Wilmington's Gemini Giant-- Part 3

Back in late March and early April I wrote about how the famed Muffler Man called the Gemini Giant was able to be saved for the City of Wilmington, Illinois.  This is the rest of the article.

Businesses along Route 66 needed a way to stand out among the competition, and many bought the large, fiberglass statues for advertising.

These statues included lumberjacks, cowboys and eventually became roadside attractions in themselves.  They later earned the nickname "Muffler Men" from the founders of the travel website RoadsideAmerica.com, who had seen some of the statues holding mufflers.

A former owner of the Wilmington, Illinois, restaurant The Dairy Delight, later renamed it The Launching Pad, bought the Gemini Giant in 1965, where it remained, said Joe Baker, founder of American Giants, a company dedicated to finding the statues and sharing their stories.

It has become one of the most  famous and photographed Muffler Men, he said, and last remaining spaceman statue.

--RoadMuffler

Along 66, June 2019: Talking Big Jack Rabbit

JUNE 13--  The Big Jack Rabbit  from the Jack Rabbit Trading Post near Joseph City, Arizona, has been restored. It is 34-years-old and new coat of paint has been put on the fiberglass structure.  Also repaired were the steps up to the saddle.

All this is to honor the 79th anniversary of the esteemed place.

It is an oft-photographed thing, second only to the "Here It Is" billboard.

James Taylor built the Jack Rabbit Trading Post on Route 66 in 1949.  Glen Blansett bought it in 1967 and passed it on to his son and daughter-in-law who sold it to their daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Tony Jaquer.

That Wascally Wabbit!!  --RoadRab

Along the Lincoln Highway, July 2018: Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco

Continued from the last post.

There were Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco barns in twenty-two states (mostly in the Midwest).  Farmers who had the ads placed on their barns were modestly compensated by the Wheeling, West Virginia, based tobacco company.

They employed painters.  One of whom was Harley Warrick of Ohio who estimates he painted 20,000 barns over his long career.  Hus retirement marked the end of the Mail Pouch barn-painting era.

One of the remaining Mail Pouch signs is in Marshall County, Indiana.  Her family has owned the farm, six miles east of Plymouth, since 1890.    She readily acknowledged that the barn was in bad shape and she was debating options of what to do with it.

On Tuesday, July 17, she found a 7 by 21-foot section of the barn gone.

Sign Stealers On the Loose.  --RoadDog

Along the Lincoln Highway, 2018: Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco

JULY 18  In Marshall County, Indiana, an old Mail Pouch barn advertising mural was stolen.    It was seven tall and twenty-four feet long.  It was located just off Lincoln Highway near Gumwood.

Also in July, a massive tornado ripped through Marshalltown, Iowa, causing much damage.

JULY 21--  Many decades ago, the Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco Company began an advertising campaign placing their message on the sides of barns in rural areas.   Between 1891 and 1962 they were put up, urging chewers to "Treat Yourself To The Best."

They featured bold white lettering, with the brand name in yellow that stood in contrast with the red or black barn siding..

--RoadDog

Around a Curve--Lickety-Split--Beautiful Car--Wasn't It?

Some of you just might know what the fifth part of this says, something about B.S., as in.......


BURMA SHAVE.

From the September 13th Canton Rep (Ohio) "Gary Brown: How many of you remember Burma Shave signs?" I've seen most of these little sayings, but always enjoy them, so here we go.

Of course, along the road, there would be five signs, the fifth one always with the obligatory Burma Shave logo.

Don't Stick Your Elbow-- Out So Far-- It May Go Home-- In Another Car-- Burma Shave


Drove Too Long-- Driver Snoozing-- What happened Next-- Is Not Amusing-- Burma Shave


She Kissed the Airbrush-- By Mistake-- She Thought It Was-- Her Husband Jake-- Burma Shave


Midnight Ride-- Of Paul for Beer-- Led to a Warmer-- Hemisphere-- Burma Shave


Hardly a Driver-- Is Now Alive-- Who passed On Hill-- At 75-- Burma Shave

The first ones came out in 1927 and they were quite popular in the 30s and 40s. They were small red signs about a hundred feet apart.

The Dumb Old RoadDog-- Typed a Blog-- Got Sore Fingers-- Now Can't Bend 'Em-- BurmaNet

Berwyn Pushing Their Bungalows

This story goes back to late July, but is of interest. The July 22nd Chicago Tribune Real Estate section had a column by Mary Umberger about Berwyn's $131,000 campaign to attract new people to the city. A big part of this effort centers around that most Chicago of home, the bungalow.

"If the bungalow belt had a buckle, it would be Berwyn." Block after block in Berwyn consists of this type of home. Berwyn claims to have the largest concentration of bungalows anywhere. Fourteen billboards were rented in Chicago "to extoll the virtues of the suburb, population 65,000." A cable campaign was also taken out on the Home & Garden Network.

It is estimated that there are 20,000 households in the city and a large majority are bungalows. Plus, Berwyn is just 8 miles from downtown Chicago.

"Bungalow-style housing proliferated in the Chicago area roughly between 1910 and 1940. They evolved as working-class housing and are typically brick, with 1 or 1 and a half stories. In some neighborhoods, they have become so coveted that they lost their 'working-class' connection."

Median price of homes in Berwyn was $245,000 between December and February.

Of course, Berwyn is proud of its Route 66 heritage and has banners the whole length of the road through town. However, sadly, Walgreens is forcing the removal of the "Spindle" which may already be down as I haven't heard anything about it. Let's hope that another site can be found for it. It is quite the tourist attraction although there are those who think it is ugly.

But, sadly, the only thing I can think of when I hear the name Berwyn is when TV's Svenghouli, host of cheesy horror movies and even cheesier talk,  says "Berwyn" and from off-camera comes the response "BERWYN!!!!"

Berwyn Bungalows Are Best. --RoadDog