The Great Rivers & Routes tourism bureau recently began a “Main Street of America” video series. The first video, which dropped in the last few days, features Doc’s Just Off 66 soda fountain and restaurant in downtown Girard, Illinois.
The video’s hosts, Kevin and Emily, are understandably agog at the historic memorabilia on display at the former pharmacy that dates back 140 years.
In the video is Doc’s co-owner Casey Claypool, who also is the executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.
Doc’s Just Off 66, formerly Doc’s Soda Fountain, reopened in the summer 2022 after some remodeling and setting up its restaurant.
Steve and Casey Claypool of nearby Chatham, Illinois, purchased Doc’s Soda Fountain site in late 2021.
Doc’s Just Off 66 at 133 S. Second St. sits a stone’s throw from Illinois Route 4, the original path of U.S. 66 through that part of the state before the highway was realigned to the east during the early 1930s.
The Deck brothers ran Deck’s Drug Store at that location for many years. Bill Deck died at age 91 in 2018, and Bob Deck died at age 82 in 2013.
The Deck brothers’ grandfather started Deck’s Drug Store in 1884. The soda fountain itself dates to 1929.
Bob and Renae Ernst bought the drugstore building in 2007 and renamed it Doc’s Soda Fountain, and the Decks loaned them their pharmacy collection.
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you should have stopped in Carlinville was 15 miles away south on rt4/66