New Lincoln Welcome Garden a Route 66 roadside attraction for downtown Lincoln

[June 05, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Saturday morning a large group gathered at the corner of Pekin and North Kickapoo Streets in Lincoln to celebrate the opening of the new Lincoln Welcome Garden with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The garden provides a folk-artsy Route 66 roadside attraction for the downtown area.

Nila Smith led the ribbon cutting, representing the Ribbon Cut Team at Lincoln Daily News and also speaking as a member of the Logan County Tourism Bureau Board.

From 1926 to 1930 Route 66 came into the heart of Lincoln via Kickapoo Street. It turned on to Broadway went to Logan and Fifth Streets, then turned south and went past the Mill.

In 2017 the Illinois Route 66 Scenic By-Ways and the city of Lincoln worked together to get that original route marked in the city.

Smith noted that all along Route 66 from Chicago to the west coast, tourists come across the fun, interesting, folk-artsy roadside attractions that encouraged them to stop and spend time in a community. The new Lincoln Welcome Garden is designed to provide that same happy experience for tourists coming into town on that original route.

Smith noted, “The insight and vision of Leslie Hoefle, the commitment of many, many Lincoln businesses, and the backing of the Logan County Tourism Bureau has brought this to our town.”

It was noted that the garden is still work in progress and that the committee that consisted of Hoefle, Tourism Board members Emily Davenport and Cindy Fleshman, with support from Tourism Director Cris Wibben and tourism assistant Morgan Gleason.”

Hoefle was asked to speak on behalf of herself and her committee. She thanked everyone who had been a part of the erection of the garden from the businesses in Lincoln and Logan County who had invested dollars in the items being placed in the garden, the many people who had done physical labor, helping to get all the pieces put into their proper places.

Hoefle talked about how the idea came about and accented her comments saying, “What you see is the initial phase. The Garden will never be complete. There will be additions with changes with the season, holiday or event to make it fresh and new.”

Hoefle also mentioned that there is an ADA accessible entrance on the northeast corner of the Garden. Future plans include a brick walkway, and the Route 66 Experience Hub now located in Postville Park on Fifth Street will be moved to the Welcome Garden.

Bill Kelly with Illinois Route 66 Scenic By-Ways was on hand and spoke also. He noted that Lincoln was named for Abraham Lincoln, who christened the town with the juice of a watermelon. He said that he thought it was only fitting that the garden should also be christened, and he had brought with him a bottle of Route 66 Soda-pop. He said he would do the honors after the ribbon cutting.

Kelly went on to note that the Garden was going to be a great addition to the Route 66 experience. He said he was happy to know that the Route 66 experience hub would be moved to the garden. He concluded saying that the attraction will afford tourists an opportunity to find something happy and fun in the downtown area. The Garden will encourage them to stop and when they are stopped, they will hopefully visit downtown businesses.

Inside the garden there is a special tribute to a good friend who is no longer with us – Charlie Ott. Smith commented, “He was Lincoln’s Lincoln, and we loved him. We are so proud that he is part of the park. On behalf of the city and community, we thank Charlie. Perhaps we didn’t do that enough when he was with us, but now at least we can pay a [small] tribute to him in this garden.” Charlie’s wife Margie was on hand for the cut, and Smith concluded by thanking her for coming to be a part of the ceremony.

Lincoln Mayor Seth Goodman was the last person to speak before the cut. He said that he thought most everything had been said, but on behalf of the city, he too wanted to thank Leslie, as well as those who had contributed to creation of the park.

For the snip of the ribbon, the committee members along with Wibben were brought forward. At the countdown Hoefle snipped the ribbon with assistance from Davenport, Fleshman and Wibben.

Right after the ribbon cut Kelly popped the top on the bottle of Route 66 Soda and with Mayor Goodman, Abraham Lincoln and Wibben looking on and he ‘christened’ the flower bed at the northwest corner of the garden.

The garden currently offers several attractions. Visitors will find a gazebo with metal corn art and live petunias, benches for sitting and relaxing, wooden panels - one of which is adorned with a Route 66 sign, a metal-art pig, windmills painted to look like flowers, a livestock water tank filled with flowers, the Charlie Ott tribute, and a “selfie mailbox.”

Throughout the garden there are signs encouraging visitors to stop and take a photo to help them remember their happy visit to the welcome garden. Inside the selfie mailbox are a variety of signs that visitors can hold when taking their pictures. On the side of the box is an invitation for guests to send their selfies to the Logan County Tourism Bureau.

The ribbon cut was well attended with several business owners/managers on hand. Also attending were several members of city of Lincoln government and members of the Logan County Tourism Bureau.

[Nila Smith]