Calling City Hall

Category: Fun Facts

The next time you're in downtown Lincoln, stop across the street from City Hall (700 Broadway) and look up. There, perched on the rooftop, you'll spot an unusual site.

No, it's not the phone booth where Clark Kent dons his cape and becomes Superman—although this phone booth's location would provide a prime lookout for the superhero. Rather, it was placed on the rooftop as part of a World War II civil defense system.

Later, when the government no longer feared attacks from the sky on small towns across the United States, it was used for storm watching. Rumor has it that the lowest firefighter on the totem pole would be sent to the roof to keep an eye out for tornadoes. Then, if they spotted one, they'd place a call to sound the sirens. (And, undoubtedly, would get the heck off the roof right away.)

Although the phone booth is no longer in use, it still sits atop City Hall as a piece of local history.

Odds are, there are plenty of other terrific small town oddities in Central Illinois—and we want to feature them here! Send your ideas to editor@illinois-adventures.com, and you just may spot your fact on the site soon.

Tags: Fun Facts | Lincoln | City Hall | Central Illinois |

( Share this post | Read More)