NORMAL - A STATION AND A HOME
Sprague’s Super Service
Opened in 1930 by William Sprague, this is the only two-story Tudor Revival service station on Route 66. Although the station was built in the depth of the Great Depression, Sprague knew that travelers still needed food, gas, and car repairs. He built his station to blend with the neighborhood, appearing more like a large house than a business. The owners, attendants, and their families lived upstairs.
A family Business
Sprague’s Super Service was a family business. The first floor offered a Cities Service (later called Citgo) gas station, restaurant, and repair garage. But Sprague’s was more than just a business. It was a home for the owners, attendants, and their families. By the 1950s, “mom and pop” establishments declined as corporate chains took over the market.
Many Uses
William Sprague constructed this building well. Over the years, it has housed a welding shop, taxi company, rental car business, cake bakery, bridal shop, and catering company.
Preserving Sprague’s Legacy
In 2006, Sprague’s was purchased by Dr. Terri Ryburn, who, with her husband Bill, has restored its 1930 appearance. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame.
Tenth Time’s the Charm…
In 1940, Walter Bittner was smitten with Irene, a pretty elevator operator who worked at a bank. Walter made excuses to visit the bank just so he could ride the elevator. Finally he got the nerve to ask her out. He asked nine times before she finally accepted a lunch invitation at the Triangle Café (as Sprague’s restaurant was called then). They married on May 17, 1941.
