The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum has acquired memorabilia from the razed Wishing Well Motel in Countryside, Ill., including the wishing well itself, reports the Bloomington Pantagraph.
The motel, which was built in 1941, was owned and operated by father and son Charles and Emil Vidas and their wives. Charles’ wife, Zora Vidas, took over as manager when her husband died in 1985.
The motel developed a reputation for catering to show business professionals because it was near Chicago but was quiet. Notable guests included band leaders Guy Lombardo and Tex Beneke. […]
The well was donated by the Vidas family, and the stone and wood structure needed to be taken apart and reassembled. The project started in January and was completed for display on Monday. […]
Along with the well, the museum has other artifacts from the motel, including keys, pictures and even the original sign, which is expected to be mounted in the future. One unique item is a nightstick which Vidas kept under the counter in case customers got rowdy.
We were fortunate to stay at the Wishing Well several times before longtime owner Zora Vidas died. The motel was named to the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame shortly before her death. The motel eventually was torn down in November 2007.
More about the Wishing Well Motel can be found here, including a photo of the wishing well itself.