Backyard Bash at the Mill makes for a fun day in Lincoln
 

[May 25, 2021]    Saturday was a perfect day for a lawn party in Lincoln. Not too hot, not too cold, not too sunny and not too cloudy. And, the back lawn at the Mill on Route 66 Museum was an ideal setting for such a party.

The Mill Backyard Bash was an opportunity for visitors to take a peek at the newly refreshed Mill inside and out, check out a few vintage cars, have some good food and listen to good music.

With all the environmental circumstances being perfect and the promise of a new and improved museum, guests came to the party in large numbers.

The Mill on Route 66 has a rich and colorful history in Logan County as the "in" spot to go in the heyday of Route 66. The people who visited the Mill enjoyed the food and the funny and friendly Blossom Huffman who owned and ran the establishment. But the history pre-dates Blossom. When the Mill was known as the Blue Mill it consisted of only the Dutch windmill style building that is now just the front of a much larger structure. The Huffmans were responsible for adding the back two-thirds of the building and expanding the kitchen area. They are also responsible for the beloved Schnitzel that guests came to the Mill for specifically.

When the Mill went out of business, the building stood empty and deteriorating for many years. It was then director of the local tourism Bureau, Geoff Ladd who took on the herculean task of trying to restore the Mill to its former glory. Ladd worked hard to accomplish just that, and he succeeded. He formed a not for profit foundation to revive the Mill, gathered together volunteers and put the Mill back together on a shoestring.

Volunteers like Richard Burger, LeRoy Ranthum, Bob Wilmert and many more poured their hearts and their labor into the project, and are owed a great depth of gratitude for the work they did to save the Mill.

In December of 2019, Ladd approached the Logan County Tourism Bureau Director Morgan Gleason and asked if they could discuss the future of the Mill. Ladd reported that he was struggling to keep the Mill running financially, his volunteers were aging out, and in general everyone was just plain tired.

Gleason brought a proposal to take over the Mill to the Tourism Bureau Board and all agreed that it was a vital part of the local Route 66 history and needed to stay viable for future generations.

It was also understood that while the building had “good bones” there were cosmetic and structural issues that still needed to be addressed. The board committed to doing a facelift of the building inside and out. They determined that they had the financial capability to take over the Mill and invest in some much needed restoration.

Then came coronavirus.

In an effort to combat the disease, the state shut down all tourism activities and sites. The state funding for tourism was reduced, and travel for pleasure became non-existent, costing the bureau thousands of dollars in hotel/motel tax revenue.

Gleason turned to the city of Lincoln for help. The city obliged, utilizing reserve hotel/motel tax in the city coffers aldermen agreed to give a substantial amount to the tourism bureau to keep the project moving forward.

In addition, the Route 66 Association of Illinois offered some financial assistance, and in the end, the money needed was raised.

On Saturday when Gleason welcomed guests to the Backyard Bash she was quick to acknowledge the city and the Association for their help and invited everyone to admire the new exterior of the building plus go inside in the new climate controlled museum and gift shop and enjoy the displays of Route 66 eateries from times past.

Changes at the Mill include new siding installed by Matthews Construction. The color scheme is identical to what the Mill has always been with a deep brick red on the top and white on the bottom. The north exterior wall for many years has been treated plywood. It is now sided and finished to match the rest of the building. On that north wall there was a stairwell leading up to the second floor. It had not been used for many years, and was taken out for the restoration. A second stairwell inside the building still gives access to the second floor.

Plywood and shutters have been removed from the windows letting light into the museum.

Brett Triplett Heating and Air Conditioning installed two heating/cooling units in the building which will not only make for a more comfortable environment for visitors but will also help control moisture so as to protect the displays.

There has also been some new drywall and new paint added to the inside and the original hardwood floors have been nicely cleaned.

The displays inside have been arranged along the walls with lots of space in the middle of the room for visitors to be inside without feeling crowded.

The displays are set up by specific eateries that include not only the Mill, but a later generation Hallies, which was a restaurant in downtown Lincoln owned and operated by the Huffman’s grandson. There are also displays for the Pig Hip that was located in Broadwell and the Tropics Restaurant in Lincoln.

Other displays feature unique items from Route 66 history in Logan County, and a display case of pictures and items from days past, along with a wall dedicated to the various stages of restoration and other activities at the Mill since it was revived.






 

On Thursday before the Backyard Bash Gleason and assistant Cindy Smith were busy inside and out finishing up work to get the Mill ready for its re-opening on Saturday. Gleason was working in the back room that is now museum and gift shop. She was putting away boxes, cleaning, and arranging gift shop items. Smith was outside doing some landscaping work including a flower bed around the Mill sign and potted plants at the front entry.

Both were excited to see Saturday come and hopeful that the community would come out and see the newly refreshed inside and out building. They were not disappointed.

Burger and Ranthum were both on hand Saturday and Ranthum helped out with the car show and getting food trucks placed appropriately. Burger enjoyed talking about the work that he was involved in restoring the Mill in the first place. Both seemed to be happy with the latest improvements.

Barbara Morrow was another visitor who enjoyed the walk down memory lane. She explained that she grew up in a house across the road and that her mother worked at the Mill for a time.





Nuthatch Hill and the Top Hat Creamery provided food trucks and guests enjoyed Nuthatch pork sandwiches for lunch and ice cream and cotton candy for dessert.





Tents were set up over picnic tables where families or groups of friends could gather to eat then enjoy some excellent music provided by the band Thornhill.



A selection of classic cars lined the back side of the parking lot under the shade trees. Guests enjoyed checking them out and visiting with the owners.

Most everyone did a walk through inside and the positively commented on the building. The gift shop inside was busy as a number of guests were seen coming out with bags holding their purchases.

Outside a raffle basket was being offered along with a 50/50 drawing. Both saw plenty of action as the tickets fell into bowls with wishes from the buyers that they would be the winners.

The basket for the raffle contained many items donated by downtown businesses as well as items from the Mill gift shop.

While Gleason and Smith were in charge of keeping everything running smoothly, they had help from board members Marilyn Wheat and husband Dan, Steve Parrott, and Nila Smith with husband Richard.

The event ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At the end of the day, Gleason was pleased and excited about how well the event had gone. There had been a large turnout, and many positive comments about the work that had been done to the building as well as the newly designed exhibits.

The tourism bureau is anticipating that the Mill will be open at least four to five days a week in the afternoons. Currently, they are interviewing for a part-time employee to be at the Mill daily and are seeking volunteers to come in and help out as needed.

Anyone who is interested in volunteering at the Mill can contact Gleason at the Logan County Tourism Bureau office in the Depot Visitors Center, 101 North Chicago Street, Lincoln; by calling 217-732-8687 or email at [e-mail].

[Nila Smith]