Uniquely Springfield-- Part 9: Mel-O-Cream Donuts

You can get your Kicks on 66, but for a sugar fix you should go to Mel-O-Cream which has been making those delicious morsels in Springfield for over 80 years.  You can get cake donuts, cream-filled donuts, old fashioned, iced donuts, glazed donuts, apple fritters, long johns, cinnamon twists and donut holes and lots of different types of each of these.

Their iced donuts are only second to Britt's Donuts in Carolina Beach, N.C., but there you can have any kind of donut you want as long as it is a white glazed one.

There are four locations in Springfield to tempt you and are frequently winners in the Best Donut category in Illinois Times' Best of Springfield awards.

I go to the one at 3010 S. Sixty Street which is a short distance north of the Route 66 Hotel and Convention Center.  Quite often, I walk over to this place for morning sweets.  And, believe me, they are real good.

I just found out there is a Mel-O-Cream Donuts place in Lincoln, Illinois.  I'll keep that in mind the next time in town.

--RoadDonut

Along 66, Nov. 2019: Sonrise Donuts Sign in Springfield, Illinois

Yep, it's correctly spelled Sonrise.

Eventually the half of the sign at Ace Sign Co. will be at a Springfield Signature  Spot to m ark the city's 66 sites.

Brian Figuera established   Sonrise Donuts in 1947 and the sign was put up in 1949.  Don "Donuts" Greenslade, a former employee,  bought the place in 1967 and at one time made more than 400 varieties a day.  he ran it until he died in 1998.

Several different places have tried to open there, but none lasted too long.  Liz and I did get to eat  breakfast there one time (but no donuts).

No Donuts For YOU!!!  --RoadDog

Along 66, November 2019: Update on Springfield's Sonrise Donuts Sign-- Part 1

These are from the Route 66 News site.  I just take the ones of most interest to me, but there are a whole lot more.  If you want to know what is going on along our favorite old road this is the site you want to check out.

NOVEMBER 1--   The Sonrise Donuts neon sign in Springfield glows to life for the first time in decades.

The Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, Illinois,restored the double-sided sign  after the city purchased it at auction for $22,000 back in December 2018.

It had been on the roof at 1055 S. Ninth St. (Route 66) for nearly 70 years.  It was removed by the building's new owner who wants to open a Mexican restaurant.  The sign would cause confusion with its customers.

Ace Sign Co. has its own little neon sign museum  which includes some which were on Route 66.  One side will remain in the museum located at 2540 S. First Street, for now.   The other side will be going to the Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill at 600 Toronto Road (south of the city).

--RoadDog

Along 66, December 2018: Springfield, Illinois Pushing Route 66

News from Along Route 66.

DECEMBER 23--  Springfield, Illinois, is developing a larger plan for 66 tourism.  The recent purchase of the Sonrise Donut sign is part of it.  They are doing this with an eye toward the 2026 Centennial Celebration of the Mother Road.

The sign is being restored by Ace Sign Co. of Springfield.

I'm thinking they probably have enough old signs by now that they might be able to open a museum of their own.

Of course, the city missed out greatly when they didn't acquire Bill Shea's place, but the opening of Motorheads, south of town is a step in the right direction.

--RoadDog

Along 66, December 2018: Sonrise Donuts Sign in Sptingfield, Illinois

DECEMBER 12--  Sonrise Donuts sign in Springfield, Illinois,  is being auctioned off.  The sign is nearly 70 years old and very striking.  The building it sits atop in a non-doughnut tenant and no longer wants it there as people keep coming in asking for you-know-whats.

One side of it is now at $3,000 and the other at $2,500.

The sign, located at 1101 S. Ninth Street (Route 66 alignment) has been off for many years.

Sonrise Donuts closed in 1998 after the death of long-tern owner Don "Donuts" Greenslade.  Sonrise opened in 1947 by Byron Figuera, who bought the sign two years later..  Greenslade was a former employee, bought the business in 1967 and at one point made over 400 varieties of donuts a day.

The sign shows a rising sun with the words "SONRISE DONUTS  Famous For  Coffee Bar."

--RoadDog

News From Along Route 66, August 2016:

AUGUST 21--  Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a bill allowing for Route 66 motorcycle plates.

AUGUST 22--  Tauqueria Moroleon, a Mexican restaurant, has moved into the old Sonrise Donut building in Springfield, Illinois.  You know, the place with that neat old neon sign that has been closed more than it has been open ever since we've been doing Route 66.   However, we once did catch it open and ate there.It features a horseshoe-shaped formica lunch counter.  Sonrise Donuts was the first doughnut and coffee shop in Springfield and open from 1947 to 1998.

AUGUST 23--  KSDK TV in St. Louis ran a two minute clip on Rich Henry in Staunton, Illinois.  he has been at his Route 66 and rabbit place for over 20 years now.  His place is located at 1106 Historic Old Rt. 66.

He was a big reason we got "hooked" on Route 66 when we stopped by his place on our first trip on Route 66 in 2002.

Wonder If the Tauqueria Serves Horseshoes?  --RoadDog

Sitting Here At the Munger-Moss Motel-- Part 17: Those Wonderful Springfield Stoplights

APRIL 26, TUESDAY

**  Continental breakfast in the lobby, then over to Wal-Mart, across the road.  I love going to landscaping nurseries this early in spring.  It means winter is over.  Later, I went to Mel-O-Cream, a real Springfield treat, for a donut and coffee.

**  Drove Route 66 out of Springfield and caught nearly every one of their many, many, many stoplights red.  Sure made my day.

**  Got on I-55 north of Sherman and stayed on it to Atlanta.  We had never gotten off at the Atlanta exit from I-55, and it was a bit confusing and strange looking for a bit.  We were able to find main street without much difficulty (small town, you know).

**  We went to the  Palms Grill Cafe.  Atlanta is a town that really pushes its Route 66 heritage and this is a big example of it.  The place was a mainstay of the town for decades before closing.  It has been renovated to look as it did in the 1940s.  a real trip back into time.

--RoadDog

Lincoln Log--Little Town, Big Heart--Crime Wave Hits Lincoln Highway

Some recent articles concerning the Lincoln Highway that I came across.

A SMALL TOWN WITH A BIG HEART

The small Indiana town of Hannah, near LaPorte, with population of 450, sounds like a definite Hee Haw Salute to me, is planning a big to do to celebrate its 150th anniversary next year. August 8-10th have been slated for the festivities.

The first settlers arrived in 1839 and it was surveyed and incorporated in 1858. The town was hurt badly in 1958 by the opening of the new US-30 which drew people away from the old Lincoln Highway. The old Yellowstone Trail also went through the town.

A group has organized to plan the celebration which might include a car rally, race, and some sort of a bicycle thing.

October 6 Herald-Argus "Hannah's having a party" by Derek Smith

CRIME WAVE ON LINCOLN HIGHWAY (Or the Case of the "Smushed" Donut)

Lancaster County, Pa., was stunned last Wednesday by the Great Donut Caper. A 39 year-old woman was arrested for stealing a donut from a grocery store at 1603 Lincoln Highway East.

The woman hid the donut down the back of her pants (Yuck!) and left the store without paying the required 44 cents. She was also arrested for an outstanding warrant for parole violation.

Police described the donut as "smushed."

From Dom's Weird News Blog. I also saw mention of it elsewhere.  Risk getting arrested for 44 cents.  Must have been really hungry.  "Smushed?"

Just When You Thought the News Could Not Get Any Worse. --RoadDog

Seven-Eleven Becomes Kwik-E-Mart for Simpsons

Well...not all of them, just 12 (11 in the US and 1 in Canada). These stores have been made to look like the Kwik-E-Mart owned by Apu on the Simpsons TV show. All 6000 plus 7-11s will be selling pink with sprinkles doughnuts, Buzz Cola, Krusty Os cereal, special editions (#711 get it!) Radioactive Man comic books, and Squishee frozen drinks.

This is all in connection with the July 21st release of the new Simpsons Movie.

In an AP artcile by David Koenig, "At 7-Eleven, they're hoping it shows that the ubiquitous chain has a trait seen in few corporations-the ability to laugh at themselves."

Rumors of this move have been around, but the exact locations kept secret until this past Sunday, when the exteriors of the 12 stores were given new names and flocked in industrial foam to look like the Kwik-E-Mart. I imagine there were more than a few non-Simpson watchers who were saying "What the Hey!" when they went in for their morning cup of coffee, paper, and doughnut a few days ago. I wonder if some didn't even notice.

This is called reverse-product placement. Instead of the product being placed in the movie or TV show, fake goods move from the screen to reality. Malt-O-Meal will be making up the KrustyOs, and one flavor of Slurpee (I'm mighty fond of Slurpees, having had my first one in a trip out to California in 1967 and a fan ever since) will be sold as "Woo Hoo! Blue Vanilla" squishee. This all will run for a month.

WHAT? NO DUFF BEER!!!!!!!!! The Duffman won't be very pleased.

The Chicago Kwik-E-Mart is located at 6754 W. 63rd Street. Too far for me to drive in these days of rip-off gas prices. There will be life-size citizens of Springfield.

You can also win the opportunity of getting animated for a Simpsons episode.

For more info: www.7-11Simpsons.com
and www.seeyellow.com


MMMMMMMmmmmhhh, Slurpies!!! --RoadHomer

D-oh!! Everybody knows Homer lives in SPRINGFIELD...Illinois That Is

One of the "Simpsons" TV shows' biggest mysteries is the location in which Bart, Lisa, Maggie, Marge, and Homer live. More than 30 US cities have the name Springfield and more than a few claim it.

Now, 20th Century Fox is letting them compete to be the location. The new feature length "Simpsons" movie comes out in July and the Springfield that wins gets the right to host the premier. Fox says they will ship a couch like the one at the show's opening and the towns have to make a short video "that boasts of their Simpson-like credentials. However, winning the contest still will not make it so.

One of my favorites cities to visit is Springfield, Illinois, the home of the state government, Route 66, the gastromic delight called the horseshoe, the world-famous Cozy Dog, and, of course, old Abe. Could this be one more honor?

The mayor,Tim Davlin, hopes so, and has vowed to prove, "we are indeed THE city that best represents the community on television."

There are some that claim that that just might not be such a great honor, because Homer's Springfield is not exactly perfect. There are a lot of characters with less than stellar reputations.

Springfield's website: www.springfield.il.us even has a place where you can give suggestions.

So far, here are the things Springfield, Illinois has that point to it as "The Springfield":

Doughnuts play an important role and there is the delicious Mel-o-Cream doughnuts that are made right in town with about six stores.

Homer and the gang thrive on junk food and there is the horseshoe, not to mention the Cozy Dog.

Homer's father is named Abe.

Shelbyville is Homer's town's nemesis and there is a Shelbyville near Springfield

Todd Renfrow, the general manager of the local power company is a deadringer for C. Montgomery Burns, owner of and where Homer works, Springfield's fictional nuclear power plant.

Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer, is a native of Illinois (and alumnae of my college, Northern Illinois University).

The middle name of disgraced Illinois Governor George Ryan is Homer.

I'd add the power plant's huge smokestacks, which can be seen from miles away, reminds you of the huge nuclear tower in Homer's town.

Springfield, Illinois, will have some competition from Springfield, Oregon, where the show's creator, Matt Groening is from. Springfield, Mass has also thrown its hat in the ring.

Taken from the Chicago Tribune "Home, Sweet Homer! Springfield says it's land of Simpsons" by Bob Secter and Rick Pearson.

WWHS- What Would Homer Say? --RoadDog