Free previewStop 8 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Cafe That Chased the Highway
You're in Litchfield, pulled up along Old Route 66, in front of the Ariston Cafe. Before you head inside, take a look at the front of the building. See how the top edge of the wall curves instead of running flat? That's the parapet. Now look at the brick below it, laid in more than one pattern, as if the builders wanted to show off a little. They had reason to. This building was a bet on a road.
The man who made that bet was Pete Adam, a Greek immigrant and a restaurant man. In 1924 he opened a cafe in Carlinville, about 20 miles from here, on a highway called Route 4. He named it the Ariston, from the Greek word for "the best." Two years later, in 1926, Route 4 became part of something new: U.S. Route 66.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 8 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
