|
 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.
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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] |
