Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway announces second round of $4000 in byway project funds for byway member projects
Logan County Tourism and Atlanta Tourism among the recipients

 

[January 27, 2022] 

In November of 2021, the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway announced the second round of the Byway Project Funds program to provide financial assistance to Byway members. Byway Project Funds are to support events, marketing and advertising efforts, and projects that help preserve the heritage of Illinois Route 66 and promote travel to Illinois Route 66 communities and sites. Byway Project Funds cannot be used for general operating or construction expenses. Byway Project Funds range from $500-$1000 and up to ten members may receive the funds.

Over the past couple of months, the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway received many exceptional applications. One of the projects is not ready to be announced to the public and will be revealed later. We are announcing $4,000 to the following businesses.

O'Brien Tire & Auto Care - $1,000

Even before 1932, when Jim O'Brien purchased the business from the Klug brothers and renamed it, O'Brien Tire & Auto Care has been helping customers with their tire and auto repair or care needs on the original alignment when it was established in Granite City. We are the longest-running auto repair on Route 66, still open, and still in the same location. We have always been owned and operated by people who live in Granite City. It is currently operated by the third generation of the Buenger family. We are truly the quintessential Route 66 story.

"Since 2016, I have been returning our business to a look that resonates with a Route 66 auto repair theme. The showroom has mid-century furniture, flooring has been replaced, the bathroom tiled in turquoise, red, and yellow, fresh paint in the work areas. I have spent nearly $20,000 to date on interior improvements. I also designed and installed a neon sign, $15,000, and added a Route 66 insert into the "largest tire on Route 66" that sits outside of our building. The Byway Project Funds would be greatly helpful in accomplishing a Route 66 mural on the exterior of the building, which has been on my wish list."

-O'Brien Tire & Auto Care Owner, Beth Buenger

The mural's purpose will be to educate the local community as to the historical value of Route 66 and to promote its draw in Granite City. Buenger added, "I want to raise awareness, not only for our local value but to promote Route 66's beloved values of an era when life was slower, and family vacations in the car along Route 66 were a welcome respite to day-to-day drudgery. Mom and pops were all there when travelling, outside a few hotel and gas chains, but they were still owned by locals; people who lived in their community. Murals tell stories and are always an attention getter. I have an exceptionally large exterior brick wall, and I want to scream this message on it . Get out of the rat race, support local businesses, return to shopping small - because it makes a significant difference in our community."
 

Logan County Tourism Bureau/The Mill Museum on 66 - $1,000

The Mill Museum on Route 66 was a popular restaurant that travelers would stop at while traveling Route 66. It is now a museum that houses collections from The Mill, The Tropics, and the Pig Hip. We would like to build a pavilion behind the Mill Museum that could be used for different events throughout the year that the Mill will host or be an event space that others will be able to rent. The Byway Project Funds would be used to buy the materials for the pavilion. We would like to use this pavilion as an event space that would bring people to the Mill. An event with live music and food trucks would be great especially on Sundays when many local restaurants are closed.

City of Atlanta Tourism - $1,000

Inside Route 66 Park, on the corner of Arch and Race Street, right on the 1926 Route 66 alignment, memories from Atlanta's past come to life. There is the iconic bubbler fountain, former Atlanta Fair ticket booth, Knights of Pythias marker, and more mementos from Atlanta's past. However, these mementos only tell one side of the story. There is not an outdoor marker or sign detailing the African American Experience in Atlanta, which can be traced back to the Civil War. We will be creating outdoor signage and an exhibit portraying this story. It will highlight the African American Civil War Veterans that settled in Atlanta, detail the events of the Atlanta Fair BBQ, which commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, memorialize the first African American graduate from Atlanta High School (Walter White in 1884), and utilize oral histories of the African American Experience in recent Atlanta history. These are important stories to tell, and Route 66 Park will be the place to include this into the mementos of Atlanta's past and present.

Funds from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway award will be used to create an interpretive experience detailing the African American stories in Atlanta. Visitors in town will be able to see the interpretive signage and freestanding interpretive marker. Visitors will walk through Atlanta's past in Route 66 Park and will learn about the impact African Americans had in Atlanta and how they shaped Atlanta's history.

Through the interactive signage on the African American experience in Atlanta, we will attract more tourists to Atlanta and increase the time they spend in our community, therefore leading to an increase in spending within the community.

Decamp Station - $1000

Decamp Station is a historical roadhouse located on Route 66 that specializes in dining, drinks, and sports. They are open year-round and have a host of activities indoor and out. Decamp Station prides itself in our lighted baseball field and sand volleyball courts . They provide local musicians a venue every Saturday evening from 6pm to 9pm during the wintertime and extended hours during the summertime. The roadhouse is a community landmark and has been in continuous business since 1931. Since the new owners obtained the roadhouse in March 2017, they have made many improvements to improve the integrity of the structure and have many more exciting projects planned.

The facility will utilize the Byway Project Funds to waterproof the basement to preserve the foundation and allow additional storage space for restaurant su pplies. Waterproofing the 1200 square foot basement will involve using a concrete chop saw to add a trench around the perimeter, add drain tile and rock, and add a sump pump.

Once the basement has been waterproofed, they will install several light fixtures, paint the interior walls, purchase additional shelving, and build a dry storage room. We will have successfully prevented structural damage by prevented potential basement flooding, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

"We are so excited to announce another round of Byway Project Funds. One of the many benefits of being a Byway member is the opportunity to receive funding for an upcoming project or event; one of our main goals is to be able to assist our members financially. As our membership program grows, so will the amount of funds we will be able to award our members" said Casey Claypool, Executive Director.

[Geoff Ladd
Assistant Director
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway]