By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
The first place Joann and I ever visited on old Route 66 in Illinois was the former town of Funks Grove. I’m not even sure we knew it was on Route 66 on our first visit. Joann was visiting a friend in Bloomington, and it was a place we could go out of the city.
The old General Store looks a little worse for wear each time we visit, but it’s still there, just across the railroad tracks from the current old Route 66. The depot across from it has gotten some love since we first visited, but the old store sits abandoned.
The next time we visited Route 66 in Illinois was on a trip to the Ozarks in 2008. We always need places to get out of the car on long drives to other states, and I thought some of Route 66 would fit the bill.
Along the route, you can find signs for many of the restored and maintained sites. This sign was at the Soulsby Shell Station in Mt. Olive, Illinois. It offers a little bit of history to the traveler. If you don’t keep notes of your pictures like we do (and honestly, who does?), the sign will help you remember where on your trip you were.
Henry Soulsby had been a miner until an injury forced him to give up that occupation. When he heard that a new highway would be passing through Mount Olive, he took his life savings and bought two lots on the corner of 1st Street and what is now Old Route 66. With the remaining money, he built his gas station in 1926 from his own design.
When Henry retired, his children Russell and Ola took over the station and ran it together.
In the late 1950’s, I-55 began replacing the old highway, which left the station a mile away from most of the traffic. The station continued pumping gas until 1991 when the pumps were shut down. The station continued on, checking oil, selling soda pop, and greeting the new generations that were returning to Route 66.
They closed the station for good in 1993, and finally sold it to neighbor Mike Dragovich. When Russell Soulsby died in 1999, his funeral procession took him under the canopy of his gas station one last time.
Mr. Dragovich and the Soulsby Preservation Society began preservation efforts in 2003. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The vinyl siding was removed, the original doors and windows were restored, and the building was repainted. Today it looks as it did during its best days after World War II.
Another stop on that trip to the Ozarks was at Henry’s Rabbit Ranch in Staunton, Illinois. This one wasn’t an original gas station, but was built as a replica of a vintage canopy style gas station to serve as a visitor center. It is filled with Route 66 and trucking memorabilia. When we stopped in, what caught our eye was the Route 66 Beer (Root Beer). We bought a 6 pack to enjoy on our trip.
The canopy of the station features an old truck and rusty old gas pumps. Around the building you can find old Volkswagon Rabbits and even pens of live rabbits. Old signs hang on the building and dot the grounds, including old motel signs, like the one below.
After this stop, we checked the time and knew we had to get going. We had a long ways to go to get to the Ozarks, so we got on the Interstate for the rest of our trip through Illinois.
The next time we made a stop on Route 66 in Illinois was in 2013 on our way to Ohio. I sort of over-planned the “to” route for that trip, but one of the stops was the town of Dwight, Illinois.
It sits on Old Route 66 and the best stop is Ambler’s Texaco Gas Station. Basil “Tubby” Ambler operated the station from 1938 to 1966. The original building was built in 1933 by Jack Shore with an office and a canopy extending out over the gas pumps.
Mr. Ambler added the service bays, and ran the station until 1966. The station continued on selling gas until 1999; a total of 66 years. Then it was an auto repair shop until 2002 when it was closed and donated by owner Phillip Becker to the Village of Dwight.
The Village restored the station to its former glory and today it serves as their visitor center.
Dwight also has a replica Shell Service Station with a red Ferrari painted on the front. It was formerly a Buick car dealership as well as several other businesses.
After this stop, we did manage to follow my plan and make it far enough into Indiana to be close to our first light stop the next morning. And needless to say, Joann asked me to not be quite so ambitious for first days on future trips.
We so appreciate the people who enjoy the nostalgic gas station memorabilia and restore them for display for others enjoyment.
We’ll have more Illinois Route 66 as well as Missouri Route 66 in future blogs. If you get the chance, get out there and have your own experiences on the Mother Road. In just the last week, two businesses along the route have been damaged by fire, and you never know which will be rebuilt and which will be gone forever.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label Route 66. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Route 66. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
The Mother Road – Route 66 Celebrates 90 years
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In November of this year, Route 66 celebrates its 90th anniversary. It was one of the first numbered US Highways.
In 1926 a route was planned between Chicago and Los Angeles and was assigned the numerical designation of 66. It was acknowledged at that time that this would be one of the primary east-west routes.
From the beginning, it was intended to connect small towns as well as larger cities with a national thoroughfare. Until this time, most rural communities had no access to major roads.
If you can believe it, by 1930 the trucking industry had come to rival the railroad in the shipping of American goods. Route 66 went from Chicago to the Pacific coast over relatively flat prairie lands which allowed for a much more temperate climate. Truckers enjoyed the route and the climate.
If you’ve read the classic John Steinbeck novel “The Grapes of Wrath”, or seen the 1940 film adaptation, you were introduced to Route 66, “The Mother Road,” as Steinbeck proclaimed it to be. The story is about the Joab family during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. When farming becomes impossible and they are losing their land, they pack all of the belongings they can fit on their truck and drive off in the night to look for work in the orchards of California. The road they and many others take is Route 66.
Route 66 inspired the 2006 movie “Cars,” which is about a race car being accidentally stranded in the town of Radiator Springs. The town was bypassed by the interstate and the town and its businesses are languishing without that traffic. In the movie, the car known as “Doc Hudson” is a Hudson Hornet like the one in the above photo.
This same thing happened to many businesses along Route 66. The original alignment went through the center of the cities and towns along the route. After World War II, traffic increased making this route very dangerous. The road was narrow, crossing railroad tracks at grade, and had many blind curves and cross-traffic. During this time, many sections had the nickname of “Bloody 66.”
In the 1950’s there was a sharp rise in tourism and Route 66 was the major highway for vacationers heading west. The road passed through the Painted Desert, and came close to the Grand Canyon. Tourist cabins, motels, diners, and gas stations along the route all flourished.
Route 66 was realigned multiple times and with each realignment, businesses along the former routes lost tourists. Some businesses closed; others managed to hold on.
Finally, in 1985, the entire route was covered by Interstate alternatives, and the highway was officially decommissioned. Even though it has been officially nonexistent since that time, it remains more popular than ever. People travelling the country are looking to get off of the interstate which doesn’t provide the character of the states being travelled through. Groups in every state were established to promote the route and hopefully maintain many of the businesses along the route.
If you travel the route, and visit the local businesses, you can meet many characters, as we did at Gay Parita in Missouri when we spent time with Gary Turner. We are so glad we did, as Gary passed away in 2015. Luckily, this is one business that will survive, as Gary’s daughter Barbara has moved home and reopened his beloved station.
Unlike our older sister Phyllis, who travelled the entire route with her husband in their Corvette, Joann and I have only travelled portions of Route 66 in Illinois and Missouri. We hope to travel more of the route in the coming years. Future blogs will detail our experiences along those portions we have travelled. Stay tuned.
If you can, plan a vacation along the route to celebrate her history. Be prepared with a good map, as sometimes it’s hard to follow the route through cities, or know when you have to get onto the interstate for a small stretch where the original route is under the current Interstate. Patronize local businesses whenever you can because every year more are lost. And most importantly, have fun!
As always, Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
In November of this year, Route 66 celebrates its 90th anniversary. It was one of the first numbered US Highways.
In 1926 a route was planned between Chicago and Los Angeles and was assigned the numerical designation of 66. It was acknowledged at that time that this would be one of the primary east-west routes.
From the beginning, it was intended to connect small towns as well as larger cities with a national thoroughfare. Until this time, most rural communities had no access to major roads.
If you can believe it, by 1930 the trucking industry had come to rival the railroad in the shipping of American goods. Route 66 went from Chicago to the Pacific coast over relatively flat prairie lands which allowed for a much more temperate climate. Truckers enjoyed the route and the climate.
If you’ve read the classic John Steinbeck novel “The Grapes of Wrath”, or seen the 1940 film adaptation, you were introduced to Route 66, “The Mother Road,” as Steinbeck proclaimed it to be. The story is about the Joab family during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. When farming becomes impossible and they are losing their land, they pack all of the belongings they can fit on their truck and drive off in the night to look for work in the orchards of California. The road they and many others take is Route 66.
Route 66 inspired the 2006 movie “Cars,” which is about a race car being accidentally stranded in the town of Radiator Springs. The town was bypassed by the interstate and the town and its businesses are languishing without that traffic. In the movie, the car known as “Doc Hudson” is a Hudson Hornet like the one in the above photo.
This same thing happened to many businesses along Route 66. The original alignment went through the center of the cities and towns along the route. After World War II, traffic increased making this route very dangerous. The road was narrow, crossing railroad tracks at grade, and had many blind curves and cross-traffic. During this time, many sections had the nickname of “Bloody 66.”
In the 1950’s there was a sharp rise in tourism and Route 66 was the major highway for vacationers heading west. The road passed through the Painted Desert, and came close to the Grand Canyon. Tourist cabins, motels, diners, and gas stations along the route all flourished.
Route 66 was realigned multiple times and with each realignment, businesses along the former routes lost tourists. Some businesses closed; others managed to hold on.
Finally, in 1985, the entire route was covered by Interstate alternatives, and the highway was officially decommissioned. Even though it has been officially nonexistent since that time, it remains more popular than ever. People travelling the country are looking to get off of the interstate which doesn’t provide the character of the states being travelled through. Groups in every state were established to promote the route and hopefully maintain many of the businesses along the route.
If you travel the route, and visit the local businesses, you can meet many characters, as we did at Gay Parita in Missouri when we spent time with Gary Turner. We are so glad we did, as Gary passed away in 2015. Luckily, this is one business that will survive, as Gary’s daughter Barbara has moved home and reopened his beloved station.
Unlike our older sister Phyllis, who travelled the entire route with her husband in their Corvette, Joann and I have only travelled portions of Route 66 in Illinois and Missouri. We hope to travel more of the route in the coming years. Future blogs will detail our experiences along those portions we have travelled. Stay tuned.
If you can, plan a vacation along the route to celebrate her history. Be prepared with a good map, as sometimes it’s hard to follow the route through cities, or know when you have to get onto the interstate for a small stretch where the original route is under the current Interstate. Patronize local businesses whenever you can because every year more are lost. And most importantly, have fun!
As always, Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Just in the Nick of Time – Bel-Aire Manor Motel
In Joann’s recap of our photography adventures for 2015, she mentioned that we had spent some time in Springfield, Illinois on our spring trip.
After all of the activities were over for the Lincoln Funeral Reenactment, we decided to stay one more night at our motel, and catch some old Route 66 items before we left town. We had been to Springfield once before, but only for a quick overnight stay on our way to the Ozarks in 2008.
Several alignments of Route 66 run through Springfield, and we decided to take a different alignment this time. Many of the items I had marked were on Business Route 55 or 6th St. This was city Route 66.
One of our stops on the southern end of town was the Bel-Aire Motel for its signs. The signs included a former neon MOTEL sign with a large Sputnik ball. The ball also used to light and twinkle at night. This was the first true Sputnik ball that we had found to photograph.
This Sputnik was a low-end model that did not rotate. It was probably made by a company in California. Salesmen would travel Route 66 targeting motels for the signs. The Sputnik sign probably went up at the Bel-Aire Motel in the early 1960’s.
These Sputnik signs used to be common as a way to grab the attention of travelers after the former Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space in 1957.
The Bel-Aire Manor Motel was a 60’s era motel with 80 rooms. In its heyday, it was probably full every night. When we passed by, it was vacant and enclosed within a chain link fence. Just another old motel on its last legs.
We left Springfield on May 4th, and over the weekend of May 16-17, the Sputnik ball was removed by the ACE Sign Co. Luckily, the sign will be restored to its former glory and will be on display at the sign museum in Springfield.
Shortly after we arrived home, I was catching up on my blogs and websites that I follow and found an article that demolition of the Bel-Aire Motel had begun. This is the first we realized that we had made our visit just in the nick of time.
How lucky for us that we decided to spend some extra time that Monday morning in Springfield! It makes us eager to hit the road every chance we get and to capture everything we possibly can. After all, who knows if things will be there the next time we pass by.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
After all of the activities were over for the Lincoln Funeral Reenactment, we decided to stay one more night at our motel, and catch some old Route 66 items before we left town. We had been to Springfield once before, but only for a quick overnight stay on our way to the Ozarks in 2008.
Several alignments of Route 66 run through Springfield, and we decided to take a different alignment this time. Many of the items I had marked were on Business Route 55 or 6th St. This was city Route 66.
One of our stops on the southern end of town was the Bel-Aire Motel for its signs. The signs included a former neon MOTEL sign with a large Sputnik ball. The ball also used to light and twinkle at night. This was the first true Sputnik ball that we had found to photograph.
This Sputnik was a low-end model that did not rotate. It was probably made by a company in California. Salesmen would travel Route 66 targeting motels for the signs. The Sputnik sign probably went up at the Bel-Aire Motel in the early 1960’s.
These Sputnik signs used to be common as a way to grab the attention of travelers after the former Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik 1, into space in 1957.
The Bel-Aire Manor Motel was a 60’s era motel with 80 rooms. In its heyday, it was probably full every night. When we passed by, it was vacant and enclosed within a chain link fence. Just another old motel on its last legs.
We left Springfield on May 4th, and over the weekend of May 16-17, the Sputnik ball was removed by the ACE Sign Co. Luckily, the sign will be restored to its former glory and will be on display at the sign museum in Springfield.
Shortly after we arrived home, I was catching up on my blogs and websites that I follow and found an article that demolition of the Bel-Aire Motel had begun. This is the first we realized that we had made our visit just in the nick of time.
How lucky for us that we decided to spend some extra time that Monday morning in Springfield! It makes us eager to hit the road every chance we get and to capture everything we possibly can. After all, who knows if things will be there the next time we pass by.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Sunday, August 22, 2010
“Getting our Kicks” with Gary Turner on Route 66
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In the spring of 2008, Joann and I decided to visit the Ozarks for our annual photography trip. As always, I planned the route to have stops every couple of hours to allow us to get out of the car for a while. My plan was to take us through Illinois and across the Mississippi at St Genevieve, Missouri. But Mother Nature had other plans and southeast Missouri had major flooding in early spring. I adjusted my plans, and we ended up driving some of Route 66 through Missouri.
A short distance west of Springfield, Missouri, and just off Hwy 96, is the Gay Parita Sinclair Station. The original station was built in 1930 by Fred and Gay Mason when Route 66 was the busiest highway in America and stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica. The site also included a rubble stone garage, built in 1926, for oil changes and tire repairs, along with tourist cabins behind the station for travelers.
The word parita means equality in Italian. Together, as equal partners, Fred and Gay Mason ran the station for 23 years, providing gas, groceries, sandwiches, car repairs, and a place for travelers to stay until Gay’s death in 1953. Fred kept the station open until 1955, when it burned to the ground. Rather than rebuilding the station, Fred decided to retire to Gay’s dream house behind the station and he died in 1960. The photo below, of a vintage gas truck that now sits in front of the old rubble stone garage, shows the castle-like facade of this structure.
When Gary Turner retired, he bought the old Fred and Gay Mason property. Soon he had a 10x16-foot wood-framed station designed by his brother-in-law Steve Faucett and built on weekends by Steve and his son, Steve Jr. The station is not an exact replica of the original station, but is true to the styles of the era. The station has two 1924 Fry Guaranteed Measure "Mae West" Visible Gas Pumps out front, and the words “gas war” under the 15¢ price sign.
When we pulled up that day, we were the only car and we soon met Gary Turner, the owner of the recreated station. You can tell from talking with him how much he loves the history of Route 66 and meeting all of the people who come to travel the road.
Shortly after we arrived, several people pulled up on motorcycles and came into the small station to look around and speak with Gary. They were from Europe and had heavy accents. Since the station is so small inside, I stepped outside so they could come in, but Joann stayed inside, and several times found herself helping Gary to phrase things in a way they could understand.
After the motorcycle group left, Joann continued to photograph and Gary sat outside on the bench telling us more about his love for the road and the people he meets.
As you talk with Gary, you can tell that this station is his pride and joy, and meeting the Route 66 travelers is what he lives for. He has a guest book that is signed by people from around the world, and he talks about people from Europe who come to America to travel the road. Some of them ship their cars over so they can drive their own car on the famous road, taking several months and driving from Chicago to Santa Monica. Some come without their cars and rent either cars or motorcycles for the trip. Gary loves talking to all of them.
Gary asked us if we drove any of Route 66 in Illinois and if we had ever been to Funks Grove. We have been to the town of Funks Grove, photographing an old general store there that has a rusty old gas pump out front. There is also a small railroad depot across the road.
Gary said he hadn’t driven the whole road and hadn’t been to Funks Grove, but he wanted to get there some day to get some pure maple “sirup.” This spelling is preferred when referring to the pure product produced by boiling the sap down (without any added sugar). Joann has been to Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup, but I have not been there myself.
Gary’s recreated station is a welcome stop on old Route 66. He has an enormous love for the road and its history. He loves the people that travel the road so much that everyone becomes his friend for life. He said that he keeps the station open every day of the year, including Christmas Day. He also told us that, when we got home, we should send him a postcard and he would send us a Christmas card.
Before we left, Gary signed post cards for us and one each for our nephews, Sam and Toby. They are big Cars fans (Lightning McQueen and Mader being their favorites), and maybe when they grow up, they will travel route 66 and see it for themselves.
If you find yourself with vacation time on your hands and no plans, maybe you should go and “get your kicks on Route 66.”
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
In the spring of 2008, Joann and I decided to visit the Ozarks for our annual photography trip. As always, I planned the route to have stops every couple of hours to allow us to get out of the car for a while. My plan was to take us through Illinois and across the Mississippi at St Genevieve, Missouri. But Mother Nature had other plans and southeast Missouri had major flooding in early spring. I adjusted my plans, and we ended up driving some of Route 66 through Missouri.
Gay Parita Sinclair Station (Replica of 1930 Sinclair Station) on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
A short distance west of Springfield, Missouri, and just off Hwy 96, is the Gay Parita Sinclair Station. The original station was built in 1930 by Fred and Gay Mason when Route 66 was the busiest highway in America and stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica. The site also included a rubble stone garage, built in 1926, for oil changes and tire repairs, along with tourist cabins behind the station for travelers.
1924 Fry Guaranteed Measure "Mae West" Visible Gas Pump, Gay Parita Sinclair Station on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
The word parita means equality in Italian. Together, as equal partners, Fred and Gay Mason ran the station for 23 years, providing gas, groceries, sandwiches, car repairs, and a place for travelers to stay until Gay’s death in 1953. Fred kept the station open until 1955, when it burned to the ground. Rather than rebuilding the station, Fred decided to retire to Gay’s dream house behind the station and he died in 1960. The photo below, of a vintage gas truck that now sits in front of the old rubble stone garage, shows the castle-like facade of this structure.
Antique Gas Truck in Front of 1926 Rubble Stone Service Garage, Gay Parita Sinclair Station on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
When Gary Turner retired, he bought the old Fred and Gay Mason property. Soon he had a 10x16-foot wood-framed station designed by his brother-in-law Steve Faucett and built on weekends by Steve and his son, Steve Jr. The station is not an exact replica of the original station, but is true to the styles of the era. The station has two 1924 Fry Guaranteed Measure "Mae West" Visible Gas Pumps out front, and the words “gas war” under the 15¢ price sign.
Gay Parita Sinclair Station (Replica of 1930 Sinclair Station) on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
When we pulled up that day, we were the only car and we soon met Gary Turner, the owner of the recreated station. You can tell from talking with him how much he loves the history of Route 66 and meeting all of the people who come to travel the road.
1924 Fry Guaranteed Measure "Mae West" Visible Gas Pumps, Gay Parita Sinclair Station on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
Shortly after we arrived, several people pulled up on motorcycles and came into the small station to look around and speak with Gary. They were from Europe and had heavy accents. Since the station is so small inside, I stepped outside so they could come in, but Joann stayed inside, and several times found herself helping Gary to phrase things in a way they could understand.
After the motorcycle group left, Joann continued to photograph and Gary sat outside on the bench telling us more about his love for the road and the people he meets.
Gary Turner, Owner, Gay Parita Sinclair Station (Replica of 1930 Sinclair Station) on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
As you talk with Gary, you can tell that this station is his pride and joy, and meeting the Route 66 travelers is what he lives for. He has a guest book that is signed by people from around the world, and he talks about people from Europe who come to America to travel the road. Some of them ship their cars over so they can drive their own car on the famous road, taking several months and driving from Chicago to Santa Monica. Some come without their cars and rent either cars or motorcycles for the trip. Gary loves talking to all of them.
Gary Turner, Owner, Gay Parita Sinclair Station (Replica of 1930 Sinclair Station) on Old Route 66, Lawrence County, Missouri
Gary asked us if we drove any of Route 66 in Illinois and if we had ever been to Funks Grove. We have been to the town of Funks Grove, photographing an old general store there that has a rusty old gas pump out front. There is also a small railroad depot across the road.
Rusty Gas Pump at Country Store, McLean County, Illinois
Gary said he hadn’t driven the whole road and hadn’t been to Funks Grove, but he wanted to get there some day to get some pure maple “sirup.” This spelling is preferred when referring to the pure product produced by boiling the sap down (without any added sugar). Joann has been to Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup, but I have not been there myself.
Railroad Depot, Funks Grove, McLean County, Illinois
Gary’s recreated station is a welcome stop on old Route 66. He has an enormous love for the road and its history. He loves the people that travel the road so much that everyone becomes his friend for life. He said that he keeps the station open every day of the year, including Christmas Day. He also told us that, when we got home, we should send him a postcard and he would send us a Christmas card.
Before we left, Gary signed post cards for us and one each for our nephews, Sam and Toby. They are big Cars fans (Lightning McQueen and Mader being their favorites), and maybe when they grow up, they will travel route 66 and see it for themselves.
Whitehall Mercantile, Originally a General Store, Post Office, and I.O.O.F. Lodge, Built 1900, Halltown, Lawrence County, Missouri
If you find yourself with vacation time on your hands and no plans, maybe you should go and “get your kicks on Route 66.”
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
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