The Complete Story
Vic Suhling leased this property from Charles and Maude Modlin, built a new gas station, and erected his now-famous 'Vic Suhling / Gas for Less' neon sign in 1957. The station operated 24 hours a day, with Harry Wagner serving as operator and manager from 1957 to 1968. Suhling purchased the property outright in 1961.
The business closed in 1968 but not for long - Paul Stewart purchased it and opened 'Stewart's Deep Rock' gas station. That operation lasted until 1973 when it closed for good. The property was sold in 1989 to Yo Cho Hameric, a local bar owner who razed the building on October 19, 1990. Whatever plans she had never materialized, and the lot sat vacant for 20 years.
Through all the ownership changes, the iconic neon sign stood as a testament to Route 66's golden age. When Martha Jackson purchased the property in 2011 to build the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center, she also bought the sign in June 2011. Through a matching $16,000 grant from the Route 66 Association of Missouri, the sign was refurbished and relit on October 26, 2013 - up to 200 people attended the ceremony, including two of Suhling's daughters who traveled from as far as Portland, Oregon.
Surprising Facts You Didn't Know
→ The iconic neon sign was relit in 2013 - 40+ years after the station closed
→ Up to 200 people attended the sign relighting ceremony, including Suhling's daughters
→ The station operated 24 HOURS A DAY when it opened in 1957
→ The gas station building was demolished in 1990 but the sign survived
→ Now marks the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center, opened in 2013
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit Vic Suhling's Gas For Less
⚠ Historic Site
Address: 334 Historic Old Route 66 North, Litchfield, IL 62056
What's There Now: Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center - the original neon sign still glows above the new building
GPS Coordinates: 39.1770139, -89.6663754
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