<- Southbound Elkhart (4 miles)   Broadwell, IL   Northbound -> Lincoln (8 miles)

County: Logan, IL Population: 169 Two-Lane: 1926-1946 Four-Lane: 1946-1977 Landmarks: Pig-Hip Restaurant in operation from 1937 to 1990. Later served as a museum until the building was lost in a fire in early 2007.

Broadwell and its population of under two-hundred people is only a blip on Route 66's Central Illinois radar, but this town about a half-hour north of Springfield resonates with lovers of the Mother Road. For decades the Pig-Hip Restaurant served up orders along the west side of the highway; with the restaurant residing next to a hotel, the town acted as an oasis between Springfield and Lincoln. In 1990, owners Ernie and Frances Edwards retired and converted the building into a museum commemorating the years the couple had spent along the highway. Tragically, the structure was lost in March of 2007 when a fire swept through the building, costing Illinois one of its premiere Route 66 landmarks. Luckily the Edwards were not at home at the time, and the couple were physically uninjured.

Shortly after the fire and consquential demoltion of the remains, a memorial plaque was placed on the restaurant's grounds to honor the legacy of this Hall of Fame attraction.




No bypass or deviation from the original 1926 alignment was constructed until Interstate 55 replaced the highway. The northbound lanes of the four-lane remain as the two-lane. To the north of town the modern highway curves towards the interstate and Historic 66 traffic has to make a right turn back onto the old corridor.

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