Fans of Route 66 prepping for 100th birthday

Posted on August 1, 2018

In a short nine-years, Route 66 will celebrate it’s 100th birthday.(WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Fans of Route 66 have eight years to prepare for its 100-th birthday.

The year 2026 is the centennial of Route 66. And the lawmaker whose home sits along the original alignment of the Mother Road, State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), can hardly contain himself.

The year marks the nation’s sestercentennial, its 250th birthday. And there’s more:

“And on top of that, the World Cup – the greatest sporting event – that same year,” Butler said at Tuesday’s bill-signing in Plainfield, establishing an Illinois Route 66 Centennial Commission. “The focus of the world is going to be on the United States, and there are so many people who come to Illinois to begin their journey across Route 66.”

The governor’s office, in a news release, said the commission “shall consist of 20 members who reflect the interests, history and importance of the communities along Historic Route 66 in Illinois.”

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