CORE of McLean

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

We were so excited to reveal our mural design for our historic water tower this evening! We held a little unveiling with a great turnout of volunteers and community members (plus some tourists who dropped in a little later). We’re so grateful to for all their immense support on this mural project and to for his work on the design and, starting tomorrow, his mural installation!

The banner will remain up until Troy is done painting, and you’re welcome to drop by and give it a look. Here are some notes about what’s behind the design:

On the far left, the mural depicts a farm scene, representing the significant role that agriculture has played in McLean. The Ben H. Stubblefield Elevator and Mill are represented in their location on the southwest side of the square in the 1920s. The center of the mural shows Route 66 in use by cars, trucks, and bicycles and features the Illinois Route 66 Centennial logo. At right, the classic diner scene pays homage to our iconic Dixie Restaurant as well as other small diners and cafés that have come and gone in McLean over the past century. The big block letters spelling out the name of our village have also been restored. The mural as a whole is meant to celebrate McLean and Route 66’s shared history and how Route 66 has created connections in our community, including moving food from farms to processing facilities and ultimately to our tables over the past 100 years.

Thank you everyone for your support and enthusiasm!

05/30/2026

Exciting news: Work on the water tower mural starts this Monday!
Curious about the design? Join us tomorrow, Sunday May 31st, at 6 pm at Water Tower Park, where we will be unveiling Freesky Studios’ beautiful design, which celebrates our town’s history and the Route 66 centennial!
Huge thanks to Visit BN for securing the funding for the mural via the 2026 Route 66 Centennial Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

05/29/2026

Thank you to our many Adopt-A-Pot sponsors for 2026!

Dixie Family Restaurant
Danny & Cheree Biehl
Sonia Smith
Evergreen FS, Inc
Illinois Valley Construction
The Atlanta National Bank
Don & Helen Doty
Pam Lathim Wheet & Family
Nancy Tallent
Chris, Stephanie, & Kona Neumann
Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains
Funks Grove Township
Breezy Bluff Riding Academy
Sonshine Daycare Center
Mt. Hope Township Community Hall
And the Billington Family

Thank you for helping us beautify our village! Your contributions, plus that wonderful brand new road surface on the square, is really making McLean dazzle. Wow!

05/17/2026

Our stalwart volunteers put in several more hours into our water tower park and community garden yesterday and today. Yesterday was Katie and Jeff doing another round of weeding in the park, then Dani, Tim, Stephanie, Jeff, and Seth got all the mulch spread in the park before hauling all the remainder over to mark paths in the community garden. We also had surprise help from local Bill Wheet! And emotional support from Kona who bore the heat with us. Thank you all!

05/16/2026

We are pleased as punch to say that the restoration and base painting of our historic water tower is DONE, and it looks phenomenal! We have all kinds of people to thank for helping us to achieve this goal:

Jim and Joe McClelland and the crew of HydroVision Engineering did a fantastic job and generously donated half the cost of the restoration. The Super 8 by Wyndham here in McLean gave the crew a discounted rate to stay as they worked, and Sherwin-Williams gave us a significant discount on the paint. We also could not have done this without generous funding from Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund Grant Program and Preserve Route 66 Grant Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. But perhaps most of all, we never could have done this without the enthusiastic and generous support from our community, in spirit and in donations, as well as the dedication and hard work of our members and volunteers.

Stay tuned! Next up is a beautiful mural to be installed by Troy Freeman of Freesky Studios made possible by Route 66 Centennial Grant funding from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity procured on our behalf by Visit BN.

05/14/2026

Joe and the Hydro Vision team have followed the fine weather back to McLean to finish up restoring the paint on our historic water tower!

05/12/2026

Yes, it’s true: you can adopt this pot! BUT, the deadline is end of the day tomorrow (5/13).

Scan the QR code in this photo or on one of the pots on the McLean village square to register!

We plan to get these planted this weekend and hope we’ll get to put your name, or your business, organization, or that of a loved one, on one of these pots. Thank you!