As we celebrate the Route 66 Centennial in 2026, we’re highlighting the places and people that make McLean County an essential stop along America’s Mother Road. Throughout the year, this 12-part blog series will spotlight iconic Route 66 locations and feature conversations with the mayors of our Route 66 communities, each sharing their own stories, history, and vision for the future. This installment marks 5 of 12 posts in the series, continuing a journey that honors our past while inviting visitors to experience what makes our stretch of Route 66 unforgettable. Buckle up – there’s a lot of road left to explore!
As part of the Route 66 Centennial celebration, Lexington is honoring the stories, landmarks, and memories that continue to define its place along America’s Mother Road. In this installment of our series, Historic Route 66 Lexington Mayor Spencer Johansen shares how the highway shaped his childhood, strengthened the community, and continues to attract visitors from around the world. Below, Mayor Johansen reflects on Lexington’s past and the ongoing efforts to preserve its Route 66 legacy for future generations.
In the early 1920s, Lexington found itself on the cusp of transformation. With the rise of automobile travel and the construction of Route 4 — what would become Route 66 —
Lexington envisioned a future shaped by traffic and opportunity. In 1926, Route 66 was officially opened, offering communities along the new route — including Lexington — an opportunity to welcome the entire country. Lexington was thriving and attracting new businesses and residents. In its heyday, Lexington had three gas stations and two restaurants at the intersection of Main Street and Route 66. The town also had a Greyhound bus stop. Today, Uncle Vait’s is in the same building as the old Mesa Café. Freedom Oil is situated in the exact location of the old Borders Standard Station, which also featured an attached café.
Growing up in Lexington and living a block away from the intersection of Main Street and Route 66 has a special meaning to me. I can remember at bedtime with the windows open, I could hear the traffic on Route 66. As a young child, it was a reminder that there was more to this country than Lexington. It allowed everyone to dream big while living in a small town.
Today, we honor the history of Route 66 with Memory Lane, a one-mile strip of the original pavement — which served as Route 66 Business until the 1940s — lined with Burma Shave signs and vintage billboards. Our local high school art class is performing a restoration of the billboards and we are planning new landscaping, all to be completed by spring 2026. I think what’s impressive is the number of people who travel through our community from all over the world. From time to time, I borrow the guestbook from Uncle Vait’s to show our council, to brag about the popularity of Historic Route 66.