First Stop Light
By John & Lenore Weiss
As the story goes…
During the early days of Route
66, very few electric stop and go
lights existed on Route 66. It said
that the first electric stop and go
light encountered after leaving Chicago and Joliet was located at Route
47 in Dwight. The next light was located in Pontiac 20 miles away at
Route 116.
Illinois
Joliet
Joliet To
Elwood
The Flat Tire
By John & Lenore Weiss
Produced & Printed In The USA • Keeping You On The Mother Road • 2012-2013
JOLIET AREA
As the story goes…
The famous singer, Nat King Cole,
was traveling with his wife and children on Route 66. Near the community of Cayuga, their automobile
had a flat tire. They sat on the side
of the road for some time as traffic
flowed past. No one had any idea of
who was in this disabled car. Finally
a farmer from Odell came along. He
stopped to help. He changed the tire
for them. Mrs. Cole tried to pay this
Good Samaritan, but he refused the
offer. The Cole family asked his name
and where he lived. With a wave, Nat
King Cole and family continued on
their way down Route 66.
But the story does not end there.
A couple of weeks later the helpful
farmer was surprised when a truck
pulled up and delivered one of those
new contraptions called a television
set. It was a gift from the Cole family.
It’s also interesting to note, that
it was Nat King Cole who first recorded the hit song, “Get your kicks
on Route 66”.
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