Route 66 - Illinois

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Route 66 - Illinois

History Route 66 - Illinois

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End Of Route 66

Illinois

Illinois - Eastern End route 66

Enter Route 66 Illinois

See Route 66 - Illinoise

First You Gotta Leave Chicago

Chicago

Chicago City - Illinois

The fascinating city

of Chicago - the

home of the Blues,

Speakeasys and so

many Music &

Rock n Roll greats.

Experience

Chicago

Enter Chicago

Shop Front Available

OK

Goodbye Chicago

Let's hit

the highway.

Let's Hit Route 66!

Let's Hit The Road

First Stop - Pontiac, Illinois

You have now arrived in Pontiac, Illinois, Coordinates: 40°52′48″N 88°37′49″W with

an area of 7.88 sq mi (20 km2). Established in 1837, Pontiac is in Livingston County,

Illinois, The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of

Livingston County. The town is also the setting of the 1984 movie, Grandview, U.S.A.

Pontiac lies on the

Vermilion River. The

town’s beginning was less

than auspicious. A small

group of people gathered

at the cabin of Andrew

McMillan on the banks of

the Vermilion River. Their

plan was to create a seat

for the newly established

county of Livingston. The

town they would found

was one of the last of the

hundreds of new towns

laid out in Illinois between

1835 and 1837.

Experience

Pontiac

Enter Pontiac

The name of “Pontiac”

was in honor of an Native

American leader, who as

far anyone knew had

never set foot in the area

that would be Livingston

County. The town did

have a few advantages. It

was a good place to cross

the river, and a place for a

good saw mill.

The design of the original

town would prove to be

one of Pontiac’s most

enduring features. It was

typical of Midwestern

towns in the 1830s. Since

there were neither

improved roads nor

railroads, the plan was

centered on a town square;

such squares would

become much less

common after the arrival of

railroads. In these early

towns the public square

served to define the town

center.

For many years the town of Pontiac was little more than a name. In the early 1840s it

still had only a half dozen cabins, an unfinished courthouse, and everything was so

scattered among “clumps of bushes” that the town was almost invisible. In 1848 August

Fellows, who now owned much of the town, had managed to set up a hostelry, which

he called Buck’s Tavern. It became a popular stopping place. Some of the first church

services in Pontiac were held at the tavern.

Pontiac is home to several

museums including the

Route 66 Hall of Fame and

Museum, the Pontiac-

Oakland Automobile

Museum, the Livingston

County War Museum, the

Yost House Museum and

Art Center & the

International Walldog

Mural and Sign Art

Museum.

All changed when Pontiac

became a railroad town.

Before long it was a boom

town. People flooded in

and money for

improvements was

available. By 1880 no one

could doubt that Pontiac

was a success.

Improvements continued at

a rapid pace. The first

electric lights were

installed in 1882.

Abraham Lincoln visited Pontiac in the 1840s and again in February 1855, when his

train was snowbound on the nearby tracks, and he was taken by sled to spend the night

at the home of Mr. John McGregor. In 1880, when local people learned that former

President Ulysses S. Grant would pass through Pontiac on his way to visit his son, they

begged the general to stay over for breakfast and he did.

In the American Midwest new highways often parallel early railroads. This happened at

Pontiac. The Chicago Mississippi, linking St. Louis with Chicago, was Pontiac’s first

railroad. In 1922 and 1923, Route 4, the first paved highway between Chicago and St.

Louis, followed almost exactly the same route as the railroad. Local people called it the

‘hard road.” In 1925 the designation of the road was changed to Route 66. Pontiac is

home to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame. It was previously located at Dixie Truckers

Home in McLean, Illinois, but was moved to a new, larger location in Pontiac when

Dixie changed ownership.

Hit The Road Again

Second Stop - Bloomington, Illinois

You have now arrived in Bloomington Illinois (Coordinates: 40°29′03″N 88°59′37″W) in the

County of McLean. Founded in 1831 in an area once occupied by the Kickapoo people, this

town boasts about 80000 people. A rich farming area in the early days, people came from all

over to trade and do business, including Abraham Lincoln who was working as a lawyer in

nearby Springfield, Illinois.

Experience

Bloomington

Enter Bloomington

During the first two decades of the 20th century, Bloomington grew rapidly.

Agriculture, the construction of highways and railroads, and the growth of the insurance

business (mainly State Farm Insurance) all influenced the growth of Bloomington and

its downtown area. The downtown area became a regional shopping center attracting

trade from adjoining counties. Labor unions grew in strength. This trend has continued

to the present day, where expansion has included many restaurants and other

businesses. The City of Bloomington comprises the fastest-growing metropolitan area in

Illinois. The town has many industries, but it is known best for its Beer Nuts.

Bloomington is also home to a convention center at the McLean County Fairgrounds

and the U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

Interstates 39, 55 and 74 intersect at

Bloomington, making the city a

substantial transportation hub. US

highways 51 and 150 and Illinois

state route 9 also run through

Bloomington. Route 66 once ran

directly through the city's downtown

and later on a bypass to the East.

Grady’s Family Fun Park is Bloomington's only amusement park, aside from indoor

arcades and indoor attractions like Chuck E. Cheese. The Pepsi Ice Center is an indoor

public ice skating facility. The U.S. Cellular Coliseum in southwest downtown

Bloomington opened in 2006 and was home to the former Bloomington Extreme,now

renamed the Bloomington Edge. In 2005, Golf Digest ranked Bloomington as the Fifth

best American City for Golf in their "Best in America" Metro Golf Rankings.

The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts organizations in the Midwest,

serving Central Illinois for over 130 years. The Community Players Theater located on

Robinhood Lane off of Towanda Avenue is one of the oldest community theaters

completely staffed by volunteers. Opened in 1923, the theater celebrated its 88th

season in 2011.

The Castle Theatre first opened in 1916 as a 1,000-seat theater, created by the

legendary theater builders Balaban & Katz, original inventors of the classic movie

palace. For decades, the property served as one of the area’s premier destinations.

The Illinois Wesleyan University Westbrook Auditorium serves approximately 200

music majors and several hundred IWU students each year. Several musical

performances of all style periods are featured each semester.

The McLean County Museum of History traces its roots back to 1892, the year the

McLean County Historical Society was founded. Housed inside the old McLean County

Courthouse, the Museum features permanent and rotating exhibits that explore the

history of Central Illinois. The Museum also offers educational programming, library

and archive resources, and sponsors many community events. In December 2010, a

Route 66 Wayside Exhibit was installed at the museum. The exhibit tells the story of

Route 66's great significance and impact on the community.

Hit The Road Again