Dixie Travel Plaza
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic truck stop and travel plaza in McLean, Illinois, associated with U.S. Route 66 and Interstate 55.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Dixie Travel Plaza is a historic truck stop and roadside travel business in McLean, Illinois. Its principal location sits along Interstate 55, on the route of the former U.S. Route 66, and has served long-distance motorists and commercial truck drivers for much of the modern history of the American highway system. The business began in 1928, when J. P. Walters and John Geske opened a small sandwich stand inside a truck mechanic's garage on old Route 66. Its early setting reflected the practical needs of an expanding road economy: drivers needed food, mechanical assistance, fuel, and a place to stop during increasingly frequent long-distance journeys. Demand grew rapidly, and by 1930 the original food operation had been expanded into a full-size restaurant. The restaurant was enlarged several times over the following decades, becoming a prominent stop for travelers using Route 66. A fire in 1965 led to a further rebuilding of the facility. Through these changes, the business operated under earlier names including Dixie Truck Stop and Dixie Trucker's Home, names that emphasized its importance to professional drivers as well as ordinary motorists. The construction of the Interstate Highway System changed the commercial context in which Dixie operated. When Route 66 was decommissioned, the section passing the property became part of Interstate 55. Rather than eliminating the site's role, the highway transition helped preserve its function as a major roadside stop on a heavily traveled north-south route. The plaza has subsequently been described in Route 66 travel writing and regional journalism as a notable late-night stop and as an important surviving example of the road's commercial heritage. Dixie also became connected with the preservation of Route 66 history. Walters, Geske, and the Dixie Trucker's Home were recognized by the Route 66 Association of Illinois for their contributions to the character of Route 66 from 1926 to 1977. They were inducted into the association's hall of fame on June 9, 1990. The property also hosted the Route 66 Hall of Fame when that museum opened in 1990. After the business changed ownership in 2003, the museum moved to a larger facility in Pontiac, Illinois. The 2003 ownership change marked a broader commercial expansion. The new owner, described in reference material as a company based in Providence, Rhode Island, renamed the original business Dixie Travel Plaza and extended the name to two additional truck-stop locations in Illinois, at Tuscola and Effingham. The brand therefore shifted from being principally identified with one historic Route 66 site to operating as a small regional travel-plaza chain. In January 2009, the business was sold to Ben Gulley of LeRoy, Illinois, and the McLean location underwent a major renovation. In June 2012, it was sold to Road Ranger of Rockford, Illinois, after which the location received a complete remodel. The available reference material does not specify the current ownership structure, operating status, financial performance, or a current official website. Dixie Travel Plaza's enduring identity rests on a combination of truck-stop services, highway convenience, restaurant operations, and historic association with Route 66.
History
Dixie Travel Plaza originated in 1928 as a small sandwich stand established by J. P. Walters and John Geske inside a truck mechanic's garage on old U.S. Route 66 in McLean, Illinois. The location served an emerging population of motorists and truck drivers using the developing national road network. Within two years, rising demand required the operation to expand into a full-size restaurant. The facility was enlarged repeatedly over subsequent decades and was rebuilt after a fire in 1965. The business was known for much of its early history as the Dixie Truck Stop or Dixie Trucker's Home. These names reflected its role as a service point for professional drivers, while the restaurant and other roadside facilities also made it accessible to families and general highway travelers. The construction of Interstate 55 and the later decommissioning of Route 66 altered the road system around the property. The relevant segment of the old Route 66 became part of I-55, allowing the site to continue operating as a significant highway stop even after the original route ceased to exist as a federally designated highway. Dixie became an important part of Route 66 heritage culture. The Route 66 Association of Illinois recognized Walters, Geske, and the Dixie Trucker's Home for contributions to the character of Route 66 during the period from 1926 to 1977. They entered the association's hall of fame on June 9, 1990. The property was also the original home of the Route 66 Hall of Fame when that museum opened in 1990. Following a change in ownership in 2003, the museum moved to a larger site in Pontiac, Illinois. The 2003 sale also began a new phase of brand development. The new owner, identified in the available reference material as a Providence, Rhode Island-based company, adopted the name Dixie Travel Plaza and applied it to two additional truck-stop locations in Illinois, in Tuscola and Effingham. This created a small chain while retaining the McLean facility's historic associations. In January 2009, the business was sold to Ben Gulley of LeRoy, Illinois, and underwent a major renovation. Road Ranger, based in Rockford, Illinois, acquired it in June 2012 and followed the acquisition with a complete remodel. The plaza has appeared in travel books and historical accounts of old Route 66 and has received regional media attention, including coverage in the Chicago Tribune. It has been characterized as a particularly notable late-night stop along Interstate 55. The available sources do not establish the current owner, current management, financial results, or a confirmed present operating status. Its documented significance comes from the combination of long-running roadside service, truck-stop functionality, and preservation-era recognition as a Route 66 landmark.
- 2012
Road Ranger acquires and remodels the business
[1]Road Ranger of Rockford, Illinois, purchases Dixie in June and completes a full remodel.
- 2009
Ownership passes to Ben Gulley
[1]Ben Gulley of LeRoy, Illinois, acquires the business in January, followed by a major renovation.
- 2003
Business changes name and expands to additional locations
[1]After a sale, the original business adopts the Dixie Travel Plaza name, which is also applied to locations in Tuscola and Effingham, Illinois.
- 2003
Route 66 Hall of Fame relocates
[1]The Route 66 Hall of Fame moves from Dixie to a larger facility in Pontiac, Illinois.
- 1990
Route 66 Hall of Fame opens at Dixie
[1]Dixie becomes the initial home of the Route 66 Hall of Fame.
- 1990
Route 66 Association of Illinois hall-of-fame recognition
[1]J. P. Walters, John Geske, and the Dixie Trucker's Home are inducted into the Route 66 Association of Illinois hall of fame on June 9.
- 1965
Restaurant rebuilt after a fire
[1]A fire results in the rebuilding of the restaurant facility.
- 1930
The operation expands into a full-size restaurant
[1]Growing demand from road users leads to the replacement of the small food stand with a full-size restaurant.
- 1928
A sandwich stand opens on Route 66
[1]J. P. Walters and John Geske establish a small sandwich stand inside a truck mechanic's garage in McLean, Illinois.
Products and positioning
A highway-oriented truck stop and travel plaza positioned around practical service for long-distance motorists and commercial drivers, with additional value derived from its historic Route 66 identity.
Food service · 1928
Restaurant
The restaurant is the oldest documented operating component of the business. It developed from a 1928 sandwich stand into a full-size restaurant by 1930 and was expanded several times before being rebuilt after a 1965 fire. It has served highway travelers and professional drivers as part of the broader truck-stop experience.
Automotive and truck-stop services
Fuel services
Fueling is a core travel-plaza function associated with the Dixie brand and its service to motorists and commercial truck drivers. The available reference material identifies the business as a truck stop and travel plaza, but does not specify current fuel brands, grades, pricing, or ancillary vehicle services.
Convenience-store retail
Convenience retail
The plaza's convenience operation supports travelers with commonly expected roadside goods and supplies. Specific product ranges, private-label items, and current store formats are not documented in the supplied reference material.
Roadside traveler services
Travel-plaza amenities
As a truck stop and travel plaza, Dixie provides a broader stopping point than a standalone restaurant, serving both long-distance motorists and truckers. The sources establish this general role but do not provide a current itemized list of parking, rest, shower, repair, or other amenities.
Brand decisions
2012
Road Ranger acquisition and complete remodelM&ABackground
Road Ranger of Rockford, Illinois, purchased Dixie Travel Plaza in June 2012.
Action taken
Road Ranger carried out a complete remodel after acquiring the business.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the travel plaza under Road Ranger ownership, but the available material does not document subsequent brand, location, or operating changes.
2009
Major renovation after ownership transferStrategyBackground
Ben Gulley acquired the business in January 2009.
Action taken
The property underwent a major renovation after the change in ownership.
Aftermath
The renovation represented an effort to update the established travel-plaza operation, although no detailed project scope or financial figures are provided.
2003
Rebrand and regional expansionStrategyBackground
After the original business was sold, the new owners sought to move beyond the single-site Dixie Truck Stop identity.
Action taken
The business was renamed Dixie Travel Plaza, and the name was extended to two additional truck-stop locations in Tuscola and Effingham, Illinois.
Aftermath
The change created a small regional chain while the historic McLean site remained the brand's principal Route 66 reference point.
Sources1 sources
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