Route 66 in the News
Like Route 66, Lincoln Highway Worth Exploring
2008-04-21 19:48:45
AURORA, Ill. - The first coast-to-coast highway in the country runs right through the Fox Valley, but many local residents probably don't realize it.
The Lincoln Highway, stretching along Routes 30 and 31 and 38 through Fox Valley towns, was once a thoroughfare where the wealthy built mansions, cities positioned downtowns and theaters hosted major shows.
While it is still a heavily traveled road today, state and local tourism leaders want to reinvigorate interest in the highway's history and its future.
A kiosk decorated with significant dates, stories and people related to the highway was unveiled last week at the Visitors Center at Phillips Park Zoo in Aurora.
This summer, a Lincoln Highway-themed gazebo also will be placed outside the Visitors Center, and a 10-by-20-foot mural will be painted on the back side of La Quinta De Los Reyes restaurant on New York Street in downtown Aurora.
The downtown mural will be one of 43 that will be drawn throughout the country, each one telling a different story about the highway.
Officials also are hoping businesses will stir up more interest in the highway and are encouraging restaurants and boutiques, on and near Route 31 to plug it to attract tourists.
"People are really interested in Americana," said Laurie DiBerardino, spokeswoman for the Aurora Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Tourists flock to Route 66, for example, which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles and is dotted with cafes, shops, hotels and motels.
Historically, Lincoln Highway has been used as a commercial transportation highway, while Route 66 was created for travel and leisure, said Sue Vos, Aurora tourism bureau chief.
If it weren't for the Lincoln Highway, some local and national establishments wouldn't be where they are today. Venues like the Paramount and Joliet's Rialto Square Theatre attracted huge acts and celebrities in part because of proximity to the highway.
The first White Castle and A&W restaurants also opened along the national highway.
If you're looking for a place to start exploring the Lincoln Highway, head to Mooseheart Child City between North Aurora and Batavia. In the 1900s, Mooseheart leaders raised $12,000 to fund the initial paving of the Lincoln Highway.
People from across the country came to the residential care facility and school to help grade the road using picks and shovels. The state of Illinois then paved a strip of the road that still lies in front of the school.
Established in 1913, the highway runs through 13 states, and more than 40 Illinois communities throughout the Fox Valley, DeKalb, Dixon and Rochelle.
~Rowena Vergara, BeaconNewsOnline.com
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