10/17/20: Illinois' Historic Route 66 from Dwight-Lincoln

After leaving our daughter and her family in Chicago Steven and I picked up Historic Route 66 in Chandler, Illinois to head south toward the state capital of Springfield. Built in 1926, US Route 66 was the only continuous path that connected Chicago to Santa Monica, California, crossing more than 2,400 miles through eight states. The highway was once so important that writer John Steinbeck nicknamed it "The Mother Road." Like so many before us, we were curious to catch a glimpse of the culture and history of the celebrated Route 66.

Our initial stop was the historic village of Dwight where some old-timers recall Dwight as having the first traffic light south of Chicago. The village began in 1854 as a station along the Chicago and Alton railroad. 

Ambler's 1930s Texaco station was built in the "house and canopy" cottage style so it blended in with the neighborhoods where gas stations were just becoming common. I could see how its design evoked a sense of comfort and 'home' for travelers.

After Phil and Deb Becker donated their station to the people of Dwight in 2004, it became listed on the National Register of Historic Places and also on the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame. The station is now the village's Visitors' Center.

When the gas station was built in 1933, it was the longest operating service station to pump gas on historic Route 66. And, as the sign said, they were the last gas pumps used on the fabled route between Illinois and faraway California.

Tiny Dwight even had a royal connection when the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward IV, worshipped in Dwight's Pioneer Gothic Church. The church was built in 1857 in the Carpenter Gothic style after one of Dwight's founders donated the land for the church. The church is now the Township Hall.

A few blocks away was historic downtown Dwight including the depot and post office. Rather than being designed around a public square, Dwight was designed around the depot which was not uncommon when railroad stops often became towns.

Unassuming from the outside and tucked into the middle of the block across the street from the train station, was the First National Bank of Dwight. It was one of only two banks designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the other is in Iowa. Wright designed it circa 1904 for a prominent Dwight citizen, Frank L. Smith, for his real estate office and bank. Wright’s first design was for a three-story building, but Smith rejected it, preferring the one and one-half story structure that exists today. 

The building's exterior was composed of blocks of Bedford limestone, some of the finest, strongest, and most durable stone ever quarried. The bank had a special meeting room with a feature that Wright always loved to include in his designs but is not found in a bank: a fireplace! As Dwight is only about seventy-five miles southwest of Chicago, it was a short trip to take a look at another of Wright’s timeless masterpieces.

In 1879, Dwight was still a quiet railroad town when young Dr. Leslie Keeley opened the doors of the Keeley Institute, the first medical institution to treat alcoholism as a disease. By the 1890s, Keeley Institutes were located in nearly every state in the country and many overseas. The Keeley Institute continued to operate until 1966 when hospitals began to deal with the disease of alcoholism. Today the building houses the Fox Developmental Center. How I would have liked to see the building's priceless stained glass windows depicting the five senses.

Unfortunately, I forgot to write down what this historic building was in downtown Dwight.

The restoration of the 1932 Standard Oil gas station in nearby Odell was a project of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Preservation Communities and was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The massive Fire Department from 1894 belonged to the town of Pontiac, also on Route 66.

Walking through the town was more than a bit like walking through a time warp. When I found out that Pontiac was home to 23 outdoor murals, I was delighted to view the beautiful pieces of public art that depicted Pontiac's local history. Eighteen of the murals were painted by the 'Walldogs,' a group of sign painters and muralists who came to Pontiac in the summer of 2009. The more than 150 artists painted the entire set of 18 murals in just four days. 

The Fire House mural was designed by Stephan Connor of Blackstone, IL. 

The RCA Victor mural paid tribute to the "Walldogs" of earlier years. 

As I am a HUGE fan of Lipton tea, I smiled when I saw the road was referred to as The Lipton Highway!

The Daniels Oil mural recalled a time when gas stations provided full service to their customers and were a place to gather all of the community news and gossip.

Roszell's Soda Fountain mural was designed by Pontiac's own Joe Diaz. Although the representation here was fictional, it recalled an earlier time when soda fountains were staples in almost every American small town. 

The largest and oldest mural was the Route 66 Shield found on the back of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. At its base were bricks from the original Route 66 that ran through Pontiac.

As you can imagine, Route 66 has become a nostalgic symbol of Americana. This display in Pontiac honored just one of the many 'mom and pop' businesses that catered to tired travelers on the highway. Many thousands of visitors from around the world have stopped to make a wish at this famous well. The highway's slogan is "Yes, dreams do come true on Route 66. All you have to do is believe!"

Bob Waldmire had a lifelong passion for Route 66 after his parents took the family, including 17-year-old Bob, on a car trip in 1962 from near the state capital of Springfield to California via Route 66. Bob then spent the rest of his life traveling along Route 66 in either this school bus motor home, a 1964 Mustang, or in his 1972 VW van. He supported his nomadic lifestyle by painting and drawing for clients on the Mother Road.

Bob's plan was to clear out the interior and create a living space including a bed, kitchen, and work area. The school bus home ultimately included solar panels for electricity, a rainwater collection system, a comfortable back porch, a storage loft, a working toilet, and a shower!

Route 66 is one of the most famous roads in the world and Illinois Route 66 was designated as a National Scenic Byway by the US Department of Transportation.

The mural on the side of the weekly newspaper building was designed by Nancy Bennett.

The Drink Coca Cola mural was painted by Atlanta artist Sonny Franks. 

The mural featuring a map of the entire length of Route 66 was designed by Route 66 artist and icon, Bob Waldmire from his sickbed just a short time before he passed away in 2009. It was appropriately 66 feet long! 

The mural was painted in Bob's memory by members of his family and about 500 of his friends from along the entire Mother Road.  Each person who worked on Bob's mural, and who felt they had been touched by Bob's art, left a handprint on the mural. Peggy: I can't help but think you would love this part of Route 66 since you enjoyed driving along part of the Arizona portion!

The stately Livingston County Courthouse:

We didn't find any information about these mini cars located downtown but they were sure darn cute!

Even some of the regular-sized cars were rather ancient!

We read that Pontiac would not have become so successful without the presence of the early mills which ground grain, sawed lumber, and manufactured wool for the area's settlers. The earliest mill was constructed on the bank of the Vermilion River in 1838. Five other mills later operated in the city with most being powered before 1900 by paddlewheels and the river's rushing waters. These millstones came from the Williams Grist Mill located just 150 feet away after it was demolished in 1957 after being heavily damaged by fire two years previously. 

The Vermilion River & Old Mill mural was designed by Francisco Vargo in a postage stamp style and was fittingly located next to the Vermilion River. 

It was fun strolling across the 1898 swing bridge over the Vermilion River.

As we continued driving west, we stopped to look at a sign that indicated the original Route 66 was only sixteen feet wide and was constructed of Portland cement. 

I liked spotting the occasional quilt designs on the barns.

The only two-story Tudor Revival service station on Route 66 was opened in 1930 by William Sprague in Normal, Illinois. Sprague knew even in the depth of the Great Recession that travelers still needed food, gas, and car repairs. The station was built to blend with the neighborhood, appearing more like a large house than a business. Sprague's was more than just a business as the entire staff and their families lived upstairs. By the 1950s, 'mom and pop' establishments like Sprague's declined as corporate chains took over the market.

Gas and food continued to be sold at Sprague's until the 1970s. Over the years, Sprague's has housed a welding shop, taxi company, rental car business, bakery, bridal shop, and catering company. After Sprague's was restored to its 1930s appearance in 2006, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As we'd discovered in Dwight, businesses sprang up to serve the needs of new motorists when Route 66 was born. Initially, filling stations were simply gas pumps outside a store. Later, canopy roofs were added over the pumps and, in the 1930s, eye-catching architecture caught the attention of cross-country travelers with mechanical service, maps, and home-cooked food in addition to just gas. 

Are you a fan of the Steak 'n Shake chain of restaurants? If so, you'd be interested to know that in 1934, Gus Belt turned his Shell gas station in Normal-Bloomington into a restaurant featuring his signature "Steakburger." Now, there are over 500 Steak 'n Shake locations but the original has been converted to a pizza restaurant - what heresy!

In the mid-1930s, oil corporations hired famous architects to create modern-style gas stations. We have Walter Teague to 'thank' for the streamlined box design that was used for over 10,000 Texaco stations, including the 1941 Quinn's Texaco in nearby Bloomington.

The 1937 Art Deco style Normal Theater has been completely restored for people to enjoy classic films, live theater, and music. It was so windy by the theater we had trouble even standing up!

The David Davis Mansion was the home of Judge Davis, an associate of Abraham Lincoln. The lavish interior included eight marble fireplaces. Lincoln stayed at the Davis mansion during his visits to Bloomington. Davis was appointed by President Lincoln to the US Supreme Court in 1862 and became a US senator in 1877. I wonder if there were term limits for Supreme Court justices in that era unlike now?

Lincoln remained a lasting presence in Davis' life. On the day Lincoln died, his 21-year-old son, Robert, sent a telegram to Davis imploring him to take charge of the murdered president's affairs. He also served as the younger Lincoln's legal guardian and advised him of his mother's care. 

On the grounds of the stunning estate was Sarah's Garden, an Italianate Starburst design created in 1871 for Sarah and David Davis to complement the elegance of their new mansion. Sarah brought plants from her previous garden, received some from friends and family in New England, gathered wildflowers on her walks, and purchased others in Bloomington.

Sarah's Garden was unique for American historic gardens because it has remained in the same location with the same raised bed design. The garden survived for over 100 years because it was owned for three generations by the Davis family before being given to the state of Illinois in 1960. How amazing it must have been to learn that, when the garden was evaluated in 1990, many of the original plants were still present! 

Nearly all the flowers now found in the garden were documented to have been there from 1872-1928. The research conducted on Sarah's Garden included over 19,000 letters, receipts, photos, and drawings which helped to identify more than 120 plants grown by Sarah in her garden!

A sign at the base of the McLean County Museum of History, the county seat for Normal-Bloomington, proclaimed Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship.

Another Route 66 roadside attraction was Funk's Grove Maple Sirup and, no, that's not a spelling error! The Funk family has been making maple syrup since 1981.  

A bit past Funks Grove was the Walker Store and Historic Depot. The former was a grocery store and gas station until the late 1970s when it became an antique store.  

It was fun driving down a country lane to a church and cemetery nestled in the woods.

How peaceful it was enjoying the giant maples by the 1864 Funks Grove Church and Cemetery.

Access to the very unusual Chapel of the Templed Trees was via a trail marked by prayerful sayings inscribed on plaques and attached to trees. 

"I come here to find myself. It is so easy to get lost in the world."

"In quietness and trust shall be our strength."

"You will seek me and you will find me when you see me with all your heart."

Our time at the chapel might only have been made better if there had been a service. But, I also thought having it all to ourselves was a perfect way to commune with nature and higher spirits.

Funks Grove was so tiny it wasn't even listed on the state map. We only learned about it because it was listed on a sign we'd spotted in Bloomington listing Route 66 attractions. 

Funks Grove had been designated by the National Park Service a Registered Natural Landmark in 1975 because it "possesses exceptional value as an illustration of the nation's natural heritage and contributes to a better understanding of man's environment."

On to tiny Atlanta, Illinois ...

Standing 19-feet tall and clutching a giant hot dog, this Paul Bunyon statue, intentionally spelled with an “o”, was described as one of Route 66’s mythic Muffler Man Statues. 

Across the street was a mural depicting the Palms Grill Cafe that served the town's citizens and a steady stream of Route 66 travelers from 1936 until the late 1960s. The Palms Grill Cafe featured fine fare from The Mother Road’s Golden Age.

The cafe, named after a restaurant the owner had liked on trips to California, had also been the town's Greyhound bus stop. If people wanted the bus to stop, patrons just turned on the light above the door! 

And then on to the day's final stop, Lincoln, Illinois. During the 'Summer of the Great Debates' in 1858 between Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, a huge rally was held in Lincoln in support of Douglas by the train depot. 

The first sale of lots in the new town of Lincoln took place near this spot. In attendance was Lincoln in whose honor the town had been named. He reportedly quipped, "Nothing with the name of Lincoln has ever amounted to much." He was nonetheless obliging when a promoter asked him to officially "christen the town." Lincoln picked a watermelon and conducted a brief "christening ceremony" by opening the watermelon with his pocket knife, squeezing the juice into a cup, and declaring the town "christened" by pouring the juice onto the ground. "... I now christen this town site. Its name is Lincoln and soon to be named the permanent capital of Logan County."

President-elect Lincoln also spoke here on November 21st, 1860 while traveling to Chicago. His funeral train stopped here on May 3rd, 1865, before completing the trip to Springfield. 

It was hard to imagine a more desolate town last October than Lincoln. There was hardly a car or a person out and about.

The memorial in front of the courthouse honored those from Logan County who lost their lives in the Civil War. 

The Postville Courthouse was located about 25 miles north of Lincoln's home in the state capital of Springfield. Lincoln first attended court here as a junior partner of John Todd Stuart. By 1929, industrialist Henry Ford acquired the original Postville courthouse and had it reassembled at his home in Dearborn, Michigan. This Illinois site was a replica of the original building. The town of Lincoln, founded in 1853, eventually succeeded Postville. 

Route 66 promised travelers fun and entertainment along the road. This Railspitter Covered Wagon honored Abraham Lincoln in the only town named for him before he became president. Fans of  Reader's Digest Magazine voted the world's largest wagon the #1 Roadside Attraction in America.

The wagon was built by David Bentley in 2001 when he was recovering from heart disease. After a local philanthropist purchased and donated the railsplitter to the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau, the wagon arrived, causing traffic jams as curious onlookers stopped to take pictures. The Illinois oak and steel wagon was 12-feet wide, 25-feet tall, and 40-feet long!

What a fun day it had been driving along Historic Route 66 and discovering life from days gone by in small-town America! We were so lucky to have the time to putter about in towns like Dwight, Pontiac, and others so we could learn about another piece of American history. 

Next post: Lincoln's sights in Springfield, the state capital.

Posted on September 7th, 2021, from our home in Denver as Steven and I are wondering just how wise we are to continue making plans to leave in just one week for a long trip to Europe. Will the trip be one long 'adventure' with more Covid testing at several spots along the journey that will just be a minor inconvenience? Or will we find Europeans very resistant to even fully vaccinated Americans, and even those like us lucky enough to have had the booster, making the trip just to see the sights and cause us to come home far sooner than planned? Only time will tell - I will keep you posted.