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U.S. 40: Illinois State Line
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U.S. 40 runs parallel with Interstate 70 for several miles as you cross into Illinois.
The small burg of Livingston lies just to the north of the highway today. At one time, the National Road ran right through the town and a spur off the byway is marked.
Shortly after Livingston, you will approach Marshall, Illinois. A highway bypass was built around the city years ago; now the city has grown to reach it.
For the sake of our journey, though, we're going to lead you into the downtown on the historical alignment of the National Road.
Turning south onto Archer Avenue at the eastern edge of Marshall will take you into the heart of the community.
Honest Abe Slept Here
At the stoplight, you'll see on the southwest corner the Archer House, Illinois' oldest hotel still in operation. The hotel, now being run as a bed and breakfast, has served travelers along this route since 1841. Not surprisingly, President Abraham Lincoln slept here. So did President Grover Cleveland a few years later.
Across the street and down the block a ways is Bishop's Cafe. As it was lunchtime on the sunny afternoon that we visited Marshall, we chose to stop in for a bite to eat.
Walking into Bishop's Cafe gives new customers the sense of stepping back in time to a quieter, slower-paced America. It's a welcoming eatery, the kind of place where one might expect to hear shouts of "take a seat anywhere" or "where you been keepin' yourself" to a regular.
"Homey hangings" such as a cloth calendar adorn the walls of this restaurant where hungry patrons can choose to sit at booths along the walls, tables in the middle or on stools at a counter near the kitchen.
A historical plaque at the cash register notes the building originally housed a cobbler shop in the 1870s.
A popular spot in a quaintly renovated downtown, Bishop's Cafe still sees a lot of shoes going in and out the front door.
Continuing west past the town square, you will drive over a stone arch bridge that was built in 1831 without the use of mortar. That's more than 175 years in use and still going strong.
The original route rejoins the current U.S. 40 a short distance beyond the bridge.
Parallel Road
As you drive the next few miles along this route, look to the south and you can catch glimpses of the old brick road that was used before the highway was widened in the 1950s.
About two miles west of Marshall is the small community of Clark Center, which has its own covered bridge over Mill Creek. The bridge sits on another stretch of old highway.
Within a couple more miles you'll encounter yet another U.S. 40 bypass that stretches around the towns of Martinsville and Casey, Illinois. Not much to see either way you go, though.
If you decide to take the historical route through the towns, look for the Historic National Road sign denoting a spur and follow it through Martinsville, past the giant white Marathon oil storage tanks west of town, and through Casey where the spur rejoins the main highway west of town.
That's a Big Pork Chop
If you stay on the bypass around the towns and you decide it's time for lunch or dinner, then let us recommend Richard's Farm Restaurant just east of Casey.
Situated inside a 1930s barn, the rustic interior is accentuated by country gardens surrounding the building. The restaurant's specialty is the "one-pound pork chop." The Sunday brunch also is highly recommended for its gigantic selection of entrees and sides, mouth-watering breads and desserts.
When you're full, waddle on back to the car and we'll continue the journey.
Photos
Top: The Archer House, Illinois' oldest hotel, sits on U.S. 40 in downtown Marshall. Middle: A sign posted on the Clark Center Covered Bridge. Bottom: Richard's Farm Restaurant outside Casey. Above, left: Looking east along what was formerly U.S. 40 and the National Road through Livingston. Above, middle: Bishop's Cafe is right across the street from the Archer House in Marshall. Above, right: The stone arch bridge still serves traffic on old U.S. 41 west of Marshall.
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