Preservation Efforts

Our thanks to Mike Brick, Development Director of the Joliet Area Historical Museum to sharing the following request for us to share:

Please see the attached Press Release regarding the Joliet Area Historical Museum’s efforts to raise funds to restore one of the few remaining Lincoln Highway Markers that were originally installed along historic Lincoln Highway in 1928.

We would appreciate your support in helping the Museum to create awareness for this restoration project. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Thank you,
Mike Brick
Development Director
Joliet Area Historical Museum

Click to view the Official Press Release.

Our thanks to Ellie Alexander, Director of Pontiac Tourism, for providing the following press release for us to share:

The City of Pontiac, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution and the Illinois Humanities Council, presents the travelling exhibit, Journey Stories, to be on display at the Livingston County Courthouse beginning February 23, 2013. The exhibit will be only one part of the entire Journey Stories event. Along with the display, there will be three informational programs exploring different aspects of our local and national transportation and travel history. The programs will all be held in the Pontiac City Council Chambers located at 115 West Howard Street in Pontiac. Programs will begin at 7:30 PM, and admission is free.

We were recently contacted by Arlyn Booth, Map Coordinator of the Illinois State Library requesting Route 66 information. Can you help her gather the information she seeks?

Update: Arlyn Booth is no longer with the Illinois State Library. Please contact them, nonetheless, as they will direct your email to the appropriate party.

We are saddened to share the news that Betty Estes, Pontiac, Illinois' first tourism director has passed away.

Here's a quote for the Pontiac Daily Leader:

Pontiac lost its greatest cheerleader with the passing of Elizabeth “Betty” Estes, the city’s first tourism director, on Wednesday. She was 81.

“Betty loved Pontiac and she loved being involved in everything that made the city better,” said City Administrator Bob Karls late Wednesday afternoon.

“She has a long history of service to the community she loved and was a visionary to what tourism could be,” he said. “But beyond that she was just a very special lady and her presence will be missed.”

We're proud to announce two new items are available for purchase through our Association to demonstrate your '66 pride:

A Funk's Grove Midpoint Commemorative Pin - In honor of the official declaring of Funk's Grove as the midpoint of Route 66 in Illinois, Diaz Sign Art, in Pontiac, IL was commissioned to create this striking commemorative pin.

A T-shirt adorned with an original Bob Waldmire design - This work of art was created in 1989 by artist, icon and friend of Route 66, Bob Waldmire, exclusively for our Association. It now is emblazoned upon a black T-shirt (made of American-grown cotton and made in the USA) which will be available in sizes Small through 4XL.

Our thanks to Al Lopinot of Litchfield for writing the following article...

David Jackson was editor of the Litchfield News Herald and a collector of artifacts related to the history of Litchfield. One item that he collected was colored picture postcards of Litchfield. When he passed away several years ago, he left those postcards to his daughter, Anne. Since that time, she has been figuring out how she might make these available to others interested in Litchfield history. She came across a postcard book published by another community and this gave her an idea maybe she shoud do the same.

We proudly announce those who will be inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame at our Annual Hall of Fame Banquet. This year's banquet and induction ceremony will be held on June 9 at Lincoln College, in Lincoln, IL.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame recognizes "those people and places along Route 66 whose blend of hardy individualism and grassroots community spirit gave the road such special character."

To qualify for election to the Hall of Fame, nominees must have made significant contributions to the character or history of the Illinois portion of Route 66 from 1926 to 1977 while it was an official United States highway in the State of Illinois.