Illinois U.S. Route 66 (site 1)
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CITY:
Lexington
COUNTY:
McLean
DEDICATED BY:
Illinois History Club of Lexington High School and The Illinois State Historical Society
DEDICATION DATE:
October 17, 1996 at 12:00:00 AM
The marker is located on the west side of the town of Lexington along old Route 66 (County Road 8) at its intersection with Lexington’s Main Street.
In 1926, construction began on a 2,448-mile highway from Chicago to Santa Monica, California. Route 66 reflected the increased use of motorized vehicles. The road, which cut diagonally across Illinois, passed through Lexington. Sleek restaurants, service stations and motels were built specifically to accommodate travelers. The original two-lane, concrete highway – a section of which is located here – was replaced over a span of thirty years by the more modern interstate highway system. In Illinois, Interstate-55 closely parallels old Route 66.