These days, it seems like Zohran Mamdani is everywhere. He’s walking uptown from City Hall to Gracie Mansion, greeting New Yorkers on the way—much like he did the night before his primary victory in June. He’s saying hi to Mr. and Mrs. Met on the way to greet the house staff at Citi Field. He’s reading to kindergartners and singing “The Wheels on the Bus” with Ms. Rachel (& President Obama) and…

The town of Makanda has a proud history of reinvention. Founded as a camp for workers building the Central Illinois Railroad in 1845, the town boomed as a way station for freight destined for Chicago.

After early growth tied to agriculture and the railroad, the town saw decline when the railroad rerouted and traffic dwindled. In the 1970s, artists and craftspeople began moving in, drawn by the…