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P.O. Box 19423
Lenexa,
KS 66285
913-708-5119
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ILLINOIS LEGENDS
McLean and Atlanta - Villages Along
Route
66 |
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McLean, Illinois
As you continue your journey down
Route 66 from
Funks Grove,
you will soon come to
McLean,
Illinois
just about four miles down the road. This small town, with a
population of only about 800 residents, still continues to collect
hundreds of visitors at the Dixie Truckers Home, the oldest and best truck
stop in
Illinois.
Filled with
Route 66
memorabilia, the truck stop has been serving up burgers and fries since
1928.
The truck stop
began as a mechanic’s garage, that also sold sandwiches to passing
motorists by J.P. Walters and John Geske almost 80 years ago.
Starting with little more than a counter and six stools, it quickly gained
popularity and by the mid 1930's had developed into a full-fledged
restaurant complete with cabins in the back.
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The Dixie Truck Stop in
McLean,
Illinois has been
operating since 1928, September, 2004, Kathy
Weiser. |
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Not only popular to travelers, Dixie’s also
brought in hundreds of area locals who enjoyed the live entertainment
and music on the weekends. However, when World War II began, the
festive weekends came to a screeching halt.
However, the restaurant and gas station
continued to serve travelers by four generations of the Geske family
until June of 2003. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, it
never closed except one day when it suffered a fire in 1965.
The Dixie Truckers Home has since changed hands and has
an updated look, but still continues to stand along
Route 66
serving the truckers and travelers of the
Mother Road.
McLean also
features and a tiny downtown area sporting several historic buildings
and a restored train depot that houses an antique shop.

While
McLean,
Illinois is not quite a
ghost town,
most of its former businesses are boarded up and sit quietly today
testifying to better times along the
Mother Road.
September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.
Atlanta, Illinois
In just about five more miles, you’ll come to another
small
Route 66
town –
Atlanta,
Illinois.
Here, you’ll find several remnants of vintage eras in this
Route 66
proud town. Getting its start as the settlement of Newcastle in
1854, the village found itself over a mile from the railroad when the
steam engine bustled through the area a year later. Moving the
town -- lock, stock and barrel, nearer the railroad, the new
settlement became known as
Atlanta. |
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In 1903 the
J.H. Hawes Elevator was built to serve the area farmers and continued to
operate until 1976. In 1988 it was purchased by the City of
Atlanta
and fully restored in 1993. The wooden grain elevator is the only
one of its kind in the State of
Illinois
and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the building
houses a museum that demonstrates the unique systems used to empty
horse-drawn wagons, and later unload grain trucks. The museum, located at
301 Southwest Second Street, also includes a brick engine house and a
wooden scale house/office.
Another
museum resides at the
Atlanta
Public Library and Clock Tower, built in 1908.
The octagon shaped building is on the National Register of
Historic Places, featuring 1840’s neo-classic details such as high
ceilings, a domed rotunda, high narrow windows, the original solid oak
woodwork, and an old fashioned fireplace. A museum was established
in the basement in 1973 that houses pieces of local history. The
library museum stands on the corner of Race and Arch Streets.
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The 1903 J.H. Hawes Elevator now serves as a
museum in
Atlanta,
Illinois.
Photo courtesy
Moore
& Warner Farm
Management.
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In the downtown area is a new
Route 66
Park that celebrates the heritage of the
Mother Road
in
Atlanta,
the town that is known as the geographic center of
Illinois
on Old
Route 66.
The park is home to the hotdog man who stood for more than
forty years in front of Bunyon’s Hotdog Stand in Cicero,
Illinois.
When the restaurant was sold in 2003, the famous Hot Dog Man was placed by
the family on permanent loan to the town of
Atlanta
as part of the park. The 19-foot tall statue, now referred to as
“Tall Paul,” underwent months of renovation and repairs before being
placed in the park.
While cruising through this picturesque town,
be sure to check out its many murals on the historic buildings. At
107 Vine Street is a vintage era country market that has long served and a
mom and pop grocery store.
The city has many other
historic landmarks such as The Carriage Shed, where Abraham Lincoln stayed
with the Hoblit family; Turner’s Grove where Abraham Lincoln attended a
July 4, 1859 celebration, and Gold Springs, an 1800’s resort area.
Just four miles west of
Atlanta
is the Eminence Christian Church which was built in 1901. Prior to
the current structure was another built in 1856. It is believed that
the church has one of the oldest congregations in the country.
Their membership hosts many fifty year
members, some of which are eighth generation descendants of the charter
members.
Keep your eyes open and your camera
ready as your journey has just begun. Continue kicking asphalt on
down to the historic cities of
Lincoln,
Broadwell,
Elkhart and more.
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, © June, 2005 |
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The old train depot in
McLean now serves as and
Antique Shop, September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.
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The Hot Dog Muffler Man stood for almost 40
years in Cicero,
Illinois
before it found a new home in
Atlanta. September, 2004, Kathy Weiser.
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From the Rocky Mountain General Store
Legends
Exclusive Custom Products -
Legends of America and the
Rocky Mountain
General Store now provide a number of
exclusive products that you won't find anywhere else! At
our
Exclusive Custom Products Store, you'll find lots of crazy
bumper stickers;
Old West prints, postcards, t-shirts
and more; and our line of exclusive
Route 66 products provides images on
a number of items that you've never seen before! Click
HERE to see the entire line.
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