ExploreLoganCounty.com on Wednesday posted on its Facebook page a photo of the Tropics sign along Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois, being removed. The tourism agency said: Although it will be missed from the landscape, the city of Lincoln (the new owner of the sign) has expressed plans to have it restored. When this will happen … Continue reading Historic Tropics sign removed
Category: Signs
Wanted: A restorer of signs for Soulsby Station
The owner of the historic Soulsby Station along old Route 66 in Mount Olive, Illinois, is looking for a sign contractor who can do some restoration work on the main Shell sign in front of the station. We happened to be driving a few dozen miles of old 66 in Illinois on Sunday evening when … Continue reading Wanted: A restorer of signs for Soulsby Station
Tropics sign will be taken down and restored
Some good news and bad news about a Route 66 landmark. The bad news is the long-closed Tropics Dining Room building along old Route 66 in Lincoln, Ill., was sold and its sign will be taken down, according to Lincoln Daily News. The good news is the sign will be preserved and restored after a new home … Continue reading Tropics sign will be taken down and restored
Suburban Chicago county approves Route 66 marketing plan
The board of Will County, Ill., recently approved a new marketing plan for a long-overlooked section of Route 66 from Joliet to Braidwood, reported the Southtown Star. The newspaper said: There is an “untapped tourism potential” here, and tying all these natural, recreational and historical amenities together is historic Route 66, said project consultant Ferhat … Continue reading Suburban Chicago county approves Route 66 marketing plan
Fundraising launched for Route 66 billboard museum
A fundraising campaign has been launched for a planned Route 66 billboard museum west of Oklahoma City, according to an Associated Press report. AP reporter Kristi Eaton, who's posted other stories about Route 66 in Oklahoma, wrote: Kathy Anderson, president of the nonprofit Billboard Museum Association Inc., and others envision the Billboard Museum as an … Continue reading Fundraising launched for Route 66 billboard museum
Long-lost Kingman motel sign resurfaces
A long-lost neon sign from the defunct Brandin' Iron Motel on Route 66 in Kingman, Ariz., resurfaced on eBay this week. The seller, based in Mesa, Ariz., says the sign had been in storage in Kingman for 40 years. The 16-by-9-foot sign's tubing doesn't work but remains mostly intact. Starting price is $2,495, and the … Continue reading Long-lost Kingman motel sign resurfaces
VFW wants to restore Skylark Motel tower and neon
The Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 2482 will apply for a grant to restore the tower and its "neon scene" of the former Skylark Motel in west St. Clair, Mo., according to an article by The Missourian. The VFW post, which uses the motel at 1087 North Service Road West as its headquarters now, is applying … Continue reading VFW wants to restore Skylark Motel tower and neon
U-Drop Inn neon lights are back on — in LED
The Facebook account of the historic U-Drop Inn gas station in Shamrock, Texas, recently announced the long-awaited installation of LED neon has been completed and the lights are on. According to the page, the neon will be on from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. nightly, although I'm certain the "lights on" time will be adjusted … Continue reading U-Drop Inn neon lights are back on — in LED
Another sign painter with a long history on Route 66
A few years ago, I tracked down Rudy Gonzales of Tucumcari, N.M., who hand-painted signs along the Route 66 corridor in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico for five decades. Another sign painter has operated along Route 66 for about as long in eastern Arizona. According to an article in the Arizona Journal, Severo Barela of … Continue reading Another sign painter with a long history on Route 66
Atlanta begins second Route 66 Reinterpreted art contest
The Route 66 town of Atlanta, Ill., is calling for submissions for its second annual Route 66 Reinterpreted art project, where contestants re-imagine the iconic Route 66 shield sign. According to a news release from Atlanta: Participating artists will be provided a blank, 2-by-2-foot wooden cutout of the Route 66 highway shield, painted white, which … Continue reading Atlanta begins second Route 66 Reinterpreted art contest