Stelle is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
located in
Rogers Township in northern
Ford County, Illinois
Ford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 13,534. Its county seat is Paxton. Ford County was part of the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area until 2018, ...
, United States. As of 2013, its estimated population is 100.
The community was established as an
intentional community
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community designed to foster a high degree of group cohesiveness, social cohesion and teamwork. Such communities typically promote shared values or beliefs, or pursue a common vision, wh ...
in the early 1970s. In 1982, Stelle transitioned to a standard
homeowner's association
A homeowner association (or homeowners' association ''HOA sometimes referred to as a property owners' association ''POA common interest development ''CID or homeowner community) is a private, legally-incorporated organization that governs a h ...
, a structure it maintains today.
Historical overview
Stelle was founded in 1973 by the ''Stelle Group'', a
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
-based organization established by Richard Kieninger, a writer and teacher who also played a role in founding
Adelphi, Texas
The Adelphi Community is an intentional community, population 16, 25 miles east of Dallas, Texas, United States. It has streets, private homes, eight townhouses, a community well, community gardens and a sewage treatment plant.
History
The commun ...
. In the 1950s, Kieninger was a student of the
Lemurian Fellowship in Ramona, California.
Its founders, who belonged to a recently formed group from
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, purchased farmland in the northern part of Ford County and developed a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
an-style community. Stelle initially operated as a private community.
In 1982, Stelle transitioned into a
homeowner association
A homeowner association (or homeowners' association OA sometimes referred to as a property owners' association OA common interest development ID or homeowner community) is a private, Incorporation (business), legally-incorporated orga ...
and opened to the public. Following the transition, Stelle became notable for the incorporation of
solar panel
A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. These electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct ...
s on many homes and residents' emphasis on cooperative enterprises.
The village has its own telephone company, providing telephone, television, and internet services. Additional community features include a community garden co-op, a tool co-op, and a weekly communal dinner. Stelle also hosts educational events open to the public.
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{authority control
Intentional communities in Illinois
Populated places established in 1973
Unincorporated communities in Ford County, Illinois
1973 establishments in Illinois
Unincorporated communities in Illinois