Dixie Truckers Home - McLean, Illinois
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 40° 18.621 W 089° 10.126
16T E 315708 N 4464460
Neon signs for a Route 66 mainstay in McLean, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WM1A7Y
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 03/12/2007
Views: 60
In
1928 J.P. Walters and John Geske rented a quarter of a mechanic's garage on
Route 66 to sell sandwiches to the passing truckers and travelers. They had 6
stools in their fledging restaurant. By the mid-1930's the establishment had
evolved into a full fledged restaurant and they had added cabins in back along
with cattle pens so that transported cattle could be exercised.
The Dixie burned in 1965 but that did not stop John Geske, he pulled one of his
cabins up and operated from it, with only a few hours of interrupted service.
The current Dixie Truckers Home was completed in 1967. The restaurant also hosts
the Route 66 Hall of Fame with memorabilia about Route 66.
The Dixie was operated by John's daughter and son-in-law after he had retired
however John still came by to check on things even when he was in his late 90's.
The Dixie Truckers Home closed in 2003 after John Geske's death and the family
ran into financial difficulties. The restaurant has since been sold is back in
operation.