• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Route 66 Association of Illinois

Where The Road Begins

  • About
    • Our Mission
      • What is Preservation?
        • Preservation Stories
        • Preservation Projects
    • Officers and Board
    • Route 66 Associations
      • Additional Route 66 Sites
    • Contact
      • Questions or Comments
      • Contact Web Administrator
      • Submit Content for The 66 News
      • Upload An Image
      • Submit a Route 66-Related Event
  • Membership
    • Join Us!
      • Renew An Existing Membership
    • Your Donation Fuels Our Mission!
    • Member Login/Profile
      • Membership Email Update
      • Member Sign Out
    • Member Pages
  • What To Do
    • Calendar
    • Museum/Hall of Fame
    • Motor Tour Information
    • Illinois Alignments
    • Destinations
      • Map View
    • Illinois Route 66 Counties
  • History
    • Route 66 History
    • Association History
    • Illinois Stories
    • Illinois Road Maps 1917-2014 (External)
    • Hall of Fame Members
      • Hall of Fame Nomination Process
    • National Register of Historic Places on Route 66 in Illinois
    • FAQ/Trivia
  • News
    • Meramec Barn Repaint – 2025
    • Pontiac Parking
    • President’s Letter – Spring 2025
    • Memory Lane Tree Removal
    • Membership Changes
    • October Presentation
    • In Memorium
      • Kathy Miller
      • Rich Henry
      • Joy Henderson
      • Durelle F. Pritchard
    • Samantha Brown’s Places to Love
      Route 66 in Illinois
    • The 66 News Archives
  • Centennial!
    • November 11, 1926
      US Highway 66 is Established.
    • Meramec Barn Repaint – 2025
    • US Route 66 Centennial Website Launches
    • 66 Centennial Series
    • Looking For Route 66 Stories

Casey’s Market and Garden Center, Bloomington, IL 

As part of a series on the influential, colorful, historic people, places and things along Illinois Route 66, we present…

Casey’s Market and Garden Center, Bloomington, IL 

Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame Class of 1999

1505 N Main, Bloomington, Illinois

309-828-1425

Here’s the story behind this historic business:

Eldon “Casey” Casebeer bought a fruit stand at the corner of North Main and Kelsey in Bloomington in 1949. Soon it became a full-fledged neighborhood grocery. Aware even then of the threat of chain stores, Casey was always looking for the competitive edge. He was the first area business besides Dairy Queen to sell soft serve ice cream. Fruit baskets and other produce became a specialty. At Christmas time, he sold trees and giant red bows. And as other mom and pop stores were closing down, he became the city’s first 24-hour grocery store.

The flower business started simply. Customers admired the store’s rose bushes so much that employees cut the flowers off and sold them. In the early 1960s, Casey bought a lot behind the store and opened a seasonal garden shop. In 1968, he sold the grocery so he could focus on the garden shop as a year-round business.

Casey’s daughter Alice Jayne and her husband, Ray Lartz worked with Casey for many years. In 1972, a few months before Casey’s death, they bought the store from him. They operated the business with their son, Casey Lartz.

In 2021, Casey’s was purchased by longtime employee Kelsey Grindle.

Casey’s Garden Shop and Florist, as the business is called today, will be a passport stop on our 2021 Motor Tour. We hope you’ll stop by and say hello to the fine folks at Casey’s and pick up something beautiful and blooming from Bloomington!

Click to read stories about the ever-growing list of Hall of Fame inductees.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Loading…

 

Search

Upcoming Events

Jul 18
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm CDT

Lincoln Third Fridays Downtown

Jul 20
10:00 am - 3:00 pm CDT

Route 66 Association of Illinois Summer Meeting – Romeoville

Jul 21
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm CDT

Berwyn Cruise Nights 2025

Jul 25
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm CDT

Route 66 Cruisers Cruises

View Calendar

Translate this site with Google

Donations Fuel Our Mission!

Your donation to our Association helps support our efforts to preserve, promote, educate and enjoy Route 66 in Illinois. We are a volunteer organization and thank you for your generous donation toward maintaining our nostalgic slice of Americana. The Association is a 501(c)(3) for tax purposes.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Route 66 Association of Illinois, a 501(c)(3) charitible organization
Copyright © 2025 · Administrator Log in