Litchfield Illinois - Route 66 Proud!

ILLINOIS LEGENDS

Litchfield - Route 66 Proud!

<<Previous 1 2 Next >>

Litchfield Illinois Postcard

When the Terre Haute, Alton and St. Louis Railroad announced that they were going to come through the area, the town of Litchfield was born. In the late fall of 1853 the County Surveyor, Thomas Gray, laid out the town in a cornfield purchased by the Litchfield Town Company. Soon 80 acres of cornfields and prairie grass became 236 lots for sale.

About two miles southwest of the site of Litchfield, another settlement called Hardinsburg was also founded in anticipation of the coming railroad. However, when it was determined that the railroad would bypass Hardinsburg’s 50 residents in favor of Litchfield, its residents began to move their buildings, on runners over the prairie grass, to Litchfield.

The first to arrive was a man named J. M. McWilliams, who moved his small store and house from Hardinsburg in January, 1854. By the time the railroad reached Litchfield in the fall of 1854, most all of the citizens of the doomed Hardinsburg had relocated to the new town of Litchfield.

On April 4, 1856, Litchfield formally incorporated its village, and soon elected trustees and appointed its first Justice of the Peace and Police Magistrate.

When the Civil War started in April, 1861, Litchfield was the first town in Illinois to respond to the President’s call for men.

In 1875, the first hospital was established by the nuns from the Order of St. Francis. This has since grown to a 138 bed facility dedicated in 1971.

Litchfield, Illinois Coal Mining, 1938 In the 1880's, two coal mines were started in the area which soon put many men to work and provided another boost to Litchfield’s economy. Soon, another discovery was made of a small pocket of oil and Litchfield became the site of the first commercial oil production in Illinois. However the oil was soon exhausted.

As the years passed, Litchfield gained five more railroads which gave a further boost the town. Today, two of those remain, including the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy and the Norfolk Southern.

When the Mother Road came through Litchfield, the town sprouted a number of cafes, motels and tourist stops. Along the western edge of Litchfield, two alignments can be traveled through the town. Parts of both original highways remain intact and attract many Route 66 enthusiasts with their multiple vintage icons.

Skyview Drive-In in Litchfield, Illinois

Skyview Drive-In in Litchfield, Illinois,

September, 2004, Kathy Weiser

When you first enter Litchfield, check to the left at 1200 N Old Route 66 to the see the Litchfield Skyview Drive-In, which is still in operation today. The Route 66 Hall of Fame inductee opened in the spring of 1951 and has been in operation for each season since. The drive-in opens in April and closes in October, subject to the weather. Holding seasonal hours, the old movie “theatre” is open seven nights per week from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Prior to and after these dates, they are open on Friday, Saturday and Sundays only. The Sky View Drive In Theatre is the last operating drive-in on Historic Route 66 in Illinois.

Another vintage icon is the Ariston Café, in business since 1924. Originally, the café was started in nearby Carlinville by Pete Adam; however, when the Mother Road was rerouted, Pete leased a new building in Litchfield in 1929. But it didn’t take long before the Ariston’s great reputation for service, excellent food and unbelievable desserts required another move. Relocating across the street in 1935, Pete built his own building, that still stands today, providing the same wonderful food and great service that it has for more than eighty years.

Continued Next Page

Litchfield's Ariston Cafe

Litchfield's Ariston Cafe, a Route 66 icon since 1924,

September, 2004, Kathy Weiser

This image available for photographic prints and downloads HERE!

<<Previous 1 2 Next >>

To Mt. Olive

Return to Route 66

To Springfield

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Framed Route 66 Prints - These original Route 66 prints combine our own photographs and graphic designs for colorful displays of some of the most famous Mother Road sights and icons. Perfect for both home and office, they also make great gifts for Route 66 enthusiasts. All prints are custom manufactured using archival inks and acid-free paper. Framed prints are matted and framed in a stylish black frame with plexiglass cover. Frames include complete backing. Frame size: 19" x 13." Click HERE to see them all!