Downtown businesses thrived when Route 66 ran through Elkhart. In 1938, The House by the Side of the Road cafe received an unforgettable customer when actress Shirley Temple stopped for lunch. Afterward, owner J. Smith placed a cardboard likeness of the child star and an autographed menu on the table and permanently roped it off. Before stopping for lunch in Elkhart, Shirley Temple and her entourage attended the premiere of her movie "Little Miss Broadway" in Springfield. Tierney's was one of four gas stations in Elkhart, and the Roof Garden was a favorite place to play cards.