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Internet Explorer is the only browser that shows this page the way it was designed.
Your computer's settings may alter the display. April 24, 2004: Awarded "Best Web Site of the Year" by the Illinois State Historical
Society "superior
achievement: serves as a model for the profession and reaches a greater
public" |
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Marquee Lights of the Lincoln Theater, est. 1923, Lincoln, Illinois |
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20. Cars, Trucks, & Gas Stations of the Route 66 Era |
| During the Routes 4 and 66 era, Lincoln, Illinois, had many more car dealers
and repair shops than today. The 1953 Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier
contains ads for the following car and truck-related businesses: |
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· Barrick Transfer and Beverage |
· Melrose Motors--Chait Brothers (Packard, Aero-Willys, Kaiser, and
Henry J) |
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20.1: Langellier's
Showroom in
(Fish, Illustrated Lincoln, 1916) |
20.2: Sheer's Carriage and Auto Repair Shop, Later Sheer's Auto Supply (Fish, Illustrated Lincoln, 1916) |
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15. Vintage Scenes of the Business & Courthouse Square Historic District contains a photo of the exterior of Langellier's first facility in the IOOF Building on McLean St.
20.3: Langellier's Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury Dealership in 1953 (Photo in Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Five, August 26, 1953, p. 16)
Note the interurban tracks in the center of Chicago Street, which was paved
brick at that time. The light color at the edge of the tracks appears
to be concrete patching. |
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20.4: Sheers Auto Supply in the Early 1960s (Photo from Beaver and Gleason, Logan County Pictorial History, p. 190) Stan Stringer, who has contributed stories about his memories of Lincoln, emailed this observation in March, 2002:
"Did you ever hear of Gene Sheer? He owned the Sheer Machine
Shop. I'm told it originally repaired buggies, wagons and farm equipment,
but when automobiles displaced buggies, they worked on cars. I only met
him after his wife died and he had retired. At that time, he entertained
children in the neighborhood by telling stories and cutting paper stars
from waxed paper. I thought of writing about him for the Lincoln Daily
News, but I doubt if there would be much to the story. He was one of
the Lincoln curmudgeons I mentioned to you." |
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20.5: Sheer's Ad
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20.6: Sheer's
Ad |
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The photos above are from Sheer's nearly one half page ad in the centennial
edition of the Lincoln Evening
Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Eight, August 26, 1953, p. 4. "Our skilled mechanics have helped us build an enviable reputation throughout central Illinois for careful, expert repairs on automobiles, trucks, tractors, and damaged items of every type and description. Adding to our reputation is Sheer's promptness and fair charges. The thousands of wrecked or broken down autos and trucks that have passed through our workshop to emerge as good as new are visible testimonials to the quality of our service and the guaranteed parts we use." Original Sheers Business and Location The following photos show Sheers operation before the auto replaced horse-pulled wagons and carriages. Sheers was then at the location of the present-day postoffice on the southeast corner of Broadway and McLean Streets. Click on each image for a larger version in a new window. Then, click again for an even larger version. When you view the largest possible image of the second photo, you will be able to read the signs and see buggies and sleds. The large, round sign on the side of the building toward the rear advertises the Carter White Lead Company. For info on manufacturer, see http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/research/manuscripts/business/carter-lead.htm. In the largest version of the second photo, you can also barely see the cannon on the courthouse lawn. You will not see any parking meters. Today, there are about four parking meters in front of the post office, the previous front footage of Sheers. Undated photos courtesy of the late Fred Blanford.
20.7--8: Sheers in Horse and Buggy Days Vehicles from the Peak of the Route 66 Era (1953-1954)
20.9: 1954 Hudson
from Lincoln Evening Courier Ad of |
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20.10: Nash Ambassador
From ad of Schroeder Nash Sales, 404 17th Street in Lincoln
Evening Courier, October 30, 1953, p. 5. |
20.11:
Studebaker Starlight
From ad of Mel Wiggers Auto Sales, Corner of Fifth
and Logan [Business Route 66], Lincoln Evening
Courier, October, 1953.
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20.12: Ambulances Are
From the ad of Wright's Funeral Home in the Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier, Section Seven, August 26, 1953, p. 2. |
20.13: Packard
From the ad of Melrose Motors--Chait Brothers--in the Centennial Edition of
the Lincoln Evening Courier, Section Eight, August 26, 1953, p. 5. |
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20.14: Henry J From the ad of Melrose Motors--Chait Brothers--in the Centennial Edition of the Lincoln Evening Courier, Section Eight, August 26, 1953, p. 5. |
20.15: Plymouth From ad of Pemberton Motor Co., 214 N. Chicago St., in Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Two, August 26, 1953, p.10. |
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From ad for McMullan Motors in Lincoln Evening Courier,
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20.17: Sandel's at the Farm Service Station From ad for
Sandel's Service, Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition,
Section Four, August 26, 1953, p. 16. Note: Sandel's was also a
dealer for Evinrude outboard marine motors. |
20.18: GMC Pickup Truck From ad for Hoagland Transfer, Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Section Seven, August 26, 1953, p. 15.
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20.19:
1950s Squad Car, Citizen, Cop, and (Photo by Mike Hamilton and sent by Fred Blanford) The above photo also shows storefronts on Broadway Street in the background. On the courthouse lawn are the Civil War statue monument and the Indian mother statue with drinking fountain (over top of Chevy convertible). Note: Months after this Web site was published, I was browsing microfilm of the Courier from around 1954, and I came upon an item that may explain the photo of 20.17. The item said that when the traffic lights were first installed at Pulaski and Kickapoo, cops were on duty to be sure drivers saw and heeded the new lights. Fred Blanford offers the following account, 2-9-03, when he emailed the above photo to 160+ alums of Lincoln Community High School: "This scan of a Mike
Hamilton pic again reflects law enforcement/safety measures of the 50's here
in our 'home' community. Some detail is lost from the original scan when it
is 'compressed' for email. |
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Business Route 66 Gas Stations (and
One Tire Store) in
Lincoln, Illinois |
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20.20: Gilbert (Gib) Wilson at His
Shell Station, Business Route 66, (Photo provided by Gib Wilson) Click this link to
access
a
list of gas-service stations from the 1941 city directory. |
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20.21: Wayne Perry's Standard at
(Photo provided by D.D. Welch and |
20.22: Jim's Phillips 66 at
Logan and Broadway (Photo provided by D.D. Welch and |
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20.23: B&B Tire on 100 North Logan Street (Business Route 66) (Photo provided by D.D. Welch. Note the same '59 Ford in other photos by Mr. Welch. His wheels?) |
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More Downtown Scenes
20.24: Shell Station on Pulaski Street in 1955 (Photo provided by Fred Blanford) Fred says the station was owned by Mitchell, Cecil, and Hudkins. The photo has several noteworthy features, including brick pavement. The truck at the right has "Lincoln Laundry" on its rear doors. In the background, several landmark buildings of the railway and Route 66 eras are apparent. At the far left, a very small part can be seen of the Howard (Commercial) Hotel. Immediately next to the right is the old ITS (interurban) depot. Spellman's office building is next to the right, and farther to the right is the Spellman elevator. One irony of the picture is it shows the gas station and the interurban depot together. The gas station is doing business, but the depot was not used by the interurban at that time, as the sign above the two windows on the second story appears to include the name of Spellman. The automobile was the main reason for the decline and fall the interurban. Fred writes, "The Hudson pickup [below] and the preceding photo of the Shell station have a connection, as Fred Blanford explains in an email of 10-20-02. I quote him below (unedited in order to preserve the distinct flavor of his style):
The previous pic was of the Shell station on the corner of Pulaski and S. Chicago. As
noted, the Commercial Hotel has since burned. On the North end of the
Commercial Hotel was the Commercial Restaurant (?) or whatever -- that had a
side entrance in common with the Hotel Lobby. The eating establishment was
operated by Slim Cole for many years. (Daughters Linda & Anita were classes
about 61 and 64 respectively) Just to the North of the entrance for the
eating establishment -- was a small |
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20.25: Pre-WW II Hudson Pickup Truck (Photo provided by Fred Blanford) |
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20:26: Pulaski Street on the Square in 1941 (Photo in Paul Beaver and Paul Gleason, Logan County Pictorial History, p. 193) This scene
is just two block east of the one of 20.24. The above photo shows
remarkable contrasts -- the truck (apparently a ten-wheeler) among the cars;
the car behind the truck older than most of the other cars; and
simultaneously two styles of streetlights on the square. The building
to the right of Sears occupies the lot once owned by Abraham Lincoln.
To its right is the Arcade Building. |
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20.27: Dell Rogers' Deep Rock at Pekin and Kickapoo Streets (Photo provided by D.D. Welch and Norm Schroeder) 20.28: Clapper's on Kickapoo Street in Mid 1950s Photo by Mike Hamilton and emailed by Fred Blanford. Clapper's offered tires for your car, tv's and appliances for your house. Notice the reflection of the Lincoln Theater in Clapper's large, plate-glass window. Can you identify the businesses to the left (on the other side of the alley)?
20.29: Night View of Clapper's Appliances and Tires on Kickapoo Street in the 1950s (Photo provided by Fred Blanford) |
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Car Businesses of Routes 10 & 121 on Seventeenth
Street--Woodlawn Road
20.30: Route-66 Era Auto Business in a Spanish-Style Building at 404 17th Street Elm Street "north ended" at Seventeenth Street, and Schroeder Nash was located on the north side of Seventeenth and Elm. This business was adjacent to the old LCHS football, track, and baseball fields. Mary Baldin Moore, who provided the above photo, wrote the following history: "I am attaching a picture of Turner's Garage (operated by Ed Turner) taken in 1970, shortly before it closed. It had formerly been Schroeder Nash Sales, I believe, in the middle or late 1950's. (This is a snapshot given to me by Ray Turner, Ed's son, who worked with his father in the garage). As a side note, this building is now painted a couple of shades of purple with chartreuse trim, the old house on the corner of the property is a mustardy yellow with burgundy trim, another building is chartreuse with orange trim and an orange door, and a garage has a large flag painted on the side. This is all the result of the homeowners in the area blocking the owners from selling the property for commercial use.... they maintained the area should remain residential, stating that these buildings could be painted up and would be perfectly OK. The owners complied!!!! This happened several years ago, and the colors have mellowed some." Note: I spotted a
story in lincolndailynews.com (February 11, 2003) that said these buildings
would soon be demolished. Mary Baldin Moore captured the picture below just prior
to demolition. |
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20.31:
Spanish Architecture in Psychedelic Decor: |
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Gasing up Across the Street from Schroeder Nash Sales
20.32: Shell Station at Elm and 17th Streets, 1955 (Photo provided by Fred Blanford)
Fred writes, "I don't know that
I have seen any pics that really give the full flavor
of 17th Street. It was a scant two lanes -- and -- wasn't parking allowed
along the way -- at least by the football field? The attached pic is of
the Shell Station that was located on the corner of Elm & 17th -- just
opposite the ticket office main gate for the football field. This was
still operating when we were there -- as I seem to recall stopping for an
occasional coke to take with on the long walk back to the HS after
running cross-country practice. Of course -- you had to pay a deposit on
the bottle. Gwen Lisk Koda, in email correspondence to 150+ LCHS alums (10-28-02), reports that the owner of the station had a parakeet trained to say, "Buy Shell or go to hell!" The precocious bird also could say, "Pretty girl, give me a kiss." Gwen recalls one of her friends did try to give the bird a kiss and was badly bitten on the lip. Gwen has made me promise not to reveal the identity of the embarrassed victim. |
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The Rods of
Larry "Jughead" Malerich, LCHS Class of 1959 |
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20.33: Jug's 1937 Ford Coupe |
20.34:
Jug's 1934 Ford Coupe |
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In an email of April, 2004, to 270+ LCHS alums, Fred Blanford writes, "In Jug's case, he
represented the wave of the future. He had two vehicles--one for normal
transportation--the left photo--a 1937 Ford Coupe while the right photo
represented the "off-road" vehicle of the 50's--a car modified for drag
racing. Jug informs me it was a 1934 Ford Coupe. Off-road vehicles are
very BIG today. He informs "they" were very successful in the good old
days. They is meant to include his "partner" in the drag adventure--Ron
Koester--forgive if I have misspelled the name. Ron was from one of the
outlying communities--like NewHollandMiddletown or HartsburgEmden.
Allegiances were very localized in the 50's--not world-wide as they are
today. The difference of a few miles was a lifetime. Ron ended up married
to the girl that sat behind me in Spanish 1--Luanne Lohrenz (again forgive
any spelling errors) with whom he had a very full life. |
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Gentle readers, I mean no disrespect by including
the following images, but their type was part of the Route 66 era.
Also, if you think these images are politically incorrect, why, you must not
have seen the kinds of calendars that adorned the walls in the back rooms of
repair shops. So, actually, what you see here is not exactly Norman
Rockwell, but it was semi-respectable calendar art for its time.
20.35 |
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20.36: 1949 Captain's Daughter |
20.37: 1946 Billy Devorss Calendar |
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(20.34-35 offered on eBay.com but not purchased by the
author) |
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Sources
Suggested · "Transportation Notes for 1980" lists "iron" bridges demolished and others remaining, pp. 30-31. · Photos of Wright Brothers airplane landing near Mt. Pulaski, 1910; "last horsedrawn cab with Bill Madigan. First motorized cab with Thomas (Sas) Madigan"; covered bridge over Salt Creek, early 1900s; "last Illinois Terminal Railroad System--Chicago Street, 1962"; bridge identified as "Eminence n. 18 SW 1/4 Sec. 9 Sugar Creek 'Gilbert Bridge,'" p. 30. · "1935 tractor-trailer Merritt Stoll, driver" (Photo is related to article on Armour's Creameries, and photo shows load of chickens) Gehlbach, Nancy Lawrence. "Cars. . . and
Drivers." Our Times. vol. 3, no. 4, winter, 1998. · Sections on "The Lincoln Speedway," "The Lincoln Automobile," Recollections of Bob Graue, Maxine Amberg [Seggelke], Marge Coogan Blanford and Fred Blanford Gleason, Paul E. Lincoln, Illinois: A Pictorial History. St. Louis, MO: G. Bradley Publishing, 1998: · Photo of Logan County Sheriff's car (Ford) (1953 or '54) · Photo of midget racing cars, p. 144 · Various photos of street scenes showing cars of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s Gleason, Paul E., and Paul J. Beaver, Logan County,
Illinois: A Pictorial History. St. Louis, MO: · Photos of McCormick and Fink auto dealers, pp. 96-97 · 1960s photo of Sheer's Auto Supply, p. 190 · Photo of Bob Sanders and service station, 1929 Mr. Gleason's material used in this Web site is with permission from the G. Bradley Publishing Company, 461 Des Peres Road, St. Louis, MO 63131. Call 1-800-966-5120 to inquire about purchasing Lincoln: A Pictorial History (1998) (200 pages of rare photos and text) or Logan County Pictorial History (2000) (also 200 pages of rare photos and text). Visit http://gbradleypublishing.com/. Lincoln Evening Courier, Centennial Edition, Wednesday, August 27, 1953: · Photo of Mrs. Belle Schott with her 1920 Ford sedan, which she had owned and driven for 33 years, section 3, p. 4. · "Illico Oil Company Organized in 1904," Section
Five, p.
2. |
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Email comments, corrections, questions, or suggestions.
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"The Past Is But the Prelude" |
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