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Investigating the Effects of I-55 On the Culture of Route 66 Communities In Illinois
Monica DavilaPSM191DCProfessor Desveaux
TA: Beth GreeneMay 15, 2011
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Abstract
In the mid 1920s, the United States government authorized the creation of a new,paved highway system to meet the needs of the growing numbers of travelers on thenations roads. As one of the most heavily traveled highways linking urban metropolises
and rural communities, Route 66 became an icon and symbol of small-town America.When it was bypassed by the new interstate system in the 1970s, however, many of thelocal communities that had once thrived on the road lost their customer base and weresubsequently abandoned or left in disrepair. This paper explores the impact of I-55 oncommunities along Route 66 in Illinois, and investigates whether the new interstate hadan overall adverse effect on these businesses and towns. Through the use of case studiesand census information, this paper examines whether I-55 destroyed the local culture bydriving out what made these places unique, or helped them thrive by bringing in newcustomers and preserving the legacy of Route 66. The findings suggest that while theinterstate did have a negative impact on some areas due to the bypass, I-55 was not apurely detrimental force, and actually benefitted a few areas along Route 66.
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Table of Contents
I. Abstract.2II. Introduction...4III. Hypothesis.....6IV. Methods.6 V. Case Studies... 7
a. Funks Pure Maple Sirup..7b. Dixie Truckers Home..8c.
Rialto Square Theatre..10
d. Palm Grill Caf11e. Soulsby Service Station...12
VI. Census Data...14VII. Analysis.15
a. Drop in the Number of Customers and Closure of Business...16b. Ownership By Corporate Entities18c. Increase in Population..19d. Possible Reason for Survival20e. Highway Beautification Act.21f. Interstate 55 and Preservation..22
VIII. Possible Issues With Research...22IX. Conclusion.23X. Bibliography..25
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Introduction
The first few decades of the 1900s were a pivotal turning point for transportation
in the United States. In 1910, there were approximately 180,000 registered vehicles in the
country, and by 1920 the number had grown to over 17 million (Before 1926: The
Origins of Route 66). However, while Americans were finding it more affordable to
travel by car, only 36,000 of the nations 2.5 million miles of road were paved and
capable of withstanding automobile traffic (Before 1926: The Origins of Route 66).
Noticing the vital need for all-weather roads, the federal government passed the Federal
Highway Act of 1921, which provided states with the funds needed to create a national
highway system (Wallis 5).
As a result, Route 66 was paved in 1926 and stretched over 2,400 miles from
Chicago to Los Angeles (1). Since many smaller, rural communities at the time lacked
access to major road systems, planners designed the route so that it would connect urban
and rural towns across the country (Before 1926: The Origins of Route 66). Thus, as
the popularity of the road grew in the next several decades, these small towns became
dependent on the stream of people traveling across state lines. According to the Illinois
Motor Vehicles Division, the number of trucks that traveled on the highway between
Chicago and St. Louis increased from 1,500 per day in 1931 to nearly 7,500 per day in
1941 (Route 66: 1926-1945). Local businesses such as the Pig Hip, the Dixie Truckers
Home, and Ariston Caf developed loyal customers, and gas stations such as Soulsby
Service Station relied on the increased traffic that consistently flowed on Route 66.
While the increased popularity of the road benefitted many towns and businesses,
it also had an unexpected consequence. Inspired by the autobahn he had seen in Germany
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during World War II, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
that authorized the creation of a new, larger interstate highway system (Wallis 25). The
system, composed of five interstates stretching over 42,500 miles, was designed to
accommodate the increasing number of people traveling across the country, and relieve
the burden on the old highways (25). The first interstate to bypass part of Route 66 was I-
55 in Illinois, which was constructed throughout the 1960s and 70s (Demise and
Resurgence of Interest in Route 66). The rest of the road was completely replaced by the
interstate highway system in 1984. (Wallis 26). In 1985, the American Association of
State Highways and Transportation Officials officially decommissioned Route 66 as a
national highway (Demise and Resurgence of Interest in Route 66).
After the bypassing of Route 66, various towns saw their means of survival dry
up, and communities reported a significant drop in the number of travelers visiting the
area. Glenrio, Texas, was once home to a motel, service station, caf, and a fireworks
stand, but saw its population drop and several businesses leave the area soon after the
interstate was constructed (Wallis 138). The town of Amboy, home of the famous Rays
diner, used to be a popular stop along the Mother Road in California, but is now a ghost
town (Anton 2007). The popular Long Horn Ranch hotel and restaurant in Moriarty, New
Mexico, was once a popular destination for travelers, but is currently empty and in ruins
(Wallis 160). Various buildings and old structures now lie abandoned on the side of the
road, and while some of these towns still exist, many others along the Mother Road have
been left desolate and in disrepair after the construction of the interstate highway system.
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Hypothesis
While investigating the effects of the interstate highway system on all of Route 66
would be interesting, there is simply not enough time in which to conduct a thorough
investigation of the issue. Since Illinois was the first state through which Route 66 was
fully paved, and the first state to see the road completely bypassed by the interstate
highway system, I have narrowed the scope of my investigation to this particular area.
The question I pose is this: what effects did I-55 have on the culture of the communities
located along Route 66 in Illinois?
Given the findings of my initial research regarding other Route 66 towns
mentioned above, my hypothesis is as follows: the bypassing of Route 66 by I-55 led
many towns to lose tourists and travelers, thus causing many businesses to close and
town populations to drastically drop as the communities were slowly abandoned.
Methods
In order to adequately investigate the effects that I-55 had on the culture of Route
66 communities in Illinois, I define culture as that which is unique to the towns, such as
certain attractions and businesses. In order to have a well-rounded understanding and
analysis of the situation, I sample five random businesses to use as case studies. In these
case studies, I look at whether or not the business saw a drop in the number of customers
shortly after the construction of the interstate, as well as if the business itself was forced
to close due to the lack of customers. I also look to see if the business became part of a
corporate entity or chain due to the construction of I-55, or if it continued to be family or
resident-owned. I also use census data to see whether any of the towns located on Route
66 suffered a drop in population after the construction of I-55, and whether the town was
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deserted. In addition to using books and newspaper articles to gather data, I also conduct
interviews of people who know about Route 66, such as an expert at the Route 66 Hall of
Fame in Pontiac, Illinois, and the owners of businesses that are still in operation along the
road. If I find that these businesses lost customers and closed because of I-55, or became
part of a corporate entity or chain due to the construction, then it will suggest that the
interstate had an overall detrimental effect on the communities because it destroyed an
aspect of the town that was unique. Similarly, if I find that the populations of towns
significantly dropped, then it would also suggest that I-55 had a negative impact on the
culture of the town because it led to the abandonment of the area.
Case Studies
Case Study #1: Funks Pure Maple Sirup
In 1824, Issac Funk settled down in a local grove and began extracting maple
sirup1 from the trees with his sons. In 1891, Issacs grandson, Arthur Funk, set up a
commercially operating sirup farm in the area and began selling the product for $1 per
gallon. By the time Route 66 was constructed nearby, Funks Grove was producing 240
gallons each season and selling the product for $3.50 (Funks Grove History).
In 1947, Stephen Funk and his wife, Glaida, assumed control of the family
business (Teague 9). The business continued to be highly profitable, but was threatened
when the Funks were informed in the 1970s that I-55 was slated to cut through the grove
(Funks Grove History). The family managed to convince planners to reroute the road,
but the new path meant that the grove now lay a mile away from the interstate. According
to Stephen, officials refused to allow the Funks to set up an exit sign on I-55 because they
1 This is not a misspellingthe word sirup means that there is no sugar added, and the Funks familywanted to distinguish between their product and the more artificial syrup produced by other businesses.
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did not have enough traffic to warrant one (Teague 9). As a result, sales dipped, and the
family found it harder to sell their sirup each year.
According to the Funks Pure Maple Sirup website, the financial situation of the
business improved once the family was able to convince officials to allow them to install
a sign along the interstate, thus allowing them to reach a wide range of new customers.
The website also reports that the business saw an increase in sales in the U.S. and
overseas in the late 1980s when the nostalgia for Route 66 began. Today, Stephens son
produces approximately 1,800 gallons of sirup during the season, and each gallon is sold
for $35. There is also a mail order system that allows the family to sell their sirup and
other merchandise such as cookbooks, maple cream, and Route 66 memorabilia, to
customers around the world (Funks Grove History).
Case Study #2: Dixie Truckers Home
The Dixie Truckers Home was founded in 1928 in the town of McLean, Illinois,
when John Geske and J.P. Walters began selling sandwiches out of a rented mechanics
garage. They soon set up an actual restaurant, and for years the Dixie served as a local
cultural center, screening free shows for the locals and travelers on the weekends and
serving as a meeting place for town residents (Freeling 2003).
People would come from Minier, Stanford, from all overpeople would come
from 30 miles away, said Charlotte C.J. Beeler, John Geskes daughter(qtd. in
Freehling 2003).
According to Tom Teague, who studied the history of the road for over 19 years,
the Dixie did well because in those days there werent many filling stationsthere was
a growing retail demand for gasoline, and the Dixie came at a perfect time to meet that
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need (qtd. in Freehling 2003). The Illinois section of Route 66 was the busiest, and as
more trucks drove from Chicago to Los Angeles, the Dixie thrived.
Lots of times thered be a long line of customers when I came in, and a long line
of customers when I went home, said Fern Gresham, an employee who worked at the
Dixie for over twenty years. And itd be like that all day (qtd. in Freehling 2003).
In addition to serving as a restaurant and filling station, the Dixie soon expanded
to the point where it had its own cabins and gift shop. Over the next few decades, the
Dixie was an unqualified success, and started outposts in Tuscola and Effingham, never
closing except for one day in 1965 when there was a fire (Freehling 2003). The day after,
the Dixie was back in business.
The truck companies really depended on us in the earlier days, said Chuck(qtd.
in Freeling 2003). Technology and deregulation led to less stops and longer times on the
road for both truckers and the general public. The Dixie is also no longer one of the only
truck stops on the road, but Teague pointed out that the others dont have the Dixies 74
years of service to stand oninstead of personal loyalty, [the others] encourage brand
loyalty (Teague, Still Trucking). Regardless of the changes, the Dixie continued to see
over 200 trucks park each night on its lot in the early 2000s, and is consistently listed as
one of the top ten truck stops in the nation (Teague, Still Trucking).
In 2003, however, C.J. and her husband, Chuck, were forced to retire from
running the Dixie and sell the business to a corporate chain. According to an article in the
Pantagraph Bloomington, the Dixie entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May 2001, and had
been operating on a month-to-month basis since October of that year. While a
representative from the Dixie Truckers Home was not able to confirm why exactly the
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business entered bankruptcy, they explained that the Dixie is absolutely thriving today
and is still a popular truck stop (Dixie Interview 2011).
Case Study #3: The Rialto Square Theatre
Built in 1926, the Rialto Square Theatre was called one of the finest theaters in
the United States by theJoliet Sunday Herald News, which claimed that it stood on
even terms with the modern motion picture palaces of Chicago and New York(Vision
Takes Form). The theatre, originally constructed to showcase vaudeville performances,
had an inner lobby modeled after the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, and an
outer arc that was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in France (A Palace for the People).
A Save the Rialto campaign was established in the 1970s, but according to
Finance Manager Dale Evans, this had nothing to do with I-55. Over a phone interview,
Evans explained that the mid 1970s were an important time in American history because
1976 marked the 200th anniversary of the United States. The theater, approximately fifty
years old, was beginning to show its age, and as an important [piece] oflocal
activityit needed to be preserved (Evans Interview 2011). While the theatre did not
undergo restoration until 1980, the National Parks Service deemed it to be a unique
structure, and added it to the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1978 (Evans
Interview 2011). According to Evans, however, improving structural issues in order to
preserve the theater was not the only reason the Rialto underwent renovations.
Steel production had been a crucial part of Joliets economy until the 1970s, when
steel companies began moving to larger, more modern facilities to compete with the
influx of cheaper, foreign steel (Joliets History; Evans Interview 2011). Families had
also begun moving out of the downtown area and into the suburbs, further hurting
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business. According to Evans, the restoration of the Rialto was viewed as a catalyst that
could help revive the towns economy by attracting more visitors. Over a period of ten to
fifteen years, the Rialto Square Theatre (in addition to the establishment of other
businesses) helped alleviate the economic pressures on the town, and continues to
showcase various performances today (Evans Interview 2011).
Case Study #4: The Palm Grill Caf
In 1934, Robert Adams opened the Palm Grill Caf in downtown Atlanta, Illinois
(Holliday 2009). Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the Palm Grill Caf was a popular
meeting area for residents, many of whom were high school students who worked at the
restaurant (Downey Building). Bingo games and dances were held in the back rooms,
and tourists and locals alike would stop by to enjoy home-cooked food such as mashed
potatoes and fried bologna (Parker 2009). In the late 1960s, however, Atlanta was in the
middle of an economic downturn, and the Caf closed (Holliday 2009; Thomas Interview
2011).
According to a new exhibit at the Atlanta Museum, the cause of this decline stems
back to the 1920s when Route 66 was first paved. The road cut through the middle of the
town, and new businesses such as gas stations and small cafes popped up in the area to
cater to the increased number of travelers passing through Atlanta. While this led to
economic prosperity for the downtown area, residents soon found that they too could use
the new road to leave town and spend the day in larger cities (Atlanta and Route 66: A
Mixed Blessing). As more people drove to the surrounding areas for entertainment and
shopping, local business owners found it more difficult to make ends meet. According to
the museum, between 1930 and 1960, this negative impact of Route 66 drastically
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reduced Atlantas business base compared to what it had once been. Atlanta resident Bill
Thomas also pointed out that the price of train tickets at the time dropped, and Route 66
was rerouted around the edge of the town. This caused businesses in the downtown area
to lose their crucial customer base while residents continued to commute elsewhere for
their shopping and entertainment needs. Thomas explained via phone interview that these
problems were only exacerbated by the construction of I-55, which allowed more
travelers to bypass the small town and its businesses. In the late 1960s, the Palm Grill
Caf closed due to the lack of customers (Holliday 2009).
Residents of the town, however, had a similar idea to those in Joliet who had seen
the restoration of the Rialto Square Theater as a means of improving their economic
situation. While the citys government searched for ways to regain their tourist base in
the 1990s, Thomas noticed that people were beginning to travel down Route 66 once
again. He proposed that the town reopen the Palm Grill Caf and restore it to its former
glory as a means to bring back visitors. As chairman of the Illinois Route 66 National
Scenic Byway program, Thomas helped spearhead the movement to reopen the
restaurant, and in May of 2009, the Palm Grill Caf was once again open for business
(Holliday 2009). As the new owner of the Caf, Thomas reports that the plan was
successful, and that the number of visitors to Atlanta has tripled in the past two years.
Case Study #5: Soulsby Service Station
The 1920s saw the automobile become the main form of transportation for many
families, and entrepreneurs such as Henry Soulsby quickly took advantage of the large
numbers of cars on the road. After hearing that Route 66 was slated to pass through his
town of Mt. Olive, Illinois, Henry used his life savings to open what became known as
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Soulsby Service Station. Aware that oil companies were trying to design stations that
blended in with the local towns in order to avoid opposition to the construction, Henry
designed the station to look like a simple house with a canopy The station opened in 1926
and Henry began selling Shell gasoline to the many travelers driving down Route 66
(Soulsby Service Station).
The Great Depression hit the area in the early 1930s, but Soulsby Service Station
continued to do business, thanks to the large numbers of families driving West in search
of work and a better life. The station stayed open throughout the years as Henrys
children, Russell and Ola, learned how to manage it, and they soon took over(Soulsby
Service Station).
In the late 1950s, however, construction began on I-55, and by the time it was
finished, Soulsby Service Station was nearly a mile away from the interstate (Soulsby
Service Station). Although bypassed by I-55, Russell was able to continue supporting
himself with a television repair business he had also started on the side and the station
continued to sell gas to customers for several more years until it stopped doing so in
1991. However, Russell and Ola kept the station open to check oil, sell soda pop, and
greet the ever-growing legion of Route 66 tourists (National Registrar of Historic
Places Registration Form). In 1993, the siblings finally closed the station, and in 1996
Ola died. In 1997, Russell sold the station to his neighbor, Mike Dragonvich, and died
soon afterwards (Soulsby Service Station).
The station still stands today as one of the oldest service stations on Route 66. In
2003, the Soulsby Preservation Society joined with Mr. Dragonvich in restoring the
station, and the National Park Service provided additional funding to continue the work.
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In 2004, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and visitors are
now allowed inside for limited tours (Plaque Dedication for Soulsby Station; Soulsby
Service Station).
Census Data
The following table shows the population for a sample of towns located along
Route 66 during different time periods2. The year 1930 was chosen because it was
approximately four years after the paving of Route 66 in Illinois, allowing time for the
population to settle down and adjust. 1960 was chosen because the Federal Aid Highway
Act was passed in 1956 and construction on the interstate began in the late 1950s, and
1980 was chosen because I-55 was fully completed in the late 1970s, allowing for the
number of people in a town to settle down after a period of possible upheaval. 2000 was
chosen due to the fact that the 1980s saw a resurgence of interest in Route 66, and many
towns began embracing the road as a means to lure travelers and tourists.
Town 1930 1960 1980 2000
Romeoville 200 3574 15,000 21,153Joliet 40,000 65,000 79,000 106,221
Hamel 969 331 N/A 570
Towanda 453 586 N/A 493
Bloomington 30,930 36,271 44,189 64,808
Normal 6,768 13,357 35,672 45,386
While there are many more towns located along Route 66 in Illinois, several do
not have exact population statics available to publish. The town of Dwight, Illinois,
reported having 3,086 residents as of 1980, but the town has seen growth over its history,
according to the city hall. In 2000, its population was 4,363, according to the U.S. Census
2The sources for all the information in the table can be found in the bibliography, under each towns name.
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Bureau, thus providing support for the claim, although no exact figures are available for
years before 1980.
Similarly, the town of Edwardsville, Illinois, was not able to provide census
information for 1930 or 1960, but did report that the population was approximately
12,000 in 1980. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the towns population nearly
doubled in the span of twenty years, growing to about 21, 491. While there is no data for
the years before 1980, the town is said to have survived the interstate bypass, with
Michael Wallis reporting that its always been business as usual (Wallis 45). This
suggests that while there are no specific population figures for the town in the years 1930
and 1960, the town did not see a decrease in population.
Several other towns were unable to provide population statistics for all four years,
but were still able to provide some information. Broadwell had a population of
approximately 173 people in 1960, shortly before I-55 was completed, but the U.S.
Census Bureau lists their population as 169 people in 2000 (Population: 3 Towns Show
Loss). The town of Sherman saw a population explosion over the course of 40 years,
rising from 209 in 1960 to 1501 in 1980 to over 2,800 residents in 2000 (2030 Sherman
Comprehensive Plan). The town of Odell did not have population statistics for 1930 or
1980, but has seen their population rise from 936 in 1960 to approximately 1,014 in 2000
according to the U.S. Census Bureau (Population: 3 Towns Show Loss).
Analysis
I used certain criteria to examine the impacts I-55 had on Route 66 communities
in Illinois: whether there was a drop in the number of customers and the business closed
as a result, whether the business is owned by a corporate entity, and whether the towns
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experienced a drop in population and were abandoned. The analysis for each is listed
below.
Drop In The Number of Customers and Closure of Businesses
According to the data collected in the case studies, it appears that only Funks Pure
Maple Sirup, the Palm Grill Caf, and Soulsby Service Station saw a significant decrease
in business after the construction of I-55, while the Dixie Truckers Home and Rialto
Square Theatre were not affected in any obvious manner. These results suggest an
interesting trend regarding the ability of a business to continue attracting customers after
the construction of I-55.
According to John Weiss, a Route 66 historian at the Illinois Route 66
Association Hall of Fame and Museum, the type of business was an important factor in
determining which businesses were able to survive the bypassing. Those that depended
heavily on traffic from outside the local area, such as gas stations and general stores,
were typically the hardest hit when people began traveling on I-55 instead of Route 66.
While I did not use a general store in my case studies, it appears as though Weisss theory
may be correct, as the only two businesses to close (the Palm Grill Caf and Soulsby
Service Station) relied on the steady stream of travelers through the area to make a profit.
Even though the Palm Grill Caf was not a gas station, Bill Thomas mentioned in an
interview that the Caf was located near a Greyhound station and depended heavily on
travelers.
It is possible, however, for one to argue that if Weisss theory was true, then the
Dixie Truckers Home should have closed when the interstate first opened. As a major
truck stop, it depends on a steady stream of traffic to stay in business. However, the Dixie
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was not bypassed by I-55 since the interstate was paved directly over the route in this
area.
Another possible issue with the theory is that Funks Pure Maple Sirup saw an
immediate decrease in customers, yet it is not a gas station or a type of business that
would normally rely on a steady stream of automobile traffic. However, Weisss
explanation includes businesses that relied on traffic from outside the local area, which
was true for Funks Pure Maple Sirup. Its survival, however, leads to another possible
explanation related to Weisss theory: businesses that were able to use the interstate as a
new source of customers survived over those who were not.
According to this explanation, a business that was successfully able to route
customers off of the interstate and back towards the town had a better chance of staying
in business than those who were not able to attract those customers. Once the owners of
Funks Pure Maple Sirup were able to advertise along I-55, they regained their lost
customer base and stayed in business. The Palm Grill Caf and Soulsby Service Station
were not able to do this, however, for reasons related to Weisss theorythe Palm Grill
Caf depended on customers from the Greyhound station that instead chose to commute
via train, and Soulsby was a gas station a mile away from I-55. While people may have
decided to leave the interstate to buy sirup, they may have decided to wait until they
came upon a gas station closer to I-55 to stop and fill up their tank.
The fact that Funks Pure Maple Sirup saw the number of customers drop shortly
after the interstate opened supports the initial hypothesis that I-55 led to a drop in
business. However, the increase they saw shortly after being allowed to advertise on the
interstate suggests that owners who knew how to use the interstate to their advantage saw
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their business grow due to the newer and bigger customer base that was now available via
the interstate. In this case, I-55 brought economic prosperity to these individuals and their
businesses, allowing them to stay in the communities, and the culture to stay intact. In
cases like the Rialto Square Theatre and the Dixie Truckers Home, the interstate did not
appear to have any impact, whether detrimental or positive, on the number of customers
and its survival.
Ownership By Corporate Entities
Since I defined culture as that which is unique to the towns, none of the
businesses examined was part of a corporate entity or chain when they were founded.
Instead, they were owned by families or private individuals. Out of the five businesses
sampled, the Dixie Truckers Home was the only business to eventually become part of a
corporate entity.
However, there does not seem to be any evidence to support the fact that I-55 was
responsible for the buyout since the business did not enter bankruptcy until the early
2000s. Had I-55 been responsible, this would have occurred in the 1960s or 1980s. A
different explanation could be that the owners of the Dixie were quite elderly by the time
they were forced to declare bankruptcy, and could not run the business adequately
anymore. In any case, it does not appear as though I-55 was responsible for the selling of
the Dixie to a corporate entity.
Ultimately, none of the other owners appeared to have sold out when the
interstate was constructed, therefore, one could argue that I-55 did not lead to chain stores
and destroy the unique culture of the towns in this manner.
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Increase In Population
None of the census information collected appears to support my hypothesis that I-
55 led to a significant decrease in population for local communities. According to the
sample of towns, most saw a significant increase in the number of residents, with the
exception of Towanda, and Hamel. Towanda, however, had a slightly larger population in
2000 than they did in 1930, and while no population information is available for the years
shortly after the completion of I-55, it does not appear as though the interstate had a long-
term impact on the number of people residing in Towanda. It is entirely possible,
however, that there was a drop in population immediately after the opening of I-55, but
since the population dropped by less than 100 people during a forty year time-span, this
cannot be confirmed.
Hamels population also appears to have dropped significantly in the decades
following the completion of Route 66 in 1926. While their population right after the
completion of I-55 is unknown, their population shortly after the passing of the Federal
Aid Highway Act in the mid-1950s was over 600 residents less than their population after
Route 66 opened in 1926. While I-55 was not fully completed until 1977, construction
began in the late 1950s, suggesting that the interstate may have played a role in the
population decrease. However, their population in 2000 was significantly higher than that
of 1960, signaling a possible recovery. Whether that increase is related to I-55 is unclear.
It is possible that the increase in population for several of these towns could be
attributed to the baby boom shortly after World War II in the 1940s, or by the movement
of people during WWII. According to the National Parks Service Special Resource
Study, population growth along Route 66 during the postwar era ranged anywhere from
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40% in New Mexico to approximately 74% in the state of Arizona (Special Resource
Study). One could also make the argument that new businesses such as casinos brought
more people to the towns. The towns of Bloomington and Normal are also quite close to
each other, and are college towns that have attracted numerous residents to the area.
However, had I-55 been responsible for making living conditions in towns too difficult to
raise a family and make a living, then residents would have moved out of these
communities. Since these towns saw a sustained increase in population over a period of
several decades, it is possible to argue that although I-55 may not have been the reason
people moved to these communities, it did not siphon away residents either. Furthermore,
even if new businesses were responsible for an increase in population, it supports the idea
that I-55 did not have a detrimental effect on population due to the fact that these
businesses succeeded in attracting more visitors. If I-55 were responsible for the decrease
in business for the towns, then these businesses would have never been successful in the
first place since they would not have had the customer base they needed to survive.
Overall, while the increase in population for these towns could be attributed to any
number of factors, and does not necessarily mean that I-55 was responsible for bringing
in more people, the data suggests that I-55 did not lead to the abandonment of towns.
Possible Reason For Survival
The survival, resurgence, and preservation of these businesses, as well as the lack
of supportive census information, appears to counter my initial hypothesis that I-55 had
an overwhelmingly negative effect on the culture of local communities on Route 66. Why
is this so? According to John Weiss, the issue has to do with the distance between I-55
and Route 66.
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While both tend to be very far apart in states such as California, Oklahoma, and
New Mexico, both I-55 and Route 66 run very close to each other in Illinois, to the point
where they sometimes overlap. The reason that many towns that were bypassed became
desolate and empty in the other states, according to Weiss, is because they were simply
too far away from the interstate highway system to continue attracting customers and
travelers. In Illinois, however, businesses such as Funks Pure Maple Sirup and Soulsby
Service Station were only about a mile away from the interstate after the bypassing. In
these cases, they were not completely cut off from their supply of customers.
The Highway Beautification Act
Weiss also explained that the Highway Beautification Act played an important
role in the survival of the interstate. The Act, passed with the support of Lady Bird
Johnson in 1965, called for control of outdoor advertising, including removal of certain
types of signs, along the Nations growing Interstate System (How the Highway
Beautification Act Became a Law). By barring businesses on Route 66 from advertising
their product or services along the side of the interstate, the federal government
inadvertently made it so that these businesses could not regain their lost customer base
that had been diverted to I-55. With the help of later amendments such as 1976 bill which
permitted retention of certain nonconforming directional-message signs in specific areas
where sign removal would create a substantial economic hardship, businesses such as
Funks Pure Maple Sirup were able to attract customers (Highway Beautification Act
Primer: The 1976 Amendments). However, according to Weiss, the Highway
Beautification Acts enforcement ultimately caused more issues for businesses than the
actual construction of Route 66. More research would need to be done on the topic to see
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if he is correct. Either way, it is possible to argue that I-55 still created a problem since it
was linked to the Highway Beautification Act, and that businesses would not have had
this issue had the interstate been constructed. However, as the success of Funks Pure
Maple Sirup shows, I-55 was beneficial when businesses were given the opportunity to
use it to bring in a new and expanded customer base.
Interstate 55 and Preservation
While the information collected suggests that I-55 did not have an overall
detrimental impact on the communities, some businesses still saw a decline due to the
construction of the interstate. However, it is entirely possible to make the argument that I-
55 was a huge benefit to Route 66 in Illinois due to preservation. Had Route 66 never
been bypassed in the first place, perhaps none of the restoration efforts (such as those for
Soulsby Service Station) would have been undertaken by individuals concerned with the
history of the Mother Road. It is possible that Route 66 may have lost even more of its
culture without these preservation efforts, since there would not have been as pressing of
a need to protect these areas from urban development and the construction of chain
stores. While this is entirely speculative, it would be interesting to further research this
possibility regarding I-55 and its preservation of culture.
Possible Issues With Research
One of the first limitations involves the collection of census information. While
the United States Census Bureau provides population information for the year 2000 for
each town, the website does not readily display population demographics for any year
before 1990. According to the Bureau, more census information can be located at the
National Archives, however, these tend to be on rolls of microfilm. Given the limited
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time I had to conduct my research, gaining access to the National Archives and going
through the microfilm would have taken far too long. It was also difficult to gather
population information from the towns themselves, as many did not have the records
available. A longer period of time in which to conduct my research may have allowed for
a better sample of town census information, as it would have allowed me to use the
microfilm or track down more individuals who may have had town information.
I also experienced a few limitations regarding business information. While I was
able to contact several people regarding the financial history of each business described
in my research, some of the original founders were too old to contact, or had already
died. While this was not a major issue for my research, it prevented me from collecting
more data that could have been useful, or using businesses that were spaced further apart
along Route 66 for a better sample. I may have been able to gather more data by going to
the actual towns and talking to locals, however, this was too difficult to do within ten
weeks. Had the research period been longer, I may have been able to do this.
Conclusion
According to the information collected, it appears that I-55 did impact Route 66
communities to some extent, but that not all of these impacts were detrimental to the
culture of the towns. Out of five businesses studied, only three saw a decrease in business
due to I-55, and one was able to survive after being allowed to advertise to travelers on I-
55. Only two businesses were forced to close due to I-55, and one was able to reopen
later on while the other was preserved as a museum, which allowed the community to
retain a special part of their culture and history. Furthermore, only two of the towns
examined suffered a drop in population that could have been tied to the construction of I-
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55, but this is uncertain. Overall, I-55 appears to have been beneficial to some degree for
the communities along Route 66, as it provided a new, expanded customer base when
businesses were allowed to advertise along the road, and may have aided in the
preservation of Route 66 culture. Further research would need to be done to investigate
more of the impacts, but it appears that my initial hypothesis was not proven correct by
the information gathered.
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