Stay In The Loop

Stay up to date with Route 66 Association happenings with regular updates by President Catherine Stevanovich

Read The President's View

Cruisin' Our Calendar

Learning to use our calendar puts the fun and adventure of Route 66 at your fingertips. It's easy to discover the when, what and where of events along the road.

Here's How!

Historic Maps

Highway GuideWatch Route 66 evolve into The Mother Road  with maps and highway guides from 1917-1992 courtesty of the official Illinois Digital Archives.

Preservation Efforts

What is Preservation?

Preservation takes many forms. The size, scope and historical significance is virtually unlimited.

Essentially, preservation is the link that joins the past to the present for the future. Preservation should always emit a sense of time and place.

John and Lenore Weiss to Receive Preservation Award

We wish to extend our heartfelt congratulations to John and Lenore Weiss. On July 25, 2009, they will receive an award in recognition of their efforts in preserving the history of The Mill in Lincoln.

The Mill officially opened on July 25, 1929 and was saved from demolition in 2006.

The Heritage Foundation of Logan County will be hosting a huge celebration at The Mill on July 25, 2009 in commemoration of The Mill's 80th Anniversary. The ceremony honoring John and Lenore will kick off the celebration at noon. All are welcome for a day of fun and festivities.

Face Lift at the Dixie

Submitted by John Weiss, Chairman, Route 66 Museum

The Dixie Truckers Home in McLean, Illinois has a new look. The exterior has attractive awnings all around. Route 66, Stuckey’s, the Café and General Store are all predominant.

Helping History

By John & Lenore Weiss

We sent out word that help was needed to spruce up our number one preservation project. That, of course, is the Odell, Illinois gas station. Painting, scraping and polishing was on the agenda.

What a fantastic turn out we had. Twenty-one people came to volunteer, from small children, one infant to mature adults. What a great, great sight it was!

Streetcar Diner

Location

Streetcar Diner
5650 Highway 53 S
Gardner, IL, 60424
United States
41° 11' 27.6972" N, 88° 18' 6.4152" W

A 20th century Kankakee streetcar was moved to Gardner in 1932 to serve as a diner. In 1937, the streetcar became a cottage and playhouse. It was moved behind the Riviera in 1955 and is still there today. It was restored ty the Route 66 Association of Illinois and inducted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2001.

 Click here to read about the Streetcar Diner on the big screen!

May 26, 2009 - A Great Day For Route 66 in Illinois!

Today we are proud to bring you two BIG pieces of Route 66 news!

First, a 1.3-mile section of Old Route 66 southeast of Lake Springfield has been designated a National Historic Place! The 80-year-old piece of the Mother Road will be preserved for generations to come, thanks to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

Secondly, the Federal Highway Administration has granted the state of Illinois nearly $400,000 for the placement of informational exhibits along Route 66. Start dusting off your historic Route 66 photos!

Be sure to click through to the State Journal Register of Springfield, IL for the whole story!

80th Anniversary of the Mill in Lincoln

07/25/2009 - 12:00pm
07/25/2009 - 8:59pm

80th Anniversary of the Mill in Lincoln

738 Washington St., Lincoln

Saturday, July 25, 2009

The Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County will be hosting a huge celebration commemorating two exciting events:

The 80th Anniversary of The Mill
The induction of The Mill into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame

Come celebrate with us!

Schedule of Events:

12:00   Festivities begin with speakers and awards
***Our own John and Lenore Weiss, preservationists extraordinaire, will be honored with a preservation award at this ceremony!

Visit Our New Preservation Display

The Route 66 Association of Illinois is proud to announce that our new Preservation Display is now on exhibit!

The Preservation Display is located upstairs of the Route 66 Museum in Pontiac. You'll find the display even more convenient to visit by using our newly installed elevator!

Painting Party at Odell Standard Gas Station

HELP NEEDED
Saturday, April 18th - 10 a.m. (Rain date, Sat. April 25th)

The Odell Standard Gas Station needs some repainting. The winter weather really took its toll. Lots of sections are peeling off. As we all know, maintenance of preservation projects is extremely important. Tourism season and the Red Carpet Corridor event, May 2 & 3, will soon begin.

WE NEED YOU!

Find out what our team of wonderful volunteers experience when we all come together to work on a project along Route 66. Try it - You might like it!!!

We need some idea of how many folks to expect. Please call or email John and Lenore Weiss if you are able to attend. E-mail - weissinfo@il66authority.com , phone 815-458-6616.

Painting Party at Odell Standard Gas Station

04/18/2009 - 12:00pm
04/18/2009 - 2:59pm

HELP NEEDED
Saturday, April 18th - 10 a.m. (Rain date, Sat. April 25th)

The Odell Standard Gas Station needs some repainting. The winter weather really took its toll. Lots of sections are peeling off. As we all know, maintenance of preservation projects is extremely important. Tourism season and the Red Carpet Corridor event, May 2 & 3, will soon begin.

WE NEED YOU!

Find out what our team of wonderful volunteers experience when we all come together to work on a project along Route 66. Try it - You might like it!!!

We need some idea of how many folks to expect. Please call or email John and Lenore Weiss if you are able to attend. E-mail - weissinfo@il66authority.com , phone 815-458-6616.

Syndicate content

Got Content?

EditorWe welcome your Route 66 news, stories, photos and events for publication in our newsletter or on our web site!

Submit it here

Planning a Road Trip?

Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & MuseumBe sure to visit the fantastic Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame & Museum

Learn More!

Have You Moved?

Send us your change of address to:
Membership
110 W Howard St
Pontiac, IL, 61764
or use our handy contact form