Sunday afternoon open house marks one year anniversary of the Mill on Route 66 Museum

[May 01, 2018]   LINCOLN - After more than a decade of hard work and dedication from the members of the Route 66 Heritage Foundation, last year on Saturday, April 29th, 2017, the Mill on Route 66 Museum opened to the public.

This year, on Sunday, April 29th, the Mill celebrated the completion of its first year as a bona fide museum and the beginning of its second tourist season with an open house event.

Several members of the board were on hand for the open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. this past Sunday. They greeted guests, talked about some of the special and quirky features of the Mill. A fine example of this is the siren-screaming basket that would have been located in the bathroom of the Mill back-in-the-day and could cause restrooms patrons to exit the toilet red-faced and ears ringing.

Geoff Ladd who has led the charge to bring the Mill back to life was on hand, spending time talking with guests and also selling 50-50 tickets for a drawing that would be held at the end of the day.

Bill Kelly of the Route 66 Scenic Byways was also on hand talking about what a vital asset the Mill is to the history of Route 66 in Illinois.

Each year thousands of tourists travel the Mother Road, and as such all of them pass through Logan County. Bringing the Mill back to glory as a museum is one more reason that these tourists will not just pass through our community, but stop and explore.

On Sunday afternoon Ladd said that there was a nice turnout for the day. In a three-hour period more than 50 people stopped in. Many enjoyed checking out all the displays which represent not just the Mill, but all the area haunts that would have been popular in the heyday of Route 66.

Board Members such as Nancy Saul and Morgan Gleason were on hand, helping guests with purchases from the Mill gift shop. Bob and Barb Wilmert are mainstays at the Mill and were on hand greeting guests. Barb is a natural at telling stories of the Mill and she doesn’t wait to be asked. As people walked in the door she would welcome them and then immediately begin pointing out some of the details of the museum. One of her favorites to talk about is the booted foot dropping down out of the ceiling.

At the end of the day, Ladd said that the sale of souvenirs and the 50-50 brought in more than $500. The cost of gift shop items comes off that amount but the rest of the funds will go into the daily operating costs of the Mill. The Mill is not funded by any state or federal grant funds, so the board works throughout the season to raise money to support the daily running of the Mill. There are no paid employees, all the folks who come out and ‘mind the store’ are volunteers doing it because they love the quirky little museum.

The Mill is supported in part by the Logan County Tourism Bureau, who recently awarded the Mill a $1,500 grant for operating costs. The amount will not cover the total annual costs at the Mill so additional fundraising efforts are a must. Also, anyone wishing to make a donation to the Mill is more than welcome and it will be greatly appreciated.

The Mill is located on old Route 66 at 738 S. Washington Street in Lincoln and is open during the spring, summer and early fall. It is closed during the winter. The doors are open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

[Nila Smith]