The first anniversary of the reopening of The Mill in Lincoln, Illinois, into a local museum will be celebrated Sunday, April 29, with an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. that day.
The weekend also will feature the fifth annual Bike Blessing at 1 p.m. April 28 at the VFW/Foxhole Pub & Grub at 915 Fifth St. (Old Route 66) in Lincoln.
On Sunday at The Mill Museum at 738 S. Washington St. in Lincoln, there will be a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, and a 10 percent discount on all gift shop merchandise.
According to a news release:
“This is also a great informal opportunity to meet with members of the team that keeps the Mill alive,” said Geoff Ladd, board member of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County. “You’ll also get to see the new artifacts on display in the museum, such as our vintage 1926 Gilbarco Gas Pump, and of course, some of our more popular featured items – the Mill Siren, Illy the Illico Robot and the mechanical leg hanging from the ceiling.”
Proceeds from The Mill event, as well as memberships, help with annual expenses of the museum. The foundation that owns The Mill Museum is a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Mill is also home to the official Salt Creek ABATE memorial, and the chapter is known for their community involvement and has done significant volunteer construction work over the years at The Mill. Salt Creek ABATE also hosts several annual community events, including an Easter Egg Hunt, the Veterans Memorial Run, a Duck Race Weekend and a new safety awareness event on May 12th this year in Lincoln.
The reopening of The Mill last year capped a decade-long effort to restore the Route 66 landmark. Ladd, former president of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County and now program manager at the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, in 2006 saw the potential of a awful-looking property, marshaled local forces to save it and helped raise $90,000 to renovate it.
The Mill, which featured a Dutch-inspired design and a turning windmill, opened on U.S. 66 in 1929. The Mill is a member of the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame.
The Bike Blessing is an official Illinois Bicentennial event. The event is designed to bikers peace of mind.
“We have people coming from all over for this event, including as far away as Texas and Wisconsin,” said Ron Thornton, event organizer and co-founder. “Salt Creek ABATE is also joining us as an event sponsor this year, and we are glad to have them on-board”.
Pastor Bigfoot does the blessings each year, and a free lunch is provided to all. […] Live music from Sundown Band will begin at 3:30 p.m., with the event wrapping up around 5:30 p.m.
The sponsors for the fifth annual Bike Blessing include event founders Ron & Lois Thornton, Salt Creek Chapter of ABATE of Illinois, Foxhole Pub & Grub, Bond-Slaves Christian Motorcycle Club of Decatur, Loie’s Custom Bike Shop & Charlie Lee from Lincoln IGA, who is supplying buns and a cooker for the event.
(Image of The Mill in Lincoln, Illinois, on its reopening in 2017 by Ron Ferguson via Facebook)