A bar about six miles north of the nearest alignment of Route 66 in Lincoln, Illinois, recently landed new owners and was rechristened as The Lodge Off 66.
But the tavern contains some historical cachet that likely will make it attractive to Route 66 travelers, not including just its name.
The Lodge Off 66 sits at 2265 900th Ave. in Hartsburg, Illinois, on Old Route 121. That is north of Route 66 from Lincoln’s north side.
According to The Courier newspaper in Lincoln, Kristi Powell and Randy Jones of Lincoln purchased the bar that formerly was known as Tom’s Lodge, Sugar Creek Lodge, Lonnie & Mae’s and Hutton’s Lodge throughout its long history.
The historical cachet comes with notorious Chicago-area gangster Al Capone:
Hutton’s Lodge dates back to the time of the prohibition era and had ties to the bootleggers in Logan County. Hutton’s Lodge was run by Jerry Ogden during that same time period. John “Coonhound Johnny” Schwenoha, who was considered a beverage distributor, would treat his Chicago acquaintance Al Capone to hunting trips and entertainment in Logan County. One of the entertainment stops would include Hutton’s Lodge.
An oral history of this lodge can be found by Ogden’s daughter Joyce Ogden Gibson at www.findinglincolnillinois.com/wateringholes.html.
Gibson, a Lincoln High School graduate class of 1959, said she vividly remembers the place being packed when Capone was in town.
“My mom did the main cooking. She said Capone always ‘bragged on’ her potato salad and slaw. I still have a set of ceramic bowls she kept because she said Al Capone had eaten coleslaw and potato salad out of them. I believe this was during Prohibition. Coonhound Johnny used to take Capone hunting or sold him a dog or two. Johnny had a dog run somewhere behind the Lodge,” said Gibson, reflecting on the past.
The Lodge Off 66’s page on Facebook posted this photo of the bar’s rustic interior:
Leigh Henson, who lives in the area, recently posted some information and photos about the bar on Facebook:
Powell and Jones said that colorful history was a key reason they purchased the bar. Their motto will be, “Stop for a drink and stay for a story.”
(Image of Tom’s Lodge in 2013 in Hartsburg, Illinois, now known as The Lodge Off 66)