Posts Tagged ‘Illinois’
November 19, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Indiana Lincoln Highway Association will hold a Holiday Gathering and House Tour at the Kimmell House Bed & Breakfast on December 4, 2010, starting at 2pm. The event is open to the public (pre-register by Wednesday, December 1) for only $16, which includes entrée, beverage, tax, and gratuity.
The historic property offers casual dining in addition to overnight accommodations. It is one of several bed and breakfasts along the Lincoln Highway in Indiana. Owners Dean and Deb Stoops will provide a personal tour of the property to attendees. For more information, call (574) 210-6278or visit www.kimmellhouseinn.com/.
Kimmell House Inn Bed & Breakfast
1397 N US Highway 33
Kimmell, IN 46760
Tags:highway history, historic highway, historic lodging, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, lodging
Posted in food, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, Road trip, travel | 1 Comment »
November 1, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
A fire has left the future uncertain for a vintage motel on the Lincoln Highway south of Plainfield, Illinois. About two thirds of the Lakeview Motel, 15824 S. Joliet Rd. at Renwick Rd., was damaged at a loss estimated at $350,000. The Plainfield Patch reports police believe the blaze started in an unoccupied room and quickly spread into the roof of the 19-room motel. The longtime maintenance manager thinks an unhappy tenant may have been the source, and said, “Out of 19 rooms, 10 of them are pretty much gone.” A photo the paper ran from before the fire (by Kevin Whaley) shows the c. 1950 motel.
The Herald-News reports that even before the fire, the village’s building inspector says multiple code violations made the buildings a dangerous place to live. He has since condemned the motel, house, and mobile homes but the owner would rather rebuild than demolish. The inspector said he’ll give the owner 30 days to figure out how to proceed: “I think people deserve better…. And it’s a prime corner. There’s a lot of potential on this corner.”
Like most mid-century motels, tourists are no longer the primary customers. One online reviewer cried “WHAT A DUMP!!!!!!: This place does not belong in Plainfield. A drug den, where there is nothing but losers & transient people there. Not even safe to park vehicle there. Should be torn down…” but a response said, “It’s not the greatest place on earth, but some people are not as fortunate as others [and] have to stay wherever they can afford and at least they have a roof over their head and not sleeping on the corner.”
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, motel, Plainfield IL, vintage motel fire
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October 30, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
David Alan Badger has been gathering recipes from businesses along the Lincoln Highway in Illinois and combining them with pencil drawings of the businesses to produce Recipes from the Illinois Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway. The book includes sections for each community along the route, plus a special section on the ILHC’s Interpretive Gazebos and Murals. Learn more about the recipes book at www.drivelincolnhighway.com, which includes a list of the communities.
You can also visit www.davidalanbadger.com to see more of Badger’s artwork.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, recipe book, roadside artwork, travel
Posted in food, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, travel | Leave a Comment »
October 26, 2010
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition announced the completion of its newest Interpretive Mural along the 179-mile byway corridor: 127 N. Third Street in Malta, Illinois, on the Malta Historical Society’s Old Town Hall.
The Malta mural showcases the Lincoln Highway’s first Seedling Mile with a detailed painting of workmen pouring the concrete from a steam-operated mixer and a view at right of men smoothing the surface. The LHA used Seedling Miles to demonstrate the advantages of concrete over dirt surfaces in hopes that it would inspire further road improvements.
For more information on the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, including its murals and gazebos plus places to see and things to do, or to download an ILHC’s 2010 Visitor Guide, visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, Malta IL, mural
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, signs, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
October 7, 2010
Northwest Indiana Times recently published a number of articles on the Lincoln Highway, including “Lincoln Highway, a lifeline for Illinois communities.” It includes mention of the sculpture seen at right, “Lincoln on the Road to Greatness,” which depicts Abraham Lincoln receiving flowers from two girls. The statue, dedicated in 2003, was funded by private donations including 200,000 pennies collected by local students. It is at the intersection of the Lincoln and Dixie highways, which on the opposite corner includes the Arche Memorial Fountain, dedicated decades ago to be a place of rest for weary motorists.
Tags:Abraham Lincoln, early travel, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, Lincoln statue, memorial fountain
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September 7, 2010
“Traveling the Lincoln Highway” will be presented tonight at the Plainfield Public Library by Dave Clark, known to Route 66 fans for his Windy City tours and books. “Travel back in time as you take a virtual tour of the first automobile trail marked from coast-to-coast. The story of the Lincoln Highway combines nostalgia and history highlighting modern sites in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.” A display on the Lincoln Highway is set upon on the library’s main floor. The library is at 15025 S. Illinois St. Plainfield, (815) 436-6639 or www.plainfield.lib.il.us/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, Plainfield IL, Route 66
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August 22, 2010
The 13th Annual Lincoln Highway Heritage Festival in Rochelle, Illinois, takes place August 20–22. If it’s too late by time you read this to make the drive and attend at least they have this colorful brochure available online listing the events. Click the link below the image to read it: www.lincolnhighwayheritagefestival.com/forms/brochure_10.pdf
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway
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June 25, 2010
I was only able to attend the first day of festivities at the Lincoln HIghway Association conference in Dixon, Illinois. For a nice daily description of events, check out Road Dog’s blog at downdaroadigo.blogspot.com/. Oh, and I can’t forget that Denny Gibson has his usual amazing photo documentation at dennygibson.com/lhfest10/. Here are some images from opening night, including Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, Lincoln Highway Lovebirds Esther and Bernie Queneau, and roadtrippers Road Dog and Denny Gibson stocking up on book room materials.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, roadside attractions
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June 22, 2010
I spent last week preparing for my drive to Illinois, and now this week I’ve been on the road day and night driving and taking pictures. So I’ll quickly share a couple photos: the first a well-known re-themed gas station in Geneva, Illinois, and the second a view of the old road east of DeWitt, Iowa.
First up Tuesday morning, I’ll be giving a PowerPoint presentation to the ILHC at the Ellwood House Museum Visitor Center in DeKalb, should be lots of fun!
Tags:historic highway, Illinois, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside
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May 7, 2010
The next four Lincoln Highway Interpretive Murals in Illinois will be on display at ShawCraft Signs, 7727 Burden Road, Machesney Park TODAY from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Recently a mural was installed in Dixon to tell the story of the 1919 Military Convoy as it traveled cross-country, including a young Dwight Eisenhower. The mural tells the story of the convoy stopping in downtown Dixon to lunch on the courthouse lawn. You can view a cool slideshow created by Jay Allen of Shawcraft to see the mural come to life.
The four murals in production will be installed along the Illinois Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway in northern Illinois. The murals are going up in 40 communities, and so far include Rochelle, Creston, DeKalb, Aurora, Joliet, Cortland, Genoa, Oregon, and Dixon.
The one set for New Lenox focuses on a 1920s dance hall moved to make way for the highway in 1924. University Park’s will tell the story of the Van Buren sisters who in 1916 became the first women to “solo” the highway on their Indian motorcycles.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, murals, tourism
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Lincoln Highway News 