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 In Lincoln, the Logan County Tourism Bureau was moving forward with
the work to refurbish the Mill on Route 66 Museum. By the opening
of the tourist season in May, the bureau was ready to show off their
efforts with a special celebration. Guests visiting the Mill were
impressed with the changes to the interior and the new focus on
local route 66 food stops.
In Atlanta, the new Atlanta Tourism was also busy at work drawing in
their fair share of Route 66 travelers.
Elkhart also launched a new project with a nature theme. The new
Monarch Butterfly Flyaway and Pollinator Garden were a beautiful
addition to an already attractive little Route 66 community.
At the Lincoln Heritage Museum on the campus of Lincoln College,
activities continued with certain restrictions applicable according
to the school's guidelines.
The museum did get the opportunity to show off its newly restored
Middletown Flag, and local woodworking expert Jason Hoffman as well
as local quilters received accolades from the museum for their
contributions to the new display.
At the Logan County Tourism Bureau, there was a changing of the
guard as Director Morgan Gleason tendered her resignation. A
committee was established to conduct a search for a new director.
In August, Logan County native Alice Roate was hired for the
position.
Following the resignation of the sitting Administrative Assistant at
the Bureau, another search was conducted, and in December it was
announced that another Logan County native, Alexis Groves had been
hired to fill that position.
Logan County Tourism Bureau
June 11
On Thursday
evening, the Logan County Tourism Bureau Board bade a fond farewell
to Executive Director Morgan Gleason. Gleason has resigned from her
position and will be relocating out of the county.
The bureau will
be conducting a search for a new director. Anyone interested in the
position may find information on the Business page at the bottom in
Classifieds: Employment section of Lincoln Daily News.
Left to right:
Kathie Williams, Nila Smith, Melanie Blankenship, Gleason, Steve
Parrott, Jim Wessbecher and Tracy Welch.
Gail Apel-Sasse,
Emily Davenport, Neal Patel and Marilyn Wheat were unable to attend.
June 15
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The Route 66
Association of Illinois spent the weekend on the beloved highway,
often called the Mother Road. Starting Saturday morning at the Chain
of Rocks Bridge near St. Louis the group drove to Lincoln for their
evening banquet and to stay at local motels.
On Sunday
morning, before leaving town, the association members visited the
Mill on Route 66 Museum in Lincoln. Many of the association members
have helped with various restoration projects at the Mill over the
years, but had not seen it since the Logan County Tourism Bureau has
completed a recent facelift of the Mill. All were pleasantly
surprised by the new exterior siding, the opening up of windows, the
new look inside the museum, and the cool air from the new climate
control units.
Route 66 Association of Illinois enjoys
30th Annual Motor Tour
Route 66 Association of Illinois visits
the Mill on Route 66 Museum
August 3
At the Monday
night meeting of the Lincoln City Council, aldermen were introduced
to Alice Roate, the new Executive Director of the Logan County
Tourism Bureau.
Roate is a Logan
County native, a Lincoln resident with a Bachelor's Degree from Iowa
State University in Event Management. Roate said that tourism had
been a large part of her university studies. She is excited about
utilizing her education and knowledge of the area to promote tourism
in Logan County.
August 18
On Monday Shawn
from Matthews Construction replaced the old roadside attractions
sign at the Railsplitter covered wagon. According to Cindy Smith of
the Logan County Tourism Bureau the old signage had faded out quite
a lot. The LCTB asked for a replacement of the sign while it was
still under warranty. When the new sign arrived, the metal screws
holding the old one in place were so badly corroded that staff could
not change the sign. Brad Matthews volunteered to take care of it
for the LCTB.
Thanks to
Matthews for always looking out for the wagon and to LCTB for
assuring that we have "nice things" for tourists to see when they
make their Route 66 stops.
December 22
The Logan County
Tourism Bureau is once again fully staffed. As many know, Alice
Roate (left) was hired earlier this year as the Bureau's Director.
This week, Lexie
Groves joined the staff as Roate's Administrative Assistant.
Both ladies are
Logan County natives with deep roots in the community and
educational backgrounds conducive to promoting tourism in Logan
County.
Mill on Route 66 Museum
February 6
Work is moving
along at the Mill on Route 66 Museum in Lincoln. New climate control
has been added to protect contents and make visits comfortable for
tourists. The new siding on the exterior is underway, and the most
notable difference between the old and the new is on the north side
of the building. Windows have been uncovered to make the building
more inviting from the outside and more pleasant on the inside.
The Mill will
retain its deep red over white two-tone appearance when finished.
The Logan County Tourism Bureau's goal is to repair and improve the
building overall, adding years to its life as a major Route 66
attraction in Logan County. A grand re-opening of the Mill is
tentatively scheduled for April.
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April 15
The Matthews
Construction crew took advantage of a nice sunny day on Wednesday to
get more new siding on the Mill on Route 66 Museum.
The Logan County
Tourism Bureau has invested, with help from the city of Lincoln,
several thousand dollars in refurbishing the Mill inside and out so
that it will withstand the test of time for future generations.
The Mill will be
open this summer for tourists. Currently, the LCTB is seeking one
part-time employee to help manage the Mill. Anyone interested in
applying should take a look at the employment section of Lincoln
Daily News.
May 25
Backyard Bash at the Mill makes for a fun
day in Lincoln
Cool Cars, Good Music, Great Food -
slideshow
Visitors enjoy a day at the Mill -
slideshow
Lincoln Heritage Museum
January 13
On Saturday,
local artist and furniture maker Jason Hoffman and crew delivered
this massive display case to the Lincoln Heritage Museum at Lincoln
College. The custom made to museum specifications case was designed
and manufactured by Hoffman. It will house a handmade flag created
in 1860 by a seamstress group in Middletown for Abraham Lincoln’s
presidential run.
Pictured in
front of the case is LHM Interim Director Olivia Partlow and
Hoffman.
Unique locally crafted case to hold flag made
for Abraham Lincoln arrives Lincoln Heritage Museum
Middletown Flag display case becomes a
reality in an artist's studio - Album
Moving the case to the Lincoln Heritage
Museum - Album
February 13
On Friday, Lincoln's 212th birthday,
the Middletown Flag was prominently displayed at the Lincoln
Heritage Museum on Lincoln College's campus. The flag handmade by
women in Middletown for the Atlanta Wide Awakes float was cloaked
over Abraham Lincoln’s shoulders during a Springfield parade as he
was candidate for president in 1860. It is now placed in a museum
quality display case made by local furniture maker Jason Hoffman.
Guests are encouraged to stop by and admire the historical flag, and
hear the story of how it played a part in the life of our beloved
16th President.
Quilters aid in historic flag restoration
to complete display for Lincoln’s Birthday
Sewing of the flag in photos - Album one
Sewing of the flag in photos - Album two
Middletown Flag ready for viewing and a
new Lincoln Heritage Museum exhibit: Atlanta Hawes family insights
into Civil War times
Final installation of the flag in photos -
Album
September 14
On Saturday, the
Lincoln Heritage Museum on the campus of Lincoln College opened a
new display commemorating the 20th anniversary of September 11,
2001. Among the items addressing the terrorist attacks was a
community art project led by local artist and Lincoln Arts Institute
owner Jason Hoffman.
Hoffman started
the large canvas and then opened it to the community during the
Balloons Over 66 weekend. Anyone who desired was encouraged to add
their personal touches to the piece.
Atlanta Tourism
April 20
Historic U.S. Route 66/Illinois Route 4
Driving Exhibit Now Open to the Public in Atlanta
June 3
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On Sunday,
Atlanta Tourism Commission Director Whitney Ortiz and Atlanta
Councilman Dale Colaw enjoyed a refreshment from the Atlanta Dairy
Queen while registering more than 90 cars for the Atlanta Car
Cruise-in at the DQ parking lot.
Ortiz was
excited about the large turnout of vehicles and the crowds of
visitors that came to see all the beautiful cars.
In addition to
the car show, the Tourism Commission handed out information about
other attractions in town. Live music was provided, and there was a
50/50 raffle.
Ortiz said that
the commission and city are working toward offering a car cruise in
the last Sunday of the month throughout this summer, but for sure,
the Memorial Day weekend car show will become an annual event.
July 20
This beautiful
automobile is only one of about 60 antique cars that rolled into
Atlanta on Wednesday morning. All the vehicle owners hold membership
in the Classic Car Club of America. The group traveled around
central Illinois and Indiana, exploring history connected to Route
66, Abraham Lincoln and more.
Classic Car Club of America visits Atlanta
Classic cars visit Atlanta - slideshow
Appreciating the beauty of a car -
slideshow
July 21
Weekend Street Market tops off a busy week
in Atlanta
Fun and games, food and hand crafted items
make for a great market day - slideshow
BMW's highlight first Atlanta Street
Market - slideshow
Elkhart Tourism
June 14
Elkhart Monarch Flyaway on Route 66
habitat stop opens
Elkhart community celebrates pollinators -
slideshow
[Nila Smith]
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