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 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.
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 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. |
