'2-lane highway facts, stories, anecdotes' History  

2-lane highway facts, stories, anecdotes

Jim Owens (12.34.246.4) -

Hello all,

I am doing research on old Illinois highways. I am looking for any kind of information regarding NON-Interstate highways, preferably 2-lane state and U.S. highway routes that pass through or once passed through Illinois. Any kind of incident or experience or detail you can relate is welcome, for all tips, facts, anecdotes, etc.--no matter how trivial--would help me.

ATTENTION: Former or present owners, workers, vendors of/for:

* old gas stations -- especially if still standing

* old hotels

* old restaurants

* old shops -- hardware stores, whatever

. . . please provide any info, whether it is humorous, serious, or a tidbit or a significant fact. ALL INFO DESIRED!

Also welcome is info from anyone who lived or traveled on any of the highways that once served as the main routes--even if no longer a highway!

Please write to:

Jim Owens

1629 Erin Drive

Normal, IL 61761-4317

or please post your info on this message board

or phone me at:

(309)862-1863

or email me at:

owens.james@insightbb.com

As we progress into newer technology of newer eras, often, the memories we hold dear to our hearts, or even dreaded memories (such as horrible car crashes, etc.), vanish forever with our passing, lost to time and history with no chance of being discovered. Well, you can change that! Information that resides in your mind can forever be recorded for history!

NOTE: I am currently gathering info (old maps, pictures, and stories) for a future book. At some point in the future, I would also like to interview certain folks, using simple audio recording equipment.

Thank you!!!

No trackbacks.

Reply #1 Mark Upton (64.53.161.152) -

Hello Jim:

I have a story I would like to relate about old Rt. 36, an east-west route that extends all the way across the state of Illinois from Hannibal, MO all the way east thru Springfield, thru Scotland, IL on the eastern Illinois border. In fact, Rt. 36 was a major road that I believe extended from coast to coast. Anywho, my story pertains to a major incident in my life that occurred one week after my return from fighting in the European theater, specifically July 1945, on Rt. 36 between LaPlace and Atwood, IL. My auto broke down there, and after walking a few miles to a town called Hammond, IL, I ran into an auto parts dealer named Watto. Watto was a repulsive looking creature, a very short man with a large nose. After explaining to him that my auto needed one foot of two inch diameter rubber hose plus a new hose clamp, he immediately told me he could secure one, but because these weren't regular business hours, he would have to charge me quadruple the retail price, which he then went on to explain was ten times the price I would expect to pay in a large city, whatwith the war, and shortage of supplies, etc.. Of course, he then went on to explain that the shortage of aluminum caused a shortage of hose clamps, and because aluminum was a precious metal, then that would cost me 50X's the going rate.

I thought that for sure this guy had to be either joking or sick, since I had just explained that I had just gotten back into the states after fighting a long, dangerous war, that I to this day cannot understand why we were there. Well, THAT really pissed Watto off, and he started accusing me of being a jew hater (ADL hadn't invented the term anti-semite yet) and he proceeded to charge me 100X's the going rate. He said that we didn't work fast enough to save the European jews, and that since I looked Germanic to him, I probably should have died along with all those damn Euro krauts. I was ready to slap him, as I walk towards him explaining that I was at the so-called death camps, and there were no actual jews executed there.

Suddenly, his whole demeaner changed. A sly, rodent like smile spread across his face, baring his pointed teeth. His beady eyes grew blacker than coal. He stammered out: "So you were there? You know what happened?" I told him "Or didn't happen!" Watto then whisked me away to a back shop in his office. He rolled up his sleeves and showed my what he was doing before I interupted him. He was halfway finished with his self-tattoo on his arm of a bogus concentration camp number. He offered to give me a similar tattoo free of charge, as well as the hose and hose clamps for free, if I promised to keep my mouth shut.

Watto assured me that now that the jews won the war between the whites and jews, things in America were going to change real fast, and I had better side with the winners. He explained how they were going to use America to take over the world, and ......... Oh hell Jimmy, you know the rest.

Reply #2 Jim Owens (12.34.246.38) -

Mr. Upton, this posting is for highway stories, not for holocaust denial stories disguised as highway stories. I respect your free speech, and you write very well, but please, I am conducting research here. And it is difficult enough to find contributors without having someone trying to steer the focus another direction!

Thanx.

Jim Owens

Meanwhile, anyone wanting to check out just a tidbit of my Illinois highway research, look here---> ilroadtrip.com/cottage_gas.htm

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