Congress designated Highway 20 as a federal highway in 1926. The result
of this was the evolution of Highway 20 as the most important road
traversing northern Illinois. From Chicago to the Mississippi River, the
road served both as farm-to-market route for local farmers and a vital
link for interstate travelers. This book celebrates a journey across
Illinois on historic Highway 20 as illustrated by more than 200
postcards showing the personality of the road, small towns, scenic
vistas, and historic sites, as well as the tourist courts, hotels,
diners, and roadside businesses that helped make automobile travel
possible.