Madison
County Genealogical Society
Minutes of the Meeting - October 8, 2015
The October 2015 meeting of the Madison
County Genealogical Society was held at the Edwardsville Public Library on
Thursday, October 8, at 7:00 pm.
President, Robert Ridenour, called the
meeting to order.
GIFT
MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE
Do you have a family member that is
interested in (or even obsessed with) genealogy? A membership in the Madison
County Genealogical Society would be a very thoughtful gift. A gift card will
be sent to the recipient of any gift membership.
The following memberships are available:
Individual/Family Annual Membership $20.00
Patron Annual Membership $30.00
Life Membership $250.00
Contact our Secretary, Petie Hunter, at petie8135@att.net,
about a gift membership.
October
Meeting
On October 8, 2015, Cheryl Eichar Jett, historian,
author, blogger, and Route 66 "roadie," presented a program on Route 66 in
Illinois. Route 66 has had many effects on our culture. It symbolizes
America, especially to foreign visitors. So much of our history happened on the
highways, i.e., our vacation/trip memories.
It was part of the Good Roads Movement, for bicyclists, then motorists, and
Federal action to improve roads and number highways.
Maps were printed with US Route 60 before the final decision to use 66, a less
important sounding number, due to Kentucky governor's complaints. All east-west
highways were even numbered and the numbers ending in zero were reserved for
"important highways." Cyrus Avery was involved in the highway
associations that met in Springfield, Missouri, for final planning. Route
number 60 was assigned. Avery changed the plan from a cross-country highway to
a highway between St. Louis and Chicago. The Governor of Kentucky complained
and the route number was changed to 66.
One of the first events to take place on Route 66 was the Trans-American
Footrace "Bunion Derby" in 1928. "Cash and Carry" Pyle,
sports promoter, was partially responsible. The race was from Ascot Speedway in
Los Angeles, California, to Madison Square Garden, New York City. 199 runners
started on March 4, 1928. 55 finished May 26, 1928. Andy Payne from Foyil,
Oklahoma, won.
The movie, Grapes
of Wrath, starring Henry Fonda was released in 1940. This movie was based
on a book of the same name by John Steinbeck published in 1939. It told the story
of the Joads fleeing the Dust Bowl on Route 66 — and coined the name
"Mother Road."
"Get Your Kicks on Route 66" was composed in 1946 by Bobby Troup. It
was recorded by Nat King Cole and numerous others including Chuck Berry. The
popular TV series "Route 66" starring Martin Milner and George
Maharis ran from October 1960 to March 1964 on Friday nights on CBS. However,
many episodes were not on Route 66. The theme song, composed by Nelson Riddle,
had a haunting and intriguing melody and orchestration.
Chicago
Route 66 originally began at Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. In 1937,
Jackson Boulevard and Route 66 were extended to the new Outer Drive, which
became Lake Shore Boulevard in 1946. In 1953, Jackson was made one way,
eastbound, west of Michigan. From Michigan to Lakeshore, Jackson continued to
carry two-way traffic. But westbound traffic had to turn north at Michigan and
then west on Adams Street. Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park was dedicated in
1927 and modeled after the Latona Basin at the Palace of Versailles. A grand
building on Michigan Avenue was constructed for use during the 1893 Columbian
Exposition, with the agreement that it would become the permanent home of the
Art Institute of Chicago. The entrance is flanked by two bronze lions sculpted
by Edward Kemys.
Cicero
In 1904, Western Electric, the manufacturing arm of Bell Telephone, began
transforming 113 acres of prairie into the massive Hawthorne Works. Over 45,000
people once worked at one of the largest manufacturing plants in the world.
Research at the facility led to the high vacuum tube, sound motion pictures,
radar, and the transistor. The plant closed in 1983, and the site became a
shopping center.
Whoopie Coaster
The Whoopee Ride was a unique roadside attraction. It was sort of a roller
coaster for automobiles, a wooden oblong track with dips and turns. Drivers
paid 25 cents to take their own vehicles once around. The Skyline Motel
occupies the former site of the Whoopee Ride today.
Chicken Basket
Irv Kolarik ran a gas station and lunch counter in Willowbrook, but decided to
focus solely on food. He was offered a fried chicken recipe by two local women,
and Kolarik soon needed more room. In 1946, his Nationally Famous Chicken
Basket moved into the former Club Roundup and Triangle Inn. To attract business
in the winter, Kolarik flooded the roof of the restaurant and hired ice
skaters. Dell Rhea and his wife, Grace, bought the restaurant in 1963. Their
son Patrick took over in 1986.
Joliet
The Ruby Street Bridge carrying Route 66 over the Des Plaines River in Joliet
opened in 1935 and is one of only three movable bridges on Route 66. It was
reconstructed in 1972 and renovated in 2012. Sherb Noble opened the first Dairy
Queen location at 501 N. Chicago Street in Joliet on June 22, 1940, using J. F.
"Grandpa" McCullough's soft-serve ice cream recipe. A cone sold for a
nickel. The building now serves as a Spanish-language church. Route 66
originally followed Chicago Street right downtown past the beautiful Rialto Square
Theatre. It's a mix of architectural styles with a lobby modeled after the Hall
of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris. It opened in 1926 and was
restored in 1980. In 1940, Route 66 was moved to pass through Plainfield and
the Joliet route became Alternate 66.
Old Illinois
State Prison
Early Route 66 passed the Illinois State Penitentiary on Collins Street in
Joliet. The prison was built in 1858 by convict labor. Its 25-foot-tall,
five-foot-thick walls are made of pure Joliet limestone quarried on the site.
It was closed in 2002. The classic prison architecture made it a perfect set
for several movies and television productions, including the motion picture The
Blues Brothers.
Elwood
On the eve of WWII, the government assembled over 36,000 acres of land for the
Elwood Ordnance Plant and the Kankakee Ordnance Works. Over one billion pounds
of TNT and 926 million bombs and shells were made here during the war. The
facilities were combined and re-designated as the Joliet Arsenal in 1945. Over
10,000 people were employed at the ammunition plants during World War II. A
memorial honors 48 workers who died in an explosion at the Elwood Ordnance
Plant on June 5, 1942. Most of the land is now the Abraham Lincoln National
Cemetery, the second-largest national cemetery in the nation, and the
19,000-acre Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, the largest single area of open
space in Illinois.
The Riviera
In 1928, former miner James Girot combined a church building, a mine office,
and part of a school to create the Riviera Roadhouse. Al Capone is said to have
been a frequent guest. The interior was a maze. The toilets sat atop a
"throne" due to frequent floods, and the bar ceiling was decorated
with papier-mache stalactites. Bob and Peggy Kraft owned the Riviera for 37
years before retiring in 2008. This landmark on the Mazon River burned to the
ground on June 8, 2010. A horse-drawn streetcar was brought to Gardner to serve
as a diner in 1932. It was moved behind the Riviera in 1955 to use for storage.
After the Riviera burned, the Krafts donated it to Gardner, and it has been
restored.
Fill 'Er Up!
Two outstanding examples of restored gas stations are just nine miles apart -
in Dwight and Odell. Jack Schore opened a Texaco station in 1933, where Route
66 met Illinois Route 17 at Dwight. Basil "Tubby" Ambler added
service bays and ran the station from 1938 - 1965. It changed hands several
times before Phil Becker took over in 1970. It was one of the
longest-continually-operated stations on 66 before closing in 2002. Becker
donated it to the City of Dwight, and it is now a visitor's center. Patrick
O'Connell constructed his station in Odell in 1932. It was first a Standard,
then Phillips 66, and then Sinclair. Robert Close bought it in 1967 and
operated a body shop until the Village of Odell bought it in 1999. The Route 66
Association of Illinois restored the station, which now serves as a visitor's
center.
Pontiac
The Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the
restored city hall and fire station in Pontiac, which the city moved out of in
1986. In 2004, the hall of fame was relocated from the Dixie Trucker's Home to
this historic building. In addition to its Route 66 exhibits and resources, the
museum is now the home of the van and bus used by Route 66 artist and icon Bob
Waldmire. Rodino Square, on the southeast corner of Reynolds and Ladd Streets,
was operated by the Carmen Rodino family beginning in 1927. It included a
store, hotel, restaurant, and gas station. Carmen also sold produce grown by
the family, making the rounds in his 1921 Model T truck. He continued to make
deliveries into the 1960s. Rodino Square is gone, but it lives on in one of the
Walldog murals on Main Street in Pontiac.
Bloomington
Gus Belt's Shell Inn Restaurant and gas station in Normal was struggling until
he turned it into the White House Steak and Shake in 1934. Gus adopted the
slogan "In Sight it Must be Right," because the beef was ground in
front of the customers. Franchising began in 1945. The original location at
Main Street and Virginia Avenue was sold to Monical's Pizza in the 1990s.
Bloomington -
State Farm
State Farm Insurance, founded by George J. Mecherle in 1922, originally
specialized in automobile insurance for farmers. The firm moved into new
headquarters in downtown Bloomington in 1929. The company rapidly outgrew the
building, and four more stories and a penthouse were added in 1934. Additions
in 1940 and 1945 brought the building to its present height. Employees on
roller skates sped delivery of mail and documents at the State Farm Insurance
home office in the 1940s. The company supplied the skates, but employees were
allowed to bring their own as long as they had rubber wheels. A new
headquarters campus for State Farm was constructed on Veterans Parkway
beginning in 1972.
Dixie Truckers
Home
General store operator J.P. Walters and his son-in-law opened gas stations in
Shirley and McLean and started delivering their own product, Dixie Gas. They
opened Dixie Trucker's Home at Route 66 and US 136 in McLean on January 1,
1928. Walters was from Kentucky and said the name Dixie symbolized Southern
hospitality. The Dixie was open continuously until a fire on June 28, 1965.
Within hours, the gas pumps were in operation, and a cabin on the property was
moved up front to house the operation. A new building accommodating 250 people
at a time opened in 1967. Owners Charlotte and Chuck Beeler made the Dixie one
of the best-known truck stops on any highway before selling it to a corporation
in 2003. It became the Dixie Travel Plaza and received a major renovation in
2009. The Road Ranger chain took over in 2012.
Atlanta
The charming town of Atlanta has one of the shortest, but best Route 66
streetscapes along the route. The Palms Grill Cafe was opened in 1934 by James
Robert Adams, who was inspired by palm trees he had seen in California. The
cafe closed in the late 1960s, but was restored in 2009. It occupies half of
the Downey Building, which was constructed in 1867; the Atlanta Museum occupies
the other half. "Tall Paul" originally stood at Bunyon's Hot Dogs in
Cicero for 42 years, but he was brought to Atlanta and restored in 2003. Top
candidates each year in the statewide Route 66 shield art contest are displayed
in Route 66 Park. The 1909 Seth Thomas clock from the demolished high school
stands in front of the octagonal Atlanta Public Library, built in 1908.
Lincoln
Lincoln is the only city named for the 16th president while he was still alive.
Legend says that Abraham Lincoln himself christened the town with watermelon
juice in 1853. He supposedly said, "You'd better not do that, for I never
knew anything named Lincoln that amounted to much." The intersection of
Illinois 10 and Beltline 66 was known as the "Four Corners."
"Coonhound" Johnny Schwenoha was a bootlegger and hunting buddy of Al
Capone and he ran a roadhouse on Route 66 north of Lincoln. Coonhound Johnny's
son Vince Schwenoha opened the Tropics in 1950. Vince soon sold it to Lewis
Johnson, who made the Tropics a center of the community from the 1950s to 1997.
The place closed in 2005. The building stands empty, and sadly, the sign was
taken down just recently.
The Mill
Waitresses dressed in blue with white aprons greeted the first customers at the
Blue Mill in Lincoln on July 25, 1929. Paul Coddington's windmill-themed
sandwich shop was painted blue with white trim. Albert and Blossom Huffman took
over in 1945, painted it burgundy, and added a war surplus barracks to serve as
a dance hall and barroom. Once famous for its schnitzel, the Mill closed in 1996.
The Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County has begun restoration.
The Old Coot and
the Pig Hip
One day in 1937, a customer at the Harbor Inn in Broadwell asked proprietor
Ernie Edwards for a slice of "that pig hip," and a Route 66 landmark
was born. Edwards changed the name to the Pig Hip and ran the restaurant until
1991, when it was turned into a museum. Ernie's sister built cabins next door,
which were later enclosed as the Pioneer's Rest Motel. Fire destroyed the Pig
Hip on March 5, 2007, and Ernie Edwards, the beloved "Old Coot,"
passed away in 2012.
Williamsville
Route 66 typically expanded and bypassed many rural communities in Illinois.
Original Route 66 (Elm Street) ran through the heart of Williamsville. A
two-lane bypass was constructed in 1940. In 1953, two additional lanes were
added to complete the four-lane highway around the town. Interstate 55 bypassed
it all in 1977.
Springfield
Springfield was originally named Calhoun, in honor of Secretary of War John C.
Calhoun of South Carolina. When Calhoun became vice president, his fiery
speeches in favor of slavery spurred residents to rename their city. The name
was changed in 1832, and the state capital was moved from Vandalia in 1837. The
move was due partly to the efforts of a young politician named Abraham Lincoln.
The sixth Illinois capitol took 20 years to construct and is 74 feet taller
than the U.S. Capitol.
The Cozy Dog
While stationed in Amarillo during WWII, Ed Waldmire Jr. and his friend Don
Strand developed a battered and French-fried hot dog on a stick. In 1946,
Waldmire began selling his "Crusty Curs" from a small shack on Route
66. His Cozy Dog Drive In opened on September 27, 1950. Waldmire's son Bob, a
renowned Route 66 artist and free spirit, died in 2009. A Walgreens now
occupies the original Cozy Dog site, and the restaurant moved next door.
Illinois 4
Alignment
From 1926 to 1930, Route 66 zigzagged a narrow path through the fields along
the original Illinois Route 4 between Springfield and Staunton. Segments south of
Chatham, were paved in brick to create jobs in 1931, after the Route 66
designation had been removed. A precious 1.4-mile brick section can still be
driven north of Auburn.
Carlinville
On the 1926-1930 alignment, Route 66 passed the "Million Dollar Courthouse"
in Carlinville. It was designed by prominent architect Elijah E. Myers, who
also designed the Macoupin County jail. When completed in 1870, it was the
largest courthouse west of New York City, but it was dogged by scandal and
outrage over the price tag. Judge Thaddeus Loomis and his associate, County
Clerk George Holliday, were at the helm of the building committee. The Loomis
House, which opened in 1870, was also built by Loomis and Holliday. They faced
more criticism for using limestone from the courthouse project for their hotel.
Holliday disappeared, and Loomis lost the hotel. It became the St. George Hotel
and is said to be haunted.
Post 1933 Route
The post-1933 route no longer used Route 4 but came straight south out of
Springfield to go through Farmersville, Litchfield, and Mt. Olive. The Shrine
of Our Lady of the Highways has watched over travelers since it was dedicated
on October 25, 1959. Frances Marten donated the site on his farm near Raymond,
and members of the local Catholic Youth Council erected the statue of Mary.
Marten kept the shrine lit around the clock, and he was one of the original
five members of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame. His sons Lee
and Carl have maintained the shrine since Frances died in 2002.
Litchfield
The Saratoga was built in 1946 by Lowell "Hydie" Orr to replace an
earlier building. This was said to be the most beautiful restaurant between St.
Louis and Chicago. Eventually a Hardee's replaced it on that corner. Russell
"Ruts" Brawley established Rut's Corner Tourist Camp and Cafe in
1928. It was replaced with a larger tavern and restaurant after a 1936 fire. It
changed hands several times before becoming known as Shaw's Corner for many
years. It's now known as Shaw's Club 66 Bar & Grill. CC and Opal Simpson
opened the Gardens Cafe & Lounge in 1954. A motel was added in 1964. The
Mansholt family owned/operated it from 1978 - 2003. There is now a Walgreens on
that corner. The Annex opened in 1951 by Joseph Roseman & Estell Felts
across Route 66 from the Litchfield Airport. Motel units remain but this
beautiful building is gone.
The Ariston
In 1924, Greek immigrant Pete Adam opened the Ariston Cafe in Carlinville. The
name is derived from the Greek aristos, or "best." Adam and partner
Tom Cokinos relocated the Ariston to Litchfield in 1929. The current structure,
on the other side of the highway, opened on July 5, 1935. Cokinos sold his
interest in the Ariston in 1936 and went on to run the Blue Danube and the
Ranch Inn. The Ariston added a new neon sign in the back when four-lane Route
66 opened behind the restaurant. Since 1966, Pete Adam's son, Nick, and Nick's
wife, Demi, have continued to offer the traditional service expected of a
family-owned-and-operated restaurant. Paul, eldest son of Demi and Nick, and
his wife, Joy, joined the family business in 2004.
Litchfield Museum
and Route 66 Welcome Center
Vic Suhling built his station across from the Ariston in 1957 and hired Harry
Wagner as manager. The station later became Stewart's Deep Rock, but it was
demolished in 1990. The Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center opened
here in 2013. The museum was the dream of Martha Jackson and Anne Jackson,
widow and daughter, respectively, of longtime Litchfield newspaper editor David
A. Jackson, whose collection formed the base of the museum exhibits. The sign
was restored in 2013.
Mount Olive
Cemeteries refused to accept the bodies of the victims of the labor violence at
Virden on October 12, 1898, so the miner's union established a cemetery at Mt.
Olive. Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, a crusader for the rights of
workers and children who had played an important role in the strike, was buried
here near the miners, whom she called "her boys," in 1930. A monument
to the "Grandmother of all agitators" was dedicated on October 11,
1936. Henry Soulsby and his son Russell opened a Shell station at Mt. Olive in
1926, and it is now one of the oldest still standing on Route 66. Russell
started a television repair business in the back of the building about 1949,
and he ran the station with his sister Ola until 1993. The Soulsby Station
Society and owner Mike Dragovich maintain the site today.
Rich Henry's
Rabbit Ranch
Rich Henry, his wife Linda, and some furry friends greet visitors to Henry's
Rabbit Ranch in Staunton. Volkswagen Rabbits are lined up nose-down in the
ground in homage to the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. Rich Henry and his
father, truck driver Hubert Henry, are in the Route 66 Association of Illinois
Hall of Fame, along with Linda's father, farmer Wilton Rinkle. Stanley Cour-Tel
signs were salvaged from a suburban St. Louis motel slated for demolition.
Hamel
Much of the original alignment of Route 66 followed the Illinois Traction
System, an interurban electric line that linked small towns across central
Illinois with Peoria, Springfield, and St. Louis. These Illinois Terminal cars
passed through Hamel on their last run between Springfield and St. Louis in
1956. George Cassens opened the Tourist Haven for his wife Louise to operate at
the intersection of Route 66 and Illinois 140 in 1938. It was later known as
the Village Inn, Earnie's, and Scotty's. Today this historic roadhouse is
Weezy's Route 66 Bar and Grill, owned by Karen Wiesemeyer and Coleman Wiessman.
At one time the buildings on each corner of the intersection were built and
owned by Cassens.
Edwardsville
Coming into Edwardsville, travelers found Cathcart's Restaurant and the Hi-Way
Tavern and Cafe right across the road from each other. In 1922, George Cathcart
and his wife bought the Joseph Hotz house and opened it as a tourist home, and
built a modest hamburger stand next door a couple years later. As business
grew, he expanded the building into a large restaurant and grocery. The Hi-Way
Tavern was established by Frank and Dora Catalano in 1934. Several buildings
were joined together to expand the business and in the 1950s an addition made
the front of the building flush and the entire place was bricked. Both of these
historic businesses are now on the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of
Fame. The Bel-Air Drive-In at Mitchell opened in April 1954 and was in
operation until 1987. During the 1970s, it had two screens, could accommodate
700 vehicles, and boasted a small indoor seating area. The drive-in is gone,
but the marquee remains. Herman Raffaelle opened the Luna Cafe in Mitchell on
September 1, 1932. Al Capone was said to be a frequent guest. Legend said that
the cherry in the glass on the neon marquee was lit when the ladies upstairs
were available, but restoration of the sign in 2012 revealed that the cherry
could not be lit separately. Larry Wofford operates the landmark today. The
beautiful Chain of Rocks Bridge opened in 1929 and carried Route 66 traffic
from 1936 to 1955 and Bypass 66 from 1955 to 1965. The bridge was famous for
its sharp bend in the middle. The Corps of Engineers ordered the bend to
prevent hindrance to river navigation.
For further information or to contact Cheryl, use the following links:
cheryleicharjett@gmail.com
stlrt66@aol.com
www.route66chick.blogspot.com
www.66postcards.com
www.facebook.com/Route66inIllinois
"Along Route 66" monthly column in www.thebuzzmonthly.com
This presentation was very well received and provoked many questions and
comments.