The newly restored neon sign for Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket restaurant along old Route 66 in Willowbrook, Illinois, was dedicated Monday afternoon with a relighting ceremony.
About 200 people attended the event, which included a car show, live music and commemorative T-shirts.
Below is an image of the restored sign at night:
The ceremony began with the national anthem by Jim Cornelison, who has gained fame for his powerful singing performances of the anthem at Chicago Blackhawks games.
That was followed by acknowledgements by “Root Beer Larry,” promoter and coordinator for the event. A few 1950s songs by Jim Peterick of the Ides of March were performed.
Below are images of the classic cars during the event.
More about the sign’s restoration was provided by Jim Thole:
The sign has been restored to its 1950s vintage 66 appearance, before the Chicken Basket was sold to another party who operated it for three years (1960-1963) as The Craftwood Inn. The neon aspects of the sign were badly compromised to convert the neon to that new name, and when converted back to the Chicken Basket, the neon had to be adjusted to what was done by the previous owner. So the restoration reflects the larger letters that were there originally, as well some slight variation in the colors from what we had become accustomed to since 1963. The only exception to going back to the 1950s look is the words “Nationally Famous” were not put back on the top. The words “Dell Rhea” were left on top in deference to the family ownership that has successfully operated it for so long.
The sign was removed in April for the restoration, which was a Neon Historic Preservation Committee project for the Route 66 Association of Missouri. Costs were partly covered by a $17,300 cost-share grant awarded last year by the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket, originally a gas station, dates to the 1930s. The restaurant was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune posted a story from the scene.
(Images from the Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket neon sign relighting ceremony courtesy of Jim Thole)