In Divernon, Ill., there's a big Abraham Lincoln figure that sits on a gigantic covered wagon, right off Route 66. The wagon is 40 feet long, 20 feet tall, and the wheels alone are 10 feet tall. It weighs five tons. You can see and read about the Giant Lincoln on a Covered Wagon at … Continue reading Big Lincoln on big wagon may move to Lincoln
Category: Towns
A 90-mile-long event
The Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph reports that a 90-mile stretch of old Route 66 from Joliet to Towanda, Ill., is going to be part of the Red Carpet Corridor Weekend Experience on May 5-6. Not all the details have been worked out, but Pontiac is having a meeting Monday about its portion, and the corridor will … Continue reading A 90-mile-long event
“Worst Places” book sparks a furor
Dave Gilmartin has caused quite a stir across the country. He's published a book, "The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America," which lists 80 U.S. cities were recommended (or derided) by readers. Quite a few of those cities are none too happy about it, either. Five cities on Route 66 made the "worst" list: … Continue reading “Worst Places” book sparks a furor
“Christmas on Route 66” parade
This story in the Sapulpa (Okla.) Daily Herald about local Christmas parades has an item that might be of interest to Route 66ers: Kellyville will celebrate “Christmas on Route 66” with its parade on Dec. 9, said Kim Crall, president of the Kellyville Chamber of Commerce. The parade, which starts at 11 a.m., will follow … Continue reading “Christmas on Route 66” parade
Wilmington honors a Route 66 booster
The Route 66 town of Wilmington, Ill., honored Angelo Aggelopoulos as the grand marshal of the town's Christmas parade and led the countdown to light the Christmas tree, reported the Kankakee Daily Journal. As far as I'm concerned, the honors are warranted because of this: Tour buses visiting stops along the famous U.S. Route 66 … Continue reading Wilmington honors a Route 66 booster
Bad news for a Route 66 town
The Route 66 town of Elkhart, Ill., learned this week that its only school -- an elementary one -- would be shut down after the end of the school year, according to the Lincoln Courier. The school has just 66 students and has been suffering from poor finances. The students will be sent to Mount … Continue reading Bad news for a Route 66 town
Active Arcadia
Yesterday, I drove through the Route 66 town of Arcadia, Okla. It's not very big (pop. 280), but there's a lot of activity going on there. First, it appeared the canopy superstructure of the Pops convenience store, which is the brainchild of Chesapeake Energy CEO and Route 66 fan Aubrey McClendon, is nearly up. Having … Continue reading Active Arcadia
Route 66 Historic Park proposed in Carthage
The Kellogg Lake Group is proposing a Route 66 Historic Park as part of improvements to the Carthage, Mo., city park, according to the Carthage Press. The main projects proposed were an Environmental Overlook, Route 66 Historic Park, a playground area, more signage and permanent restrooms. The Environmental Overlook — at a potential cost of … Continue reading Route 66 Historic Park proposed in Carthage
Spooky activity in Williams
Patrick Whitehurst of the Arizona Daily Sun has the rundown on a bunch of paranormal activity in the Route 66 town of Williams. You have the wailing woman of the Santa Fe Dam, the lucky feather of downtown, the spirit of a Harvey Girl at the railroad depot, a ghostly woman at a B&B, and … Continue reading Spooky activity in Williams
“Popularity Contest” contestant is building a restaurant on Route 66
Last spring, you may have watched a reality show on CMT called "Popularity Contest." In it, 10 contestants from the big city were plopped down in the Route 66 town of Vega, Texas, to win over residents and vie for a $100,000 prize they would split with one Vega citizen. The Chicago baseball scout, Alex … Continue reading “Popularity Contest” contestant is building a restaurant on Route 66