Located on historic Route 66 in Logan County, Illinois, Atlanta is a small town that embodies the very essence of American life. From westward expansion and the Gilded Age to the Civil War and Reconstruction, from the Industrial Revolution and World War I to the Great Depression and World War II, Atlanta has been a witness to the milestones of American history since its founding in 1836.
In 2003, to commemorate the town's 150th birthday and promote itself as a Route 66 destination, Atlanta spent $175,000 to have the bulb on the municipal water tower encased with a smiley face. The yellow face with the black-ink smile is now the first thing to catch the eye as you drive into town. In 2003, the famous 29-foot Paul Bunyan statue in Cicero, Illinois, was moved to Main Street in Atlanta. A handful of attractions are splayed across Atlanta, each one commemorating the growth and progress of America.
The Atlanta Public Library and Museum is is an octagonal structure built of limestone and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library, at the corner of Arch and Race streets, was founded in 1873 and the museum was added 100 years later. The 36-foot-tall clock tower next to the building rings every hour seven days a week.
Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum is in one of the few remaining grain elevators of its kind, according to Decatur Magazine, of Decatur, Illinois. The grain elevator operated until 1976. The town bought the building in 1988 and it was fully restored by 1993. The museum inside the building demonstrates how grain was handled at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Atlanta Route 66 Park, with its many historic murals, is another popular stopover with those traveling the Mother Road. The "Atlanta: Midway on Illinois' Mother Road" mural commemorates the fact that the town is almost at the exact center of the Illinois portion of the highway, between Chicago and St. Louis. Every mural is painted onto a historical building and depicts an attraction in Atlanta. Other murals include the "Palms Grill Café" mural, the "Wisteria Café" mural, the "Firehouse Tribute" mural, the "Reisch Beer" mural and the "J.M. Judy & Sons Grocers" mural.
