandoned lace factory in Zion a craft brewery. And the idea was met with… immediate rejection; selling demon rum is one thing, making it yourself is another. The Tribune has an interesting story on how a town with a fading religious past negotiates entering the modern world and attracting business and residents who don’t know anything about its heritage and aren’t necessarily attracted by an atmosphere that one businessman sums up simply as “Mayberry-esque”— with a little of The Road to Wellville thrown in, perhaps. [Tribune]
