Springfield wins auction for historic Route 66 neon sign
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The city of Springfield is the winning bidder for a historic neon sign that's one of the city's remaining Route 66 landmarks.
The State Journal-Register reports an online auction was held for the Sonrise Donuts sign, which went up along Route 66 in 1949.
At one point the top bidders were in Chicago and California. But Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl revealed Friday the city made the winning bid of $22,000. The money will come from city hotel-motel tax.
Dahl says buying the sign "ensures our visitors will continue to experience Springfield's story as it relates to Route 66." Plans for the 6-by-8-foot sign weren't announced.
The sign remained on the Sonrise Donuts building even after the shop closed in 1998 and other businesses moved in.