A congressman recently spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the Ariston Cafe‘s 95th anniversary.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) spoke Tuesday about the Route 66 restaurant in Litchfield, Illinois. Below are his remarks:
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of the most well-known landmarks along Route 66 in Illinois, the Ariston Café, on its 95th year of operation.
After opening in 1924 along Route 4 in Carlinville, the Ariston actually predates Route 66. In 1935, it moved to its current location along the Mother Road in Litchfield. The Ariston Cafe is a member of the Route 66 Hall of Fame, and is in National Register of Historical Places by the state of Illinois and the National Park Service.
The Ariston is one of the oldest restaurants along Route 66, and is the fifth-longest running restaurant in the entire state of Illinois. Later this spring, the Ariston will be holding a relighting ceremony to celebrate the replacement of its classic neon sign, thanks to a grant from the National Park Service.
The Ariston Café is a treasure within central Illinois and along Route 66, and I look forward to many more years of success for the restaurant.
Here’s the video of his brief speech, via C-SPAN:
Recognizing such anniversaries and historic properties are fairly common on the state-legislature level, but more unusual on the national stage.
It should be noted Davis is a significant Route 66 booster. He’s introduced bills in Congress to set up a Route 66 Centennial Commission, and he’ll probably co-introduce legislation to designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail any day now.
The Ariston Cafe also will host a relighting ceremony the evening of May 4 for its refurbished neon signs and neon window accents.
(Image of the Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, Illinois, by Maggie via Flickr)