Lexington Arrow Sign

Lexington, Illinois

During WWII the State of Illinois initiated a series of highway improvements that included construction of four lane bypass alignments of Route 66 to alleviate congestion in urban areas. In A Guide Book To Highway 66 published in 1946, Jack Rittenhouse noted that the new freeway was affecting the economy in small towns such as Lexington. To counter this the city of Lexington installed a large red electric sign with white letters in the shape of an arrow pointing into town.