Honest Abe gets his kicks on the yellow brick road March 5, 2008
Posted by Ron in Businesses.trackback
The Bloomington (Ill.) Pantagraph has a brief item about an intriguing, if odd, new business coming downtown:
Chris and Rose Hotz already own the Davis Rose Inn Bed & Breakfast on Jefferson Street. Now the couple wants to open a book and gift store that emphasizes all things Bloomington, Chris Hotz said.
For example, Abe on 66 will carry Route 66, Abraham Lincoln and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia, all of which are connected to Bloomington. Route 66 used to run through downtown. Outside of Springfield, Lincoln likely spent most of his time in Bloomington, Hotz said. Plus, “Wizard of Oz” author Frank Baum’s niece Dorothy Gage — the namesake for Dorothy in the book and movie — is buried in Bloomington’s Evergreen Cemetery.
“Our interest is sharing all of the history of Bloomington with people,” Hotz said. “There are so many wonderful, exciting things about Bloomington that many people aren’t aware of.”
Nevermind that Abraham Lincoln predates Route 66 by more than 60 years. At least the “Wizard of Oz” took place in Kansas, a Route 66 state.
Abe on 66 will be at 402 1/2 N. Main St. It will be open in a week or two.
Sounds very intriguing….can’t wait to come visit!
Best of Luck Rose and Chris. I’m sure it will be as successful as
the B & B. (Who knew “Wizard of Oz” had a Bloomie connection?–
thanks for that one Ashley..)
History is such a fun, learning thing….
[...] opens tomorrow April 17, 2008 Posted by Ron in Books, Businesses, Events. trackback Remember the announcement about an “Abe on 66″ bookstore in Bloomington, Ill., which specializes in items from Route 66, Abraham Lincoln and “The [...]