Free previewStop 7 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Hot Dog That Needed a Better Name
You've pulled in at 2935 South Sixth Street in Springfield, the old Route 66 through the state capital, and the low building in front of you is the Cozy Dog Drive In. Once you're parked, look for the Cozy Dog logo: two hot dogs in a loving embrace. That hug is the end of this story. It started with a much worse name.
The man behind it was Ed Waldmire. He sold a snack at a USO club and at the base PX, the store on a military base. It was a hot dog coated in cornmeal batter. And it was called the crusty cur.
A cur is a mutt, a scruffy dog, and a crusty one sounds about right for a snack sold on a base. But when Ed returned to Springfield, his wife, Virginia Waldmire, gave her verdict.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 7 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge (2 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
