The Associated Press reports that the old grain elevator at now-defunct Route 66 town of Ballard, Ill., northeast of Bloomington-Normal, was demolished Friday. The 80-foot-tall structure had been closed since the 1960s.
Randy Smith a few years ago contributed an article to the Illinois Route 66 Association newsletter about the history the elevator (picture above). Smith later risked life and limb to climb the elevator for another article (see below). Both articles are well worth reading.
UPDATE: Here is a story about the demolition from the Bloomington Pantagraph.
Even though it was definitely not a thing of beauty, it was something we always looked for on our way to Springfield. “There’s the Ballard,” was the call. It will be missed. It is too bad we couldn’t have had more notice. We would have gone there and taken pictures of it.