The city of Pontiac, Ill., wants the world’s largest Route 66 mural painted on the back of the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph.
Whether it will be the largest is questionable.
Leading the charge on the proposal is City Administrator Bob Karls.
Karls has been working with Route 66 enthusiasts on the details of the project.
One painting would be like the black-and-white, historic sign that many identify with the roadway. The second calls for a more elaborate painting, including a border. Each version would contain the word “Pontiac.”
Depending on the style of the sign, it could cost the city $1,200 to $2,500. The city has been working with Diaz Sign Art, located in Pontiac, on the proposal.
The story says the proposed mural would be 25 feet tall, but doesn’t specify its width.
That information is important, because a mural at Meteor City in eastern Arizona is 100 feet long and claims to be the “world’s longest map of Route 66.” It was painted years ago by Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire and was restored in 2002.
It’s arguable whether the Meteor City map is a mural, and it’s not tall — less than 10 feet. But when there’s already a well-known Route 66 painting that already claims a record, you’d better make sure an equally lofty claim sticks.
Regardless, I applaud Pontiac for continuing to open its arms to Route 66 in the past few years.
UPDATE: The Pontiac Daily Leader also has some more details about the proposed mural.
We are hoping that this will happen in the near future. We are ready to schedule this as soon as we get the go ahead from the city. We look forward to doing a mural that will make Pontiac PROUD! 🙂
It’s a great idea and would be a wonderful addition to Pontiac’s Route 66 attractions.