Homepage of "Mr. Lincoln, Route 66, & Other
Highlights of Lincoln, IL"
Site Map
Testimonials
A Long-Range Plan to Brand the First Lincoln
Namesake City as the Second City of Abraham Lincoln Statues
The Abraham
Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration in Lincoln, Illinois
1.
Abraham Lincoln and the Historic Postville
Courthouse,
including a William Maxwell connection to the Postville Courthouse
2.
About Henry Ford and the Postville Courthouse,
the Story of the Postville Courthouse Replica,
Tantivy, & the Postville Park
Neighborhood in the
Route 66 Era
3.
The Rise of Abraham Lincoln and His History and
Heritage in His First Namesake Town,
also the founding of Lincoln College, the plot to steal Lincoln's
body, and memories of Lincoln College and the Rustic Tavern-Inn
4.
Introduction to the Social & Economic History of
Lincoln, Illinois,
including poetry by William Childress & commentary by Federal Judge
Bob Goebel & Illinois Appellate Court Judge Jim Knecht
5.
"Social Consciousness in William Maxwell's
Writings Based on Lincoln, Illinois" (an article published in the
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, winter 2005-06)
5.a.
Peeking Behind the Wizard's Screen: William
Maxwell's Literary Art as Revealed by a Study of the Black Characters in
Billie Dyer and Other Stories
6.
Introduction to the Railroad & Route 66 Heritage
of Lincoln, Illinois
7.
The Living Railroad Heritage of Lincoln, Illinois:
on Track as a Symbol of the "Usable Past"
8.
Route 66 Overview Map of Lincoln with 42 Sites,
Descriptions, & Photos
9.
The Hensons of Business Route 66
10.
The Wilsons of Business
Route 66, including the Wilson Grocery & Shell
Station
11.
Route 66 Map & Photos Showing Lincoln Memorial
Park
(former Chautauqua site),
the Historic Cemeteries, & Nearby Sites
12.
Route 66 Map & Photos Showing Salt Creek &
Cemetery Hill,
including
the highway bridges, GM&O bridge, Madigan State Park, the old dam (with
photos & Leigh's memoir of "shooting the rapids" over the old dam), &
the Ernie Edwards' Pig-Hip Restaurant Museum in Broadwell
13.
The Historic Logan County Courthouse, Past &
Present
14.
Route 66 Map with 51 Sites in the Business &
Courthouse Square Historic District,
including locations of historical markers
(on the National Register of Historic Places)
15.
Vintage Scenes of the Business & Courthouse Square
Historic District
16.
The Foley House: A
Monument to Civic Leadership
(on the National Register of
Historic Places)
17.
Agriculture in
the Route 66 Era
18.
Arts & Entertainment Heritage,
including
the Lincoln Theatre Roy Rogers' Riders Club of the
1950s
19.
Business Heritage
20.
Cars, Trucks & Gas Stations of the Route 66 Era
21.
Churches, including the hometown
churches of Author William Maxwell & Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr
22.
Factories, Past and Present
23.
Food Stores of
the Route 66 Era
24.
Government
25.
Hospitals, Past and Present
26.
Hotels & Restaurants of the Railroad & Route 66
Eras
27.
Lincoln Developmental Center
(Lincoln State School & Colony in
the Route 66 era), plus
debunking the myth of
Lincoln, Illinois, choosing the Asylum over the University of Illinois
28.
Mining Coal, Limestone, & Sand & Gravel; Lincoln Lakes; & Utilities
29.
Museums & Parks, including the Lincoln College
Museum and its Abraham Lincoln Collection, plus the Heritage-in-Flight
Museum
30.
Neighborhoods
with Distinction
31.
News Media in the Route 66 Era
32.
The Odd Fellows' Children's Home
33.
Schools
34.
Memories of the 1900 Lincoln Community High School,
including Fred Blanford's dramatic account of the lost marble
fountain of youth
35.
A Tribute to the Historians and Advocates of
Lincoln, Illinois
36.
Watering Holes of the Route 66 Era
37.
The Historic 1953 Centennial Celebration of
Lincoln, Illinois
38.
The Festive 2003 Sesqui-centennial Celebration of
Lincoln, Illinois, including photos of LCHS Class of 1960
dignitaries & the Blanfords
39.
Why Did the State Police Raid Lincoln, Illinois,
on October 11, 1950?
40.
The Gambling Raids in Lincoln and Logan County,
Illinois,
During the Late Route 66 Era (1950-1960)
_______
Pages
in this section tell about Leigh Henson's Lincoln years, moving away,
revisits, and career:
About Lincoln, Illinois;
This Web Site; & Me
A Tribute to Lincolnite Edward Darold
Henson: World War II U.S. Army Veteran of the Battles for Normandy and
the Hedgerows; Brittany and Brest; and the Ardennes (Battle of the
Bulge)
For Remembrance, Understanding, & Fun: Lincoln
Community High School Mid-20th-Century Alums' Internet Community
(a Web site and
email exchange devoted to collaborative memoir and the sharing of photos
related to Lincoln, Illinois)
Leigh Henson's Pilgrimage to Lincoln, Illinois, on
July 12, 2001
Leigh Henson's
Review of Dr. Burkhardt's William Maxwell Biography
Leigh Henson's Review of Ernie Edwards' biography,
Pig-Hips on Route 66, by William Kaszynski
Leigh Henson's Review of Jan Schumacher's
Glimpses of Lincoln, Illinois
Teach Local Authors: Considering the Literature of
Lincoln, Illinois
Web Site About
Leigh Henson's Professional Life
__________
Pages
in this section are about the writing, memorabilia, and Web sites of
other Lincolnites:
A Tribute to Bill and Phyllis Stigall:
Exemplary Faculty of Lincoln College at Mid-Twentieth Century
A Tribute to the Krotzes of Lincoln, Illinois
A Tribute to Robert Wilson (LCHS '46): Author of
Young in Illinois, Movies Editor of December Magazine,
Friend and Colleague of December Press Publisher Curt Johnson, and
Correspondent with William Maxwell
Brad Dye (LCHS '60): His Lincoln, Illinois, Web
Site,
including photos of many churches
Dave Armbrust's Memorabilia of Lincoln, Illinois
J. Richard
(JR) Fikuart
(LCHS '65):
The
Fikuarts of Lincoln, Illinois, including their
connections to the William Maxwell family and three generations of
family fun at Lincoln Lakes
Jerry Gibson (LCHS '60): Lincoln, Illinois,
Memoirs & Other Stories
Dave Johnson (LCHS '56): His Web Site for the
Lincoln Community High School Class of 1956
Sportswriter David Kindred: Memoir of His
Grandmother Lena & Her West Side Tavern on Sangamon Street in the Route
66 Era
Judge Jim Knecht
(LCHS '62): Memoir and Short Story, "Other People's Money," Set in
Hickey's Billiards on Chicago Street in the Route 66 Era
William A. "Bill" Krueger (LCHS '52): Information
for His Books About Murders in Lincoln
Norm Schroeder (LCHS '60): Short Stories
Stan Stringer Writes About His Family, Mark
Holland, and Lincoln, Illinois
Thomas Walsh: Anecdotes Relating to This Legendary
Attorney from Lincoln by Attorney Fred Blanford & Judge Jim Knecht
Leon Zeter (LCHS '53): His Web Site for the
Lincoln Community High School Class of 1953,
including announcements of LCHS class reunions
(Post yours there.)
__________
|
Highway Sign of
the Times:
1926-1960
The Route 66
Association of Illinois
The Illinois
State Historical Society
Illinois
Tourism Site:
Enjoy Illinois
|
| |
Marquee Lights of the Lincoln Theatre, est. 1923, Lincoln, Illinois |
Leigh Henson's Review of Pig-Hips
on Route 66
by William Kaszynski
"People such as Ernie Edwards are hard to come by these days, and
their historical knowledge is valuable. . . . Best of luck with all of your
Route 66 endeavors!"
-- William Kaszynki's letter to Leigh Henson of January 16, 2007
Note: Ernest L. "Ernie" Edwards, Jr.,
passed away on April 11, 2012. Link to
announcement and tribute by Geoff Ladd,
director of the Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County, Illinois
(PDF).
Pig-Hips on Route 66, 2nd ed. (Lincoln, IL: Lincoln
Printers, Inc., 2006, 96 pages, 5"x7") is a biography of Route 66 icon Ernie
Edwards of Lincoln and Broadwell, Illinois.
For several decades, Ernie owned and
operated restaurants and gas stations on Route 66 in Lincoln and Broadwell. He invented the pig-hip
sandwich. Ernie says this sandwich was made from fresh ham (not cured), and
he claims that the ham came only from the left hip--never, never the
right hip. Ernie claims this distinction was part of the secret of the
Pig-Hip's success (sandwich and restaurant). The other part of the sandwich
secret was his special sauce. Ernie's sandwich motto was--"it made
its
way by the way it's made." Ernie Edwards was one of the first to be
inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Route 66 Association of Illinois
(1990).
This book review follows the conventional pattern
of describing what a book does and evaluating how well it does it. For information about purchasing Pig-Hips of
Route 66, scroll to near the bottom of this page. Also, for more
information about the Pig-Hips Restaurant and my account of Ernie's 90th
birthday party on June 10, 2007, access
http://findinglincolnillinois.com/rte66atsaltcreek.html#pig-hip.
1: Front Cover Photo Montage
2: Photo from Back Cover (view
looking north)
Mr. Kaszynski's book is a highly informative, entertaining account of Ernie
Edwards' life and times. Kaszynksi is an established, published authority on
the history of Route 66 (see Works Cited below), and he uses that knowledge
to provide background and context for Ernie's life, which has been
extensively tied to "The Mother Road" in the Lincoln-Broadwell area of Logan
County, located in central Illinois. The book is based on extensive
interviews with Ernie and is dedicated to Tom Teague, one of the most ardent
proponents of the movement to preserve Route 66 and celebrate its history.
Also, the back of the title page credits Bob Olson "for additional
background material and the Logan County Genealogical and Historical
Society." Moreover, the book benefits from "technical assistance by Michael
Kaszynski and Yvonne Jones." This biography includes 20 photos and
illustrations from Ernie's collection.
I thank Mr. Bobby Olson for giving me a copy of this book and for having Ernie
autograph it:
3: Thanks, Ernie, for the
Autograph and Especially for the Great Stories
4: Pig-Hip Logo and Map of
Central Illinois
Pig-Hips on Route 66 is divided into the following chapters:
-
Introduction
-
Chapter
One: The Early Years
-
Chapter
Two: A New Roadside Sandwich
-
Chapter
Three: Wartime and the Postwar Boom
-
Chapter
Four: Decline and Rebirth of Route 66
-
Chapter
Five: Retirement
Pig-Hips on Route 66 has the following photos and illustrations:
-
Pig Hip
logo and map of central Illinois, p. 6
-
Two photos
of Ernie as a steeplejack high above ground on skyscraper
superstructure, p. 25
-
Photo
looking south on Rte. 66 approaching Broadwell, IL, with Harbor Inn in
distance, p. 29
-
Harbor Inn
menu, p. 30
-
Photo of
Ernie and brother, Joe, in front of their new filling station in 1937,
p. 31
-
Photo of
Pig-Hip Restaurant in 1939, p. 32
-
Photo of
TIZ-IT Restaurant at 4th and Washington Sts., in Lincoln in 1940s, p. 42
-
Model of
second TIZ-IT Restaurant on Rte. 66 bypass in Lincoln, p. 51
-
Photo of
TIZ-IT and Cities Service station at "Four Corners" after sale to Joe Eimer, p. 52
-
Photo of
Pig-Hip Restaurant and Cities Service station next door in Broadwell, p.
56
-
Photo of
Pioneers' Rest Motel next to Pig-Hip in the late 1940s, p. 56
-
Photo of
Joe Edwards with Jeep wrecker and child's car wrecker model, p. 57
-
Model of
Chicago St. storefronts showing TIZ-IT Restaurant in Lincoln, p. 60
-
Photo of
Pig-Hip Restaurant and Phillips 66 service station in 1960s, p. 78
-
Display ad
for the Pig-Hip Restaurant from the Lincoln Daily Courier in
1981, p. 83
-
Photo of
Frances and Ernie Edwards in their Pig-Hip Restaurant, p. 85
-
Photo of
Pig-Hip dining room as seen today in the Pig-Hip Restaurant Museum, p.
89
-
Photo of
Ernie in front of his Pig-Hip Restaurant Museum, p. 91
-
Roster of
Pig-Hip employees from 1952 to 1991, pp. 93--96
This review next summarizes each chapter, and the conclusion provides an
overall evaluation.
|
Introduction: (pages 9-12)
From the beginning, Kaszynski puts his expert knowledge of Route 66 to good
work. The Introduction is a precise, four-page summary of the origins of
Route 66--one of the best to be found anywhere. Even before 1900, groups of
citizens called for action to "Get the Farmer out of the Mud," and this
activity was known as the Good Roads Movement, but road development in the
early twentieth century was left to counties, cities, and towns. The author
describes the various plans for developing highways among states, including
the beginning of the highway numbering system. Beginning in 1916, the
Federal government began to play an effective role in road construction. In
1924, Cyrus Avery, active in promoting highway development, "advocated a
route from Chicago to St. Louis, through Oklahoma City, New Mexico,
Arizona, and eventually to Los Angeles." A U.S. 60 had been established to
run from Virginia to Los Angeles, so after some debate Avery's route was
numbered 66.
Along these highways, countless "mom and pop" businesses developed: "they
offered their own down-home experience while advertising along the nation's
early highway" (p. 11). These businesses included gas stations, tourist
camps and cabins, as well as eateries. Kaszynski describes his book as
reporting "the saga of one such mom-and-pop restaurant, whose history spans
the years from the late 1930s through the 1990s. It was a family-run
business owned by Ernest L. Edwards, Jr., in central Illinois in a small town
called Broadwell [located seven miles south of Lincoln, the county seat of
Logan County]. The 'Pig-Hip Restaurant' outlasted hundreds of other cafes,
burger stands and diners that faded and then vanished from the roadside
scene. It is also a story of Highway 66 (its pre-war term) and the people of
the 'Prairie State' who lived along its route" (p. 12).
Undoubtedly, the endurance and fame of this restaurant--and is
world-renowned pig-hip sandwich-- is directly related to Ernie's long,
vigorous life. When his biography was published in 2006, Ernie was in his
upper 80s, and he was actively involved in developing and promoting his
Pig-Hip Restaurant Museum--and still is
as of the publication of this book review. Let me add that the book also
describes Ernie's several other businesses in Broadwell and Lincoln as well
as his various civic activities.
|
Chapter One: The Early Years
(pages 13--23)
Ernest L. Edwards, Jr., was born on August 5, 1917, in Murphysboro in
southern Illinois 75 miles southeast of St. Louis. His parents were Naomi
Star ("Toots") Meyers, and his father was Ernest L. Edwards, Sr. Father and
son were descendants of Ninian Edwards, a former governor of Illinois and
husband of a sister of Abraham Lincoln's wife. This chapter has accounts his
parents' experiences as they moved from one Illinois town to another:
from Murphysboro to Jerseyville to Granite City then back to Jerseyville and
then to Salem before moving to Lincoln in 1934.
Ernie's parents played a key role in leading him toward a career in small
business. Ernie's father typically worked in factories. His mother tried
various business activities to supplement the family income, for example,
operating a small neighborhood grocery and selling toys. Ernie's father "had
worked for others much of his life but found self-employment to be the most
rewarding. He firmly believed that in order to get ahead, you had to take
control of your own destiny and become an entrepreneur. He didn't want Ernie
to start out working in a factory as he had done and encouraged him to try
some type of self-employment" (p. 16).
As
a kid, while working at several typical jobs such as delivering newspapers,
Ernie showed an interest in starting his own businesses. He operated a
newspaper stand but became curious about the food service business. In
the fifth grade, his first job was working for a guy who had Ernie making
and selling ice cream on a stick. In 1930, at the age of 13, Ernie and
another kid in Jerseyville "opened a confectionary and sold ice cream." A
couple of years later, Ernie and his father operated a hot dog stand at the
county fair in Jerseyville. There, Ernie began to create his own distinct
food product:
"Most hot dog vendors
boiled or grilled their frankfurters and Ernie figured that he'd try a
difference [sic] method of cooking them that might appeal to customers. He
called them 'electrocuted hot dogs' [bold mine] and invented a way to
cook them using electrical current. He built a simple device by wiring six
sharp metal pegs mounted on a board about a foot across. A toggle, similar
to an ordinary light switch, was added to the board and when flipped to the
'on' position carried electric current to the metal pegs, which cooked his
hot dogs in approximately two minutes. He placed a glass cover over the unit
to prevent being burned by hot grease and added a red blinking light to the
top of his stand to advertise his unique product. . . . Ernie's hot dogs
were very popular and he did a steady business throughout the duration of
the fair" (p. 18).
After that success, Ernie traveled to Springfield several years to operate
his own popcorn stand at the Illinois State Fair. This chapter has a
wonderful, detailed account of Ernie meeting a farmer in bib overalls from
southern Illinois who raised popcorn and introduced Ernie to a popcorn
variety unlike that used by the competition. Ernie began selling it with
good success. You just have to read this account to believe what this new
variety was and what oil Ernie used to pop it. One of Ernie's life-long
talents has been the catchy names he gave to the food he sold. In his youth,
Ernie's nickname was Chick, and at the State Fair he made a sign advertising
"Chick's French Fried Popcorn." The farmer who introduced Ernie to this new
popcorn variety later sold out to the Jolly Time Popcorn Company.
Ernie was a teenager in 1934 when his family moved to Lincoln. During high
school, Ernie's main job was delivering newspapers. Chapter One ends with
Ernie's high school graduation.
One kind of information appearing in Chapter One that appears in all of the
other chapters is Ernie's experiences in seeing or meeting famous and nearly-famous people. In Chapter One the reader discovers how the youthful Ernie
had met Frank Phillips, the founder of the Phillips Petroleum Company; and
in his early years Ernie twice met Henry Ford. These kinds of stories add a
strong "human interest" appeal to Ernie's biography. |
Chapter Two: A New Roadside Sandwich
(pages 24--48)
This chapter describes the founding of the Pig-Hip Restaurant in Broadwell
and covers Ernie's life between high school graduation and the beginning of
WW II (late 1930s).
This chapter opens with a story of how Ernie began working at Bea's Ice
Cream in downtown Springfield, IL. The owner, a Mr. Segalty, also hired
Ernie to get a job at the Icey Root Beer Company in Springfield for the
purpose of spying to find out how the three little old lady owners made their
popular "steakburger," "rumored to be the best burger in the entire
country" (p. 24). Ernie's espionage succeeded, and the book describes the
special way the steakburger was prepared. When Ernie decided to quit
working at Bea's, he sincerely believed that he was due at least twice the
$20.00 that Segalty paid him, so Ernie "punched Segalty in the nose as he
left" (p. 36).
As Ernie worked at his next job, an auto body store next to Bea's, he
discovered openings at Pikeman's Steeplejacks across the street. For a year
and a half, Ernie worked as a steeplejack in Michigan, Kansas, then in
Carbondale and Murphysboro, IL.
Afterward, Ernie's dad offered to help him start his own business. Ernie's
dad, who owned and operated a shoe repair business, thought the same kind of
business would be good for Ernie, but Ernie had his heart set on selling
food. In 1937, Ernie found an old restaurant on Route 66 in Broadwell for
sale, its owner rumored to be a moonshiner. It was known as Wolf's Inn. With
a loan of $150 from his dad, Ernie at the age of 24 bought Wolf's Inn and
renamed it the Harbor Inn because the wallpaper had images of boats and
anchors. The Harbor Inn was open for mid-day plate lunches that included ham
and beans with corn bread and beef and noodles. "He started selling cold
beer by the bottle before he found out that he needed a liquor license. He
quickly applied for and was granted a state and Federal liquor license.
He was (and still is) the only person in Broadwell with a liquor license"
(p. 29).
Kaszynski provides a concise but detailed summary of how millions of
Americans were traveling to find better jobs and lives during the
Depression (pp. 27-28). The author notes that some people burned corn rather
than coal because it was cheaper. At his mother's suggestion, Ernie decided
to build a small "filling station" next to the restaurant. Ernie bought some
cheap lumber, and then he, his dad, and brother built the station, selling 7
gallons of Mobile gas for $1.00 in 1937. Soon, Ernie was approached by and
struck a deal with the founder of Cities Service, who lived in Bloomington,
IL.
The Harbor Inn was becoming popular. Ernie tried catering for a short time,
but abandoned it as being too involved. While Ernie's brother, Joe, worked the
filling station, their mother helped Ernie with the restaurant. They began
to experiment with new menu items to give variety to the locals who often
ate chicken at home and wanted other kinds of food in restaurants. Ernie's
mother, Naomi, had worked for Ray of Ray's chili, and she began to make her
own chili for the restaurant. Naomi also encouraged Ernie to try making ham
sandwiches.
At
the Kroger store in Lincoln, the manager, "Pop" Hanlan told Ernie that fresh
ham was cheaper than cured ham. Ernie, of course, chose the cheaper fresh
ham. Pop also had a great story of why the ham from the hog's left hip is
more tender than the ham from the right hip. This story is just one of
many that make this book a must-read for Route 66 fans and others interested
in the history of American popular culture in the 20th century. Kaszynski
also relates the story of how one of Ernie's old farmer customers ("a lean
tough old buzzard and looked the spitting image of Abe Lincoln himself") was
the key to naming the "pig-hip" ham sandwich. These stories became "a boon
to Ernie's business for the remainder of his life" (p. 33).
The book describes how the pig-hip sandwich was prepared from 20-pound fresh
hams that were baked for a certain number of hours at a specific temperature.
"One of his most popular items, naturally, was the 'Pig-Hip' Special, which
came with a Pig-Hip sandwich, French fries and Jell-O salad and cost 65
cents" (p. 35). Anther popular sandwich was a steakburger.
As indicated in the photo caption below, Ernie's new ham sandwich was so popular
that he changed the name of his restaurant:
|
5: A Classic Early Scene on
Route 66
Next, Chapter Two describes Ernie's decision to abandon the idea of
franchising in favor of establishing a second restaurant. In 1940, he bought
the Spanish Gables, a tavern at the southwest corner of Fourth and
Washington Streets in Lincoln, across from the Postville Park. Right after
he bought this property, Ernie found himself in trouble with Gus Belt, the
Bloomington entrepreneur who was just starting his Steak 'n Shake empire.
Belt was unhappy that he lost out on buying the Spanish Gables and threatened to
take Ernie to court for using a black and white color scheme in Ernie's new
place. Before long, Belt realized that his case was groundless and apologized to Ernie.
Belt's slogan "In sight, it must be right" resulted from his
restaurant's kitchens being open to the customers' view, and Ernie decided to come up a slogan
of his own for his Pig-Hip sandwich: "They made their way by the way they're
made." Someone suggested Ernie name his new restaurant the TIZ-IT, and he
liked this name because it is spelled the same forward and backward
(anagram).
6: This Building Endures as a
Private Residence
Kaszynski identifies many of the other eateries, gas stations, and tourist
cabins found in the neighborhood of the TIZ-IT (although he does not mention
my Grandfather H.F. Wilson's grocery store on Business Route 66 near the
corner of Washington and Fifth Streets). The rest of this chapter tells how Ernie furnished his restaurants, which
suppliers he used, and how he treated his employees with respect and
fairness. Kaszynski provides information about the history of Route 66 in
the 1930s and describes several highway and train accidents of this period as
recalled by Ernie. |
Chapter
Three: Wartime and the Postwar Boom (pages 49-72)
This chapter opens with a concise account of the shortages at the beginning
of WW II that led to the failure of many businesses, including gas stations.
In 1942, there were two lanes added to Route 66 because of its strategic
military status. "A portion of the Pig-Hip's property was in the path of the
new road. Ernie's house was sold and moved to Elkhart [south of Broadwell]
and his restaurant and small filling station also had to be demolished. . .
. Ernie built a new restaurant with the funds he received from the
government on a short stretch of road that was added to the west of the
military lane in 1943 and kept running the TIZ-IT by day and the new Pig-Hip
by night" (pp. 50-51). Before Ernie went into the Army in 1943, he sold the
TIZ-IT, whose location had changed to the intersection of the Route 66
bypass and state Routes 121 and 10, to Joe Eimer for $5,000.00. Eimer also
owned the Maid Rite in Lincoln and renamed the TIZ-IT the TIZ-RITE. Ernie
sold the Pig-Hip to his parents in case he did not return from the war.
Before he went into the Army, Ernie and his wife, Loeta, took three
vacations to California and back on Route 66 in their 1941 Ford convertible.
During the war, Ernie was an Army cook in the South Pacific and then Japan.
7: Former Landmark at the
Four Corners
[Note: The arms were mechanical and waved.]
After the war, the Edwards family expanded its business activity. Ernie's
mother, using money that her son, Joe, had sent back during the war, made it
possible to build a
cement-block gas station near the Pig-Hip. This building had a grease room
and a single-bay garage. Ernie bought a wrecker, and Joe bought an Army
surplus Jeep the he modified to serve as a wrecker. The new gas station also
had a mechanical hoist. Joe operated the station. Ernie's sister, Bonnie,
and her husband, Doo, built some tourist cabins that were later enclosed,
and this motel was the Pioneer's Rest. Another business expansion for Ernie
was that he established another TIZ-IT: this time in downtown Lincoln, first
on S. Sangamon and then on S. Chicago Street in the block north of the
garment factory.
Toward the end of Chapter Three, Kaszynski reports on the various famous and
near-famous people who patronized the Pig-Hip. These included big-band
leaders such as Guy Lombardo and Wayne King, other entertainers, sports
celebrities, politicians, and the local legendary bootlegger known as
Coonhound Johnny. Some of my favorite pages in this book are those that
tell of Ernie's recollections of Coonhound Johnny, who convinced Ernie to
install pinball machines for a time. More than once, Ernie drove Coonhound
and his infamous friend, Al Capone, to the state capital, Springfield, where
the gangster apparently had business with state officials, including members
of the legislature. Ernie's chauffer service took place after Capone was
released from Federal prison in 1939 (pp. 65-66). (Mr. Kaszynski generously
gave me permission to tell these stories in this Web site, and a link to
them appears below in Works Cited.)
This chapter includes a priceless account of how Ernie met Colonel Harlan
Sanders and remained friends with him for many years. Sanders stopped at the
Pig-Hip Restaurant when he was traveling the Midwest to sell franchises. The
two men prepared chicken dinners for one another that day, and you will have
to read the account to decide which guy liked the other's chicken better.
After the war, Ernie's life became more complex. He opened another TIZ-IT
(the third) at 110 S. Sangamon Street in downtown Lincoln, and it succeeded
because of "a steady clientele of workers from the Lincoln Garment Factory
and the Stetson China Company" (p. 60). Ernie owned this third TIZ-IT
until 1953 (p. 68). After the war, Ernie and his wife became
parents, and Ernie was more aggressive in advertising his restaurants and
selling souvenirs. He also had to deal with a few burglaries and robberies.
He became an active member of the Illinois Restaurant Association and a
Justice of the Peace in Broadwell. |
Chapter
Four: Decline and Rebirth of Route 66 (pages 73-86)
During the 1960s and early 1970s, post-war prosperity continued, and the
Pig-Hip Restaurant attracted old and new customers. Locals typically ordered
more food and drink than travelers. Ernie says that in the 1970s
and 1980s, he "noticed a different sort of customer": they came in groups,
and "Ernie learned they were traveling between Chicago and St. Louis to
collect welfare in both states" (p. 84).
During this period, Ernie made some improvements to the Pig-Hip. An indoor
toilet was added after Illinois Governor Kerner's sister complained about
having to use the outhouse. There was remodeling and then more remodeling
after fires in 1965 and 1970.
|
8: Three Route 66
Edwards-Related Businesses in their Prime
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The construction of Interstate 55 reached central Illinois in the mid 1970s.
I-55 at Broadwell closely parallels old Route 66, and the overpass and
freeway exit allowed easy access to the Pig-Hip Restaurant, which was thus
spared the decline in patronage suffered by many other businesses. The
reduction in traffic on old Route 66 also brought a decrease in the number
of vehicle accidents.
A great story in this chapter tells how Ernie acquired the huge restaurant
sign of the former Ramada Inn on the Route 66 beltway in Lincoln and mounted it on top of his house
(photo #2 above). The sign remained there for several years and became a
landmark to travelers on I-55.
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9: Pig-Hip Partners
In later years, Ernie sometimes refers to himself as "the Old Coot on 66,"
and here is the story behind that nickname:
"In 1983, another well-known celebrity with national recognition entered the
Pig-Hip. Ernie did not recognize the man and went about his usual business,
served the man his meal and returned to his easy chair behind his L-shaped
glass counter. The man saw a framed picture of Emil Verban on the wall and
struck up a conversation, asking if Ernie knew Verban. Ernie replied, "Sure,
he lives just up the road, he's my best friend. I've known him all my life."
The man said, "Well, he was a pretty good ball player in his day." Ernie
nonchalantly remarked, "Well, no, not really, he got to be in the majors
because so many people were out for wartime service." A few days later, the
man (who turned out to be columnist Mike Royko), wrote an article for the
Chicago Tribune about the sorry nature of the Chicago Cubs and its
long-suffering fans. He mentioned his encounter with 'the old coot in the
rocking chair' at the Pig-Hip Restaurant in Broadwell. He was not being
derogatory, of course, and ended with, 'When you're a Cub, not even your
best friend will stick up for you!' Ernie liked the column so well that he
started referring to himself as 'the Old Coot on 66' ever since" (p. 84).
Within a few years of the decommissioning of Route 66 in 1985, its fans
began a movement to revive interest in the Mother Road. In 1989, Ernie
joined other Illinois residents such as Tom Teague, Springfield artist Bob
Waldmire, and Bob Borowiak in forming the Illinois Route 66 Association. |
Chapter 5: Retirement
(pages 87-92)
"By 1990, the Pig-Hip was busier than ever despite the demise of Route 66"
(p. 87). Yet, at 74 Ernie was finding it much harder to do everything
necessary to run the business, and his aging equipment always needed repair
or replacement. The Pig-Hip Restaurant officially closed on September 9,
1991, and the owner of the Pioneer's Rest Motel, Ethel Epperheimer, closed
it as well. In the fall of 1993, Ernie and Fran had the contents of the
restaurant auctioned. The gigantic restaurant sign, originally part of the
Ramada Inn complex on the Route 66 beltline in Lincoln, was sold for $35.00.
Its removal caused $75.00 worth of damage to their house. At the time of the
publication of Ernie's biography, the sign found another home on a former
stretch of Route 66: at a Mexican restaurant at the corner of South Grand
and Dirksen Parkway in Springfield, IL. After the auction, however, Ernie
and Fran have continued to sell souvenirs.
10: "The Old
Coot on 66"
After the Pig-Hip closed, it continued to have people stop to see it,
including famous people such as Arnold Palmer and former President Carter as
well as tourists from around the world. Some who stopped were children of
parents who had patronized the Pig-Hip many years earlier. In the last few
years, Ernie has established the Pig-Hip Restaurant Musem (Ernie says he
won't correct one of his typical misspellings) and gift shop. Ernie has
managed to retrieve or duplicate some of the furnishings and decor of the
restaurant. The Illinois Route 66 Association has assisted with the
development of the "Musem" (see link below in Works Cited).
"Ernie
maintains that he lived a fascinating life and would not trade it for
anything. His parents, sister and first and second wives are all buried in
the same cemetery plot. In addition to running a restaurant for 54 years,
Ernie was Broadwell's justice of the peace for 30 years, a Mason for 52
years and was a member of the local American Legion, VFW, the Blue Lodge,
the High Twelve, served on the school board for twelve years (as president
for eight), the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the Broadwell town board for a
few years, some Democratic Party organizations, the National Restaurant
Association and the Illinois Route 66 Association. He is also involved with
the Route 66 Corridor, which receives some federal funds since its enactment
by Congress in 1999. Recently, these funds helped repair the furnace for the
Pig Hip" (pp. 90-91).
Roster of Pig-Hip Restaurant Employees
(1952-1991) (pages 93-96)
When you buy this book, you might be surprised to discover that you knew
someone who worked there. I was amazed to see that my childhood playmate and
high school classmate, Janet Sue Elkins, LCHS noble Class of 1960 Homecoming
Queen, worked there in 1960 (p. 94).
Conclusion of This Review
Pig-Hips on Route 66 is major addition to the history of Route 66.
Most likely, only crusty old English teachers like me will notice a couple
of errors in language usage (e.g., "off of" should just be "off," and state
capitol in reference to Springfield should be capital) and
inaccuracy of fact. Toward the end of Chapter 1, there is reference to the
bank closings of 1933, followed by a misleading statement: "later that year,
Ernie met Henry Ford again. Ford came to Lincoln to buy the old Postville
Courthouse. . . ." The correct year of Ford's purchase was 1929. Another
misleading statement says that "the Chicago and Alton line ran next to
Highway 66 and still exists today" (p. 38). The railroad tracks do exist
today, but to the best of my knowledge have been part of the Union Pacific
and Amtrak systems for the last 30+ years. A third example of fact error
refers to Werth's Standard service station that was located on the southwest
corner of the intersection of U.S. 66 and Illinois Routes 121 and 10 (the
"Four Corners"). The erroneous sentence says, "Today Werth's is an oil
changing and lubrication business and a place behind it that was once
Looby's is now called the Blue Inn" (p. 65). The spelling should be Blu- Inn
(building now demolished), and this restaurant was located near a Standard
service station owned by Wayne Wallace. Wallace's station was "kitty corner"
across the intersection from Werth's. The Blu-Inn was positioned not behind
Wayne Wallace's Standard station but about 200 feet to its north side.
Let me repeat for emphasis that these few fact errors certainly do not
detract from the overall appeal of the book. As my Lincolnite good friend,
Fred Blanford, likes to say, "memory is an imperfect tool." Fred also likes
to quote his late father-in-law, the charismatic Lincoln dentist Dr. James
"Jimmy" Coogan: "Why let a few facts get in the way of a good story?"
The only thing the reader of Pig-Hips on Route 66 will regret is that
there are not more stories and more photos. Since Ernie's biography
includes references to pinball machines in his establishments, I hope he
will not mind my expressing an interest in knowing more about his dealings
with them. Specifically, one of the stories I would have liked to see in
Ernie's biography relates to the most bizarre trial ever held in the Logan
County Courthouse--the pinball machine trial of 1950-51 that followed the
controversial state-wide State Police gambling raids ordered by legendary
Illinois Governor Adlai Ewing Stevenson II. The State Police raided many
businesses in Lincoln, Illinois, on October 11, 1950, and confiscated
several truckloads of gambling machines. After several weeks of a trial of
certain business owners for having illegal gambling equipment, Judge Frank
S. Bevan "allowed Assistant Attorney General Baird Helfrich to set up a
pinball machine in open court to demonstrate its operation as he presented
witnesses for the State. The machine, which was tagged as seized from the
Tizit [sic] Restaurant, Lincoln, of which Ernest Edwards is
proprietor, was installed in the courtroom by four state highway policemen
who had made their fourth trip to Lincoln to testify on their pinball
investigations" (Courier, January 10, 1951, p. 1). Ernie was
apparently not one of the proprietors charged or called to testify, but it
would be interesting to know his story of whether the courtroom pinball
machine was from the TIZ-IT and if so how that came to be and why Ernie was
not called to testify.
Soon after this review was published, the Pig-Hip Restaurant and Museum were
destroyed by fire (March 5, 2007).
11: Pig Hip Historical Marker
(Photo courtesy of Geoff Ladd)
Places to Purchase Pig-Hips on
Route 66
Abraham Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County
1555 Fifth Street
Lincoln, Illinois 62656
217-732-8687
Cozy Dog
Drive-In
2935 S. Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62703
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Works Cited and/or Suggested
Ernie Edwards remembers Coonhound Johnny and Al Capone,
http://findinglincolnillinois.com/wateringholes.html#ernieandcoonhound.
Henson, Leigh. The
Gambling Raids in Lincoln and Logan County, Illinois,
During the Late Route 66 Era (1950-1960).
Kaszynski, William. Route 66: Images of America's Main Street
(McFarland, 2003.
_______ . The American Highway: The History and Culture of Roads in
the United States (McFarland, 2000). Note: These two books of
Mr. Kaszynski are available at Amazon.com.
Luciano, Phil. "Still Kicks on Route 66," a feature article on Ernie
Edwards and the Pig-Hip Restaurant in the Peoria Journal Star,
March 3, 2003.
http://findinglincolnillinois.com/rte66atsaltcreek.html#pig-hip
"Route 66," on Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66
Teague, Tom, "He's Got a Million of 'Em:
Ernie Edwards Serves up Some Stories
from the Road," an article from the Illinois Times,
http://www.illinoistimes.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A2547
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Email comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions.
Also please email me if this Web site helps you decide to visit Lincoln,
Illinois: dlhenson@missouristate.edu
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"The Past Is But the
Prelude" |
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