It is with a sense of great pride and thankfulness that we announce our Route 66 Association of Illinois 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees!

Here is the list of those people and places we honor this year for their contributions to the Mother Road:

The Crossroads Diner, Mt. Olive

The Route 66 diner, the Crossroads, is a favorite place to stop and eat as you travel Route 66 in Illinois. The Crossroads Diner was placed on the west side of Route 66 and south side of Route 138 in Mt. Olive in late 1953. It officially opened for business in early 1954. They opened as the Crossroads Diner and have kept the name ever since. It was and still is on the 1940 to 1977 alignment of Route 66. The Crossroads belongs to the original owners, the Oltman Family although most of the time it has been leased out. The diner has been on Old Route 66 for about 55 years. It is different than most diners because it has two horseshoe counters, which was the original diner. Then in the mid 60's an additional dinning area and larger kitchen were added on. Back in the 50's the Crossroads also had a gas station on the lot that eventually was closed. This old diner is still a favorite place with truck drivers because of the easy access off I-55 at exit 44. There is a large parking lot where truckers can park for the night and get some great food.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois wishes to congratulate and welcomes the “Crossroads Diner” into the Hall of Fame.

The Mill on Route 66, Lincoln

The Mill is a historic structure on Route 66 in Lincoln. It has been officially saved from demolition and is on the way to complete restoration. The Mill, which is designed like a Dutch Mill, originally opened as The Blue Mill in 1929. It was a sandwich stand on a bustling section of the 1930-1940 section of Route 4/Route 66 where many gas stations and businesses were located. Later in the post-WWII era, the Mill became a restaurant/bar and was famous for Schnitzel sandwiches. Additions were added on to the back of the original building. The restoration process is being done in phases, with the first being to make the structure safe and photogenic on the outside (drawing visitors as a photo attraction) and then later to fully restore the building as a museum.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois wishes to congratulate and welcomes the “The Mill” into the Hall of Fame Museum.

Sprague’s Super Service, Normal

Sprague’s Super Service was built at 305 E. Pine Street in Normal ca. 1930-1931 by William W. Sprague, a Bloomington contractor. The brick first story housed a restaurant, gas station, and garage. The second story, finished in a decorative swirl of stucco and half timbering, contained a large owner’s apartment with plenty of natural light, and an attendant’s apartment. Sprague’s superior carpentry skill is evident in a building that is intact and structurally sound after more than 75 years. With many remaining original architectural features, two additions to the structure in 1948 and 1967 have visually altered but not obliterated the original appearance of the building. According to Michael Taylor, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program Manager for the National Park Service, the property “is unique along the entire route” as one of only three combination gas station/living quarters along Route 66 in the United States. Sprague’s, however, is the largest and the only one that has a garage bay and café associated with it. Taylor declares that this property “has much historic integrity and significance.” The current owner’s plan is to open the historic location as a Route 66 visitor and education center and gift shop.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois wishes to congratulate and welcome “Sprague’s Super Service” into the Hall of Fame Museum.

Stateville Prison, Crest Hill

Stateville Prison has been in operation longer than Route 66. Stateville and Route 66 still remain in operation even though, the “old" road is no longer using the name. Both Route 66 and the Stateville Prison started in 1926 and both were in real need for their purpose at the time. In the days of operation, Stateville was 70% self supporting, raising feed for the cattle and hogs that were used to feed the prisoners, as well as the vegetables to feed the inmate population. In 1974 the Canning Plant at Stateville canned 240,000 gallons of vegetables grown on the farm and harvested by the inmates to feed inmates at Stateville as well as any of the other tax supported Institutions in Illinois. The old Route “66” was a very necessary roadway to support the prison and its operation. Stateville Prison and Route 66 needed each other for many years.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois wishes to congratulate and welcomes “Stateville Prison” into the Hall of Fame Museum.

2009 Tom Teague Ambassador Award
Lenore & John Weiss

John and Lenore have worked unselfishly giving of their time and money to further the ideals of the Route 66 Association Preservation Committee throughout Illinois. They have traveled the road and worked nationally to promote tourism on Route 66 in Illinois. They’ve facilitated television and movie crews by introducing them to important contacts within the cities, villages and towns in Illinois, allowing many projects to be filmed on Route 66. They jointly organized the Preservation Committee projects including the Cyrus Avery Award winning Standard Oil Station in Odell, the Auburn Brick Road, and the Road Segment-South of Springfield; all of which are now on the National Register of Historic Places. Their lectures and bus tours educate people from all walks of life about Route 66. They serve on the Hall of Fame Museum Committee where they work endlessly with other members to make sure the museum is all it can be and look long and hard into the future. Their dedication is unending. Today, they are still out there working to save the road through hard work, education and promotion of our Illinois Route 66 heritage.

The Route 66 Association of Illinois congratulates Lenore & John on achieving this honor.