The Tropics Restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois once stood at the corner of Woodlawn and Lincoln Parkway. I opened in 1950. It was built by Vince Schwenoha, who was inspired by the palm trees in California, which appeared on the iconic sign he put at the restaurant. Five years later, it was sold to Lew and Bev Johnson, who ran it for the next 40+ years. Though the Johnsons made it famous, they also suffered during the decades due to fires in 1965 and 1975, and after Route 66 was replaced with Interstate 55. Afterward, the Tropics experienced a number of closings and re-openings through the years until it finally closed for good in 2004. For years the building sat empty and abandoned until it was sold in 2014 and the sign was removed. However, it was safely placed in storage. The old structure was torn down in April 2017 to make way for a new McDonald’s restaurant. Though the building is gone, its historic neon sign was saved, restored, and now stands with its neon fully lit at its original site. Some of its vintage memorabilia can still be seen in the Mill Museum. Photo by Kathy Alexander.