Illinois turns 200 at Atlanta

 

[November 15, 2018] 

It’s hard to miss all of the news that has been floating around this year about the Illinois Bicentennial. Illinois’ two-hundredth birthday is December 3, 2018.

One of the most unique celebrations is a road show traveling throughout the state called “Illinois Turns 200” that is sponsored by Illinois Humanities. Atlanta was selected as one of the towns for a stop by the show.

Seven communities with unique ties to the history of Illinois have been selected for a visit from the show that features stories and music from each town. Every performance is recorded and a podcast will be available later this year.

On Friday evening, Nov. 2nd, the second floor ballroom of the Union Hall was filled with residents from throughout the area waiting for Atlanta’s turn in the spotlight.

MC and interviewer for the series Paul Durica said, “We chose the seven communities because. Also, they were all located along a river, railroad, or famous highway, some form of transportation. Atlanta was selected as an example of small town Illinois located along what has become the most famous highway in the world, Route 66.”

Each 'Illinois Turns 200' stop along the way features music from local musicians and interviews with long time residents who have an interesting story to tell about their town’s history. Atlanta was no exception.
Music director for “Illinois Turns 200” is Chris Vallillo who is well known throughout the state for his artistry. He selected the Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra from Bloomington to entertain at Atlanta.

There is sort of a history to mandolin orchestras; they were a thing in the 1890’s through the turn of the 20th century. There actually was an Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra in Bloomington during the heyday of this type of music. It drifted into the mists of history after a few years. The current Orpheus Mandolin Orchestra was founded in 2002, and discovered that the original orchestra’s name had gone unused, so they recreated history by assuming it. And yes, all members of the group play the mandolin.
 

It was sweet flowing music that filled the Union Hall.

While Elise Star does not live in Atlanta, her family has a great deal to do with a unique aspect of the Route 66 experience in town. The huge Bunyon Giant that greets Atlanta visitors today was actually purchased from her father.

Hamlet Arthur Stevens wanted something that would make his Route 66 restaurant stand out. When he saw an ad for the Giant from the builder in California, he knew he had to have it. It graced his hotdog stand in Cicero from the 1960’s for 38 years until Hamlet Stevens retired.

What does a family do with a nineteen foot tall statue of a man holding a hotdog? A front yard ornament perhaps? That probably would not work. A person with an Illinois Route 66 organization knew just the place for it, and Bunyon traveled down Route 66 to downtown Atlanta. Oh, and in case you are a fan of lumberjack Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox stories, Hamlet Stevens spelled his Bunyon with an 'o' just in case some lawyer called him out for appropriating the name of the original books.

Just wait though, because there is more to the story of the Bunyon Giant in downtown Atlanta, an unexpected surprise!

Connie Harris had a story for the audience that she had heard many times while growing up in rural Atlanta. There was a group of young women in Atlanta who were close friends back in the 1920’s who called themselves 'The Powder Puff Bandits.' “They were a group of women who were ahead of their time. They were into all sorts of shenanigans, but in a good way. You might even say they were notorious. They even held a Kentucky Derby party in 1929 complete with big hats and mint juleps,” she said.

There was a pause and then emcee Durica mentioned something about prohibition being in effect at the time. Connie smiled, laughed, and said “Didn’t I say they were ahead of their time.”

The women remained friends for the rest of their lives even though some married and moved away from Atlanta. And they never lost their sense of fun and mischief.

Lorie Cotton and Peggy Payne are two of the reasons Atlanta continues to thrive while other small towns wither. They volunteer in local organizations that greet some of the visitors that travel Route 66, some in their car and others stopping in town on the 53 bus tours that have visited so far this year, bringing people from all over the United States and the world.

When Durica asked them why people from all over the world want to visit their small town, not a big city, Lorie was quick with an answer. “They tell us that they want to meet the people in the country, in small towns, and to see what America is really like. As a person, they tell us that they are struck by the friendliness of the people they meet in Atlanta. Different languages are not a barrier to a meaningful visit,” said Lorie.

Are you ready for the Bunyon Giant surprise? Well, Victoria Padilla and her husband are new residents to Atlanta, having lived in town for four years. When they first rolled into town, Victoria was shocked to see the Bunyon statue. “I grew up in Cicero, and the hotdog stand with the Bunyon statue was one of my favorite places! I never knew what happened to it after the restaurant closed. I jumped out of the car, ran up to it and saw the plaque. It was the same one from my childhood,” she said with a delighted laugh. What a wonderful way to be welcomed to her new home!

As Illinois embarks on another two-hundred years, small town American is alive and well in places like Atlanta. Bill Thomas and Victoria Padilla spoke of their commitment to the future of Atlanta while preserving the past. “We have historic places, living history, like the Palms Grill and an original part of Route 66, an original alignment paved with concrete from the 1920’s,” he said.

Thomas pointed out that Atlanta is the only town in Logan County to increase in population during the last census. “Atlanta is a wonderful place to raise a family, the schools are excellent, and the people welcoming,” he said.

With a song about moving along Route 66, Chris Vallillo wrapped up “Illinois Turns 200” in the Union Hall in downtown Atlanta. He and Paul Durica have another town to visit and uncover its secrets.

The Atlanta program is one of a seven-part series celebrating the Illinois Bicentennial and will air on public radio and be available for download in December.

[Curtis Fox]

Illinois Turns 200 is part of Illinois Humanities’ celebration of the Illinois Bicentennial and is made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities and State Farm.