Kicks, etc.

Kicks, etc., a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Originally a two-lane road, Route 66 needed some upgrades by the mid fifties, as America's newfound mobility meant more and more people were traveling by car for that family vacation. This was done by simply paving two more lanes parallel to the existing road, separated by a grassy median-hey presto, two new lanes!

As we all know, eventually Route 66 was superseded by the new interstate system, the paved superslab being better suited to higher traffic levels and higher speeds as well. In most places, old Route 66 reverted to two lanes, usually the newer two, and the old pavement was left to sit, or removed altogether.

In a lot of places you can still see these original stretches of road, parallel to the current alignment, cracked and crumbling, weeds growing through the gaps, markings faded. This one's in Illinois, just outside the town of Dwight.

Royal Blue

Royal Blue, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A vintage Selz Royal Blue Shoes sign, in the town of Chenoa, Illinois, right along historic Route 66. This is a bit of a cheat-it's a restoration of an old Selz sign that was uncovered when a building was demolished. Although it is starting to fade and flake again-I wonder if they'll restore the restoration?

Pontiac Sports

Pontiac Sports, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Pontiac Sports, a sporting goods shop in Pontiac, Illinois, a town along historic Route 66.

I believe this sign has been rebuilt at some point-there are some stray outlets dotted around it.

J.E. Brady

J.E. Brady, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

This week's Neon Friday post is a bit of a mystery. This simple sign is in the town of Pontiac, Illinois, along old Route 66. I've been through Pontiac a couple of times, but this was the first time I noticed this particular sign. It's kind of hard to see-there's a metal awning just below it (those are the awning's supports you see in front of the sign), so you can't really see it unless you're across the street.

I have no idea who J.E. Brady was, or what J.E. Brady did. The building has a martial arts academy in the storefront now. This sign looks to be in really good shape-the glass is intact and it's not especially rusty. I wonder if it still works, and have this odd fantasy that it's on a timer and still lights up every night at 6 pm.

Sprague's Super Service

Sprague's , a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Opened in 1931, Sprague's Super Service was a large gas station and cafe along Route 66, on what was then the outskirts of Normal, Illinois. It housed several different restaurants and stations, and was used until 1976. This old sign is the only one that remains, although the building is still in very nice condition.

Now on the National Register of Historic Places, there are hopes that this Route 66 classic can be reopened.

The Oasis

Oasis Drive-In, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Located on the outskirts of Lexington, Illinois, is the remains of the Oasis Drive-In. Literally by the side of Route 66, it was a popular burger joint for decades.

The building is still standing, and is in pretty decent shape, although I have no idea what it's used for. The old canopy provides cover for a few old cars, and the old sign is still there, missing letters and all.

Kitchen Made Pies

Kitchen Made Pies, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage trailer from the Kitchen Made Pies company. Best I can tell, this was a regional bakery from the 50's through to the 80's, at which point the company went out of business. A friend of mine came up with a bunch of mentions of this firm in various business case studies, so whatever they did it must have been noteworthy, at least at the time.

I would guess this trailer is from the sixties-it has that really old look to it. Spotted in the town of Towanda, Illinois, along old Route 66.

Lexington

Lexington, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Pointing the way to Lexington, Illinois, along historic Route 66. Originally a station stop on the Chicago and Alton, Lexington became a popular stopping point along Route 66. Now mostly bypassed by the interstate, the old road can still be driven.

I can't find out the history behind this sign, if it originally hung on a local business and has been repurposed. It's in pretty good shape, and I think it lights up.

Fill 'er up

Sky Chief-TTV, originally uploaded by William 74.

We're back at the beautifully restored Texaco station in Dwight, Illinois, for this week's Through The Viewfinder Tuesday! I've talked about this station before, so I won't say anything except that if you're in the area this summer you totally should go and take a bunch of photos, say hello to the volunteers who run the place, buy a soda pop, and sign the guestbook.

I've also warbled on at length about TtV photography so I'll skip that too, except to say "is it live, or is it Full-Vue?"

Now, for some serious business. Do you like what you see here? Think the pictures are pretty, and you wish you could look at stuff like this all the time, and not just when you turn on your computer and point the interweb browser to this site? Well, now you can! We here at View. Found. are proud to announce that our chief photographer (oaky, it's me) has his own website! See more here!