Route 66 in the News

Pontiac, Illinois a Great Trip Destination

2005-09-04 09:54:51

In 1997, Time Magazine named Pontiac as one of the 10 best small towns in America. While many residents, new and old, will agree that it's a great place to live, it's also a pleasant place to visit.

Many shops, some historic homes and a couple new museums supply entertainment for those making Pontiac their destination or for those who decide to stop in while taking a longer trip.

Pontiac is the seat of Livingston County government and the 1876 courthouse is the center of a traditional town square. When the city's tourism office handed me a copy of a history of the courthouse, it was seven pages, handwritten on legal paper by one of the old-timers. While Pontiac isn't particularly small (the population is around 12,000), it's things like that that really give it a small town, low-tech feel.

The ornate courthouse was constructed in just 10 months following a fire that destroyed the previous facility. The exterior includes a tower with a clock that was added in 1892. The county paid $75,000 for the building that ended up costing $90,000, causing the contractor to file bankruptcy.

Around the courthouse and spilling out into the surrounding streets are several little shops, from a jewelry shop and gift shops to a small video game store with a tiny arcade. Pfaff's Bakery, just outside the square, is a nice little place to stop for a cup of coffee and a morning muffin or afternoon snack.

The visitor's center, located at Howard and Mill streets, is undergoing staff changes, but will be increasing hours soon. It's a good place to start your visit. Just steps away from the visitor's center is the old Pontiac fire station, which has been converted into the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame, re-located from a truck stop last year, has been visited by individuals from about 20 different countries, according to tourism director Ellie Alexander.

Inside the museum you'll find some interesting collections, such as a wall of license plates representing every year from 1912 until 1984.

"The ones from '43 to '48 were made with soybeans because metal wasn't used during the war," explained tour guide Pauline Linder. "But if the animals got too close, they'd eat them."

The museum also contains models of many buildings located on old Route 66, some seats from a local movie theater and a 1926 Conoco gas pump.

Next door to the museum is the building that once housed the City Hall and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The second floor contains the Old City Hall Shoppes and the third floor houses a war museum, which just opened last fall.

"It's open every day and staffed by veterans," Alexander said. "Nothing is behind glass. It is quite an interesting museum."

Pontiac hosts several events during the year, including the popular Summerfest in mid-August with a hot-air balloon launch, Heritage Days and an antique tractors road show. The 57th annual Threshermen's Reunion takes place through Monday and a Bluegrass Fest is held later in September. In October a "Pontiacs in Pontiac" car show is held in the square around the courthouse.

The city also is home to three swinging bridges that can be walked on to cross the Vermillion River. Two historic homes, the Jones House and the Yost House, can be toured by appointment. The Yost House is open from 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

On the edge of town on the Old Route 66 is the Old Log Cabin Restaurant, one of the few pre-Route 66 businesses that still is open today. It opened in 1923 and is a mom-and-pop-style eatery with burgers, classic dinners and homemade pies.

What to bring ...

1. A nostalgic mindset for perusing the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. The displays will offer a welcome blast from the past.

2. Cash or plastic for shopping around the square or in the Old City Hall Shoppes.

3. A camera for some shots in the museums or the courthouse.

How to get there ...

Take I-80 west to I-55 south. Take one of the two Pontiac exits into town.

What's there ...

A charming, old-fashioned town square surrounded by quaint shops, with nearby museums and historic homes.

You'll like ...

Visiting the Route 66 museum and learning about the "Mother Road" that opened in 1926 running from Chicago to California and made its way through Pontiac.

The kids will like ...

Walking across the Vermillion River on a swinging bridge.

And don't miss ...

Shopping! There are plenty of gift and antique shops worth a stop around the square and in the historic old city hall building.

For more information

Call the Pontiac Tourism Office at (800) 835-2055.

~Carrie Steinweg, Northwest Indiana Times