An Underground Crossing

When Route 66 came through Pontiac in 1926, civic leaders welcomed it as a boost to business, but parents feared for children who had to cross the busy, fast-moving road near Ladd School. Routes 4 and 66 were rerouted to Ladd Street in 1926, bringing speeding traffic past the school, then located at the present site of the First Baptist Church. Concerned parents petitioned the Pontiac City Council in October 1926 for a center island refuge for safety in front of the school, but instead the State Highway Commission excavated a tunnel under the road. Students used the underpass to reach school until 1945, when a new Route 66 alignment bypassed the city and the tunnel entrances were sealed. Nearby, the Indian Inn at Ladd and Livingston offered travelers food, fuel, and lodging.

Pontiac, Illinois · United States