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The
Railsplitter Covered
Wagon has moved to Lincoln, Illinois. CLICK HERE FOR
DETAILS.
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Though small in
stature itself, the town
of Atlanta, IL boasts a very large
resident. The name that his neighbors
have given him is Tall Paul, and he is a
statue that now graces a donated
lot between Race St. and Vine St. in
Atlanta. This tall statue holds
a hot dog in remembrance of his old job, but
is now on permanent loan to
the small town from the family who owned the
Berwyn restaurant. |
| Another feature
of Atlanta, IL is the
J. H. Hawes Grain Elevator. The wooden
elevator was built in 1904,
and is one of the few wooden elevators still
standing. The structure
is 60 feet tall, and now operates as a
museum. Located just a block
off of historic Route 66, this is one
attraction not to be missed. |
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The Tropics
Dining Room and Cocktail Lounge
opened its doors in 1950 at the hand of Vince
Schwenoha. While it
might seem odd that a restaurant in Lincoln,
Illinois be named after a
location that is so different, it was actually
named this way because of
a tour of duty in the military that took Mr.
Schwenoha to Hawaii.
In the 1950's, the Tropics became famous for
the Tropicburger, a combination
of one bun and two hamburger patties that Mr.
Schwenoha had brought back
from California. In the years since
then, the Tropics has traded
hands many times, remained open for business
for quite some time.
Unfortunately, the building now stands unused,
and for sale. |
| The Mill in
Lincoln opened in 1929 under
the name of the Blue Mill, on Stringer
Avenue. It's proprietor
was Paul Coddington, who would serve patrons
grilled sandwiches at any
hour of the day or night. A Dutch themed
building with blue trim,
it featured at revolving windmill and
waitresses dressed in blue with white
aprons. In 1945, Albert and Blossom
Huffman purchased the building,
added a barroom and dance hall, and then
painted the building barn red.
Over the years, the restaurant became famous
for it's fried schnitzel,
originally made of veal, and later of
pork. By the mid 1980's the
Mill had lost most of the Dutch themed
interior, and was becoming a museum
of rather strange objects, including a
mechanical leg protruding from a
hole in the ceiling. The Mill closed in
1996, however the building
is still standing in its original location.
RECENT
Developments:
A new push has
begun to save the original
structure of the Mill. Our press
coverage of the event includes the
following articles:
Group
forms
to resurrect The Mill
(Lincoln Courier
Article from 10-11-06)
New
Hope
for Old Mill
(Lincoln Daily
News Article from 10-12-06)
Visit
Leigh
Henson's website for more information on
this site!
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When most people
mention the Ghost Bridge
of Lincoln, they assume that it is a bridge
haunted by ghosts. However,
they couldn't be more wrong. In the
language of "roadies" anything
abandoned is now a ghost. Hence the
reason an abandoned bridge that
was once a part of Route 66 is now called the
Salt Creek "Ghost Bridge"
in Lincoln, IL. Though mainly
unreachable from the North, the Southern
approach is accessible with a short
walk. This bridge once crossed
Salt Creek very near to what is now the
Memorial Park, in Lincoln, IL. |
| This is an
unmarked and largely un-noticed
section of the original Route 4/66 that runs
through Lincoln, IL.
Located on the North end of Kickapoo St. this
section of Route 66 lies
behind Graue Chevrolet. |
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The Postville
Courthouse in Lincoln, IL
is an historic reproduction of an 8th Circuit
Courthouse that Abraham Lincoln
once practiced law in. Located on one of the
historic sections of Route
66, it is easily accessible, and is open for
tours on most days.
Visit Historic
Downtown Lincoln along
Rt. 66 for many other attractions as well. |
| When it
originally opened in Broadwell,
IL in 1937, the Pig Hip Restaurant was
actually named the Harbor Inn.
The Pig Hip ham sandwich, served with a secret
sauce of owner Ernie Edward's
making, became an instant hit. In 1990,
the Pig Hip Restaurant Museum
in Broadwell, IL was born. The museum
was lost to a fire in 2007,
but there is now a marker to memorialize this
Route 66 icon. |
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The gas station
in Elkhart, IL is one
that has a rather sad ending. The only
gas station in Elkhart, located
right on Route 66 recently closed down.
This building is actually
a landmark of Route 66, and the city and the
Route 66 Preservation Committee
has been trying to restore the building, and
bring it back to life. |
World's
Largest Covered Wagon
#1
Roadside Attraction
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