Lincoln, Illinois: Phone Booth on a Roof
Local lore says that the phone booth -- which is on top of city hall -- was installed for Civil Defense air raid spotters during the Cold War. Ring-ring, duck and cover!
Lincoln City Hall
- Address:
- 700 Broadway St., Lincoln, IL
- Directions:
- On the roof of Lincoln City Hall, three stories above the ground. Best seen from the corner of McLean and Broadway Sts, which is six blocks south of Hwy 121/10 and two blocks east of Chicago St.
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Story behind the Phone Booth on a Roof: it was placed up there around 1951/52. When bad weather was approaching, the newest unmarried firefighter was sent to the roof to look out for bad weather/tornado activity. This practice continued until the early 1980s, when weather radar was developed and improving.
[Tim Martini/Exploring The Obscure, 11/06/2015]
We were advised in Lincoln that the rooftop phone booth was used by weather spotters to keep an eye on storms and then phone information to news media.
[Deb Nies, 08/19/2011]Clark Kent wouldn't need to get a running start to fly from this phone booth, located on top of City Hall in Lincoln, IL. Evidently there was a civil defense program that used the City Hall roof in the 1960's. It's not currently used (except for the weird guy in the tights).
[Al Tauber, 05/09/2006]Nearby Offbeat Places
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