Route 66 in the News
Central Illinois Urged to Embrace Route 66
2007-07-08 19:42:23
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - This area shouldn’t underestimate old Route 66 as a historic link to our past and as a magnet for tourists lured to the old Mother Road.
Interstate 55 was certainly a necessary improvement as traffic increased along the route.
But Route 66 continues to have a certain allure, in large part because of the old “Route 66” television series and the song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.”
“Historic Route 66” was recently listed by World Monuments Fund as one of the “100 most endangered sites” on its watch list.
It may seem strange to see an old highway listed among such landmarks as the Church of the Holy Nativity in Bethlehem, Peru’s Machu Picchu and the Famagusta Walled City of Cyprus that was part of Shakespeare’s “Othello.”
However, the old route from Chicago to the West Coast is part of our cultural heritage.
Less than two years ago, the Illinois segment was declared a National Scenic Byway.
The World Monuments Fund described it as “an iconic getaway route, dotted with whimsical architecture and amusements as the American road trip became a right of passage.”
The group noted that “the beloved sites along Route 66 are deteriorating and need protection” as modern-day travelers continue to make a “pilgrimage.”
Many of those “pilgrims” come from overseas, seeing the old Route 66 as the true America of their dreams. Their pilgrimage often takes them through Central Illinois.
The Route 66 Hall of Fame Museum in Pontiac has about 10,000 visitors a year.
A special event in early May encouraged motorists to travel all or part of the route from Joliet to Towanda, with special festivals in several communities.
In early June, the League of Illinois Bicyclists promoted the proposed Route 66 Bikeway with rides along the route.
Lexington has developed a bike path along remnants of old Route 66, complete with Burma Shave-style signs that were part of the Route 66 experience.
Mixing the old with the new, two murals are planned in Pontiac to celebrate its Route 66 connection.
One would be on the Old City Hall, which houses the Hall of Fame Museum.
The other would be on the side of the Diaz Sign Art business on West Lincoln Avenue. Variances from the city’s sign code are needed because of the size of the murals.
The region should continue to tout its Route 66 connections, preserve the route’s “whimsical architecture and amusements” where practical and make visitors from near and far feel welcome.
~Pantagraph.com Editorial Board
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