Restoration efforts for The Mill, a long-closed Route 66 restaurant in Lincoln, Ill., got a big lift when local philanthropist Larry Van Bibber donated $15,000, reported the Lincoln Courier.
Van Bibber said he asked Geoff Ladd, who is chairman of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County, how much money Ladd thought the renovation would take.
“He said he thought $15,000 was needed for the outside and some things he said needed to be done on the inside,” Van Bibber said. […]
Route 66 icon Ernie Edwards of Broadwell, who operated the recently destroyed Pig Hip restaurant and museum, also has given a $500 donation for the Mill.
Edwards is credited with the idea for saving the crumbling Lincoln restaurant, popular for its schnitzel sandwiches and unique decor.
Ladd added:
“Larry totally takes us into the whole next phase – siding, roofing, repainting. Our goal is, that by the end of summer or early fall, (we’ll) have this place looking really sharp.”