Neon Sign on 66

Lexington in Lights: A Route 66 Landmark

In the early 1920s, Lexington, Illinois found itself on the cusp of transformation. With the rise of automobile travel and the construction of Route 4—what would become Route 66—Lexingtonians envisioned a future shaped by traffic and opportunity. In a 1922 editorial, the Unit Journal captured the town's spirit: “There are some big things and many little things that can be done... which will bring favorable and lasting impressions.” Among these was a call for a grand archway greeting visitors with “Welcome” and bidding them farewell with “Goodbye—Come Again.”

Though this early vision was never realized, the dream lingered.

It wasn’t until 1946—25 years later—that the Lexington Community Club took the initiative to create a unique sign to welcome travelers in Lexington. With funding from local pledges, they commissioned a striking neon sign: 9.5 feet long and 18 inches tall, glowing with civic pride. It was erected at the corner of Route 66 and Main Street, a beacon for travelers and a symbol of Lexington’s optimism.

The neon sign became a familiar landmark until Route 66 was eventually decommissioned. For years, the sign fell into disrepair. But as the 21st century began, the city restored the sign’s light, rekindling the warm glow of that postwar dream.

Today, it stands not just as a relic, but as a bridge between the past and the future.