Dorothy McMullen, John & Lenore Weiss are proud to report a success story.  The following news items was written by Tim Landis and appeared in The Springfield State Journal Register on 3-15-08.  It appears here with their permission.

Section of Old Route 66 in Springfield May Get Historic Designation

A section of Old Route 66 at the southeast edge of Springfield has been recommended for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.  A decision on the nomination is expected in about three months. 

The Illiniois Historic Sites Advisory Council unanimously approved the recommendsation at a meeting in Springfield today for th 1.3-mile section of raod between East Lake Shore Drive and New City Road.

Commission chairman Floyd Mansburger said the national commission typically accepts recommendations from the states.

"If they get to this point, they should be in pretty good shape," said Mansburger.  The local section of Route66, which dates to the early 1920's, was one of six nominations on the council agenda today.

Two other sections of Route 66 in central Illinois are already on the national register, a restored brick section off Illinois 4 between Chatham and Auburn, and a section south of Litchfield in Montgomery County.  The Springfield stretch is thought to be the longest remaining drivable section of Route 66 remaining in Illinois.

Route 66 author and preservationist John Weiss, who presented the application, said after the meeting that designation as a national historic site does not necessarily protect the road from changes.

"I have no objection to the addition of shoulders, but I do not want to see it paved over.  This simply says they are supposed to come talk to us about it," said Weiss.  No one showed up to object to the application during the meeting held at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. 

The Sangamon County Highway Department has tentative plans to widen and repave the road in late 2009 or early 2010.

Tim Landis
Business Editor

Bill & Barb Gwodz, Joe Gniadek, Patty Ambrose and Holly Shaffer also attended the  Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council meeting in Springfield to lend their support to this momentous occasion that took place on March 14.