A Sign of the Times

The Route 66 Association of Illinois is proud  to announce a new item to be on display soon at our Museum and Hall of Fame.

The item is a vintage Route 66 road sign constructed of wood. It is believed that the sign may have been made during the 1940s during WWII as an alternative to a metal sign because metal was appropriated for use in the war effort. Another thought about the sign's origin is that it is made of wood because it was a temporary sign used to mark where Route 66 was bypassed during construction of the interstate.

How did we get so fortunate as to have the opportunity to display this sign?

The sign is generously on loan to our Museum and Hall of Fame from Earl Cheese of Lemont, Illinois. Earl tells us the sign was taken down at the intersection of I-55 and Pipeline Road in Bloomington, IL on February 20, 1977. (That's the same year Route 66 was decommissioned.)

While the sign is is great condition, like all of us, it shows some signs of age and wear.