one of the weirdest features of the greater Chicagoland area's highway system are the
bizarre rest stops known as The Oasis positioned on Bridges overlooking the roadway these stops
always provided children with a fun opportunity to wave to strangers and for travelers to enjoy
a bit of novelty with their fast food or coffee still with some of these unique rest stops being
demolished the future of this beloved Chicago and Pastime is uncertain but why were these rest stops
built on top of bridges anyways and what will ultimately become of the remaining ones today we
discover the Chicagoland Oasis I'm your host Ryan silkash and you're watching it's history [Music]
the Chicagoland area has always been a critical Transportation Hub so it's no surprise that such
original features can be found here but to understand how we arrived at this point of
elaborate rest stops on Bridges let's first do a quick review of rest stops in general throughout
the Region's history as a Transportation Hub the first Monumental transport development
happened here in 1830 with the construction of the Erie Canal in New York state which
ultimately connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River this made
Chicago a key Transportation Hub as Goods can now be shipped from Chicago to the east coast
via the canal and rest stops although less official indeed emerged these rest stops took
form along the Canal's length as several Canal towns with Inns taverns and other services for
travelers providing places for travelers to rest eat and sleep along along the canal in
addition there were also rest areas and quote packet boats that traveled up and down the canal
providing a more comfortable and luxurious mode of travel for those who could afford it sometimes
packet Boats were floating hotels with sleeping accommodations dining rooms and other passenger
amenities well the Erie Canal was primarily a commercial Waterway for the transportation of
goods these amenities help to make it more popular as a travel route not unlike our esteemed Oasis
another breakthrough occurred in 1848 when the Galena and Chicago Union Railway became the first
railroad to connect Chicago to the Mississippi River providing a faster and more efficient way
to transport goods and people between Chicago and the West The Galena and Chicago Union Railway was
primarily a freight railroad with a few amenities however the railroad did have passenger cars that
were used to transfer support people between Galena and Chicago and these cars were equipped
with some basic Comforts such as seats Heating and lighting some more luxurious passenger cars
also had offerings such as sleeping berths dining areas and lounges in addition to the passenger
cars several train stations along the railroad's Route provided Travelers Services these stations
were typically simple structures with waiting rooms ticket offices and basic amenities such
as restrooms and drinking fountains in some of the larger towns along the Route hotels and
restaurants were located near the train stations themselves providing additional services for
travelers however overall The Galena and Chicago Union railroad was primarily a freight line and
the amenities offered to Travelers were relatively basic compared to those found on some of the more
luxurious passenger railroads of the time in 1855 the Illinois and Michigan Canal opened connecting
the Chicago River to the Illinois River providing a Waterway for transporting goods from the Great
Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River rest stops here were also limited as the
Illinois and Michigan Canal was primarily a commercial Waterway for transportation of goods
still it did have some extras for travelers and Canal workers Canal towns also popped up with Inns
taverns and services lock Keepers resided in the lockhouses and provided services such as repairing
boats and delivering supplies to the crews on board big change came in 1892 with the arrival
of the L the Chicago L and elevated Railway system began operating providing a fast and efficient way
for commuters to travel around and commute from the city's outskirts regarding the movement of
people this system had a lot in common with the highways that would emerge about a half century
later as it was used by your average citizen and on an average day some critical stations along
the L offered passenger amenities like restrooms vending machines and seating areas some larger
stations also had nearby shops and restaurants providing additional amenities for passengers many
of these stations were also elevated similar to our Oasis around this time car travel was on the
horizon but a few other Innovations were still unfolding as you might recall from a previous
video the North Shoreline had dining cars that operated on its inter-urban trains effectively
transforming the L into a rest stop of its own right the dining cars offered meals and
refreshments to passengers during their Journeys and were a popular feature of the North shore line
service from there other Innovations would include the opening of Union Station in 1900 which had its
own hotel or Midway Airport 1927 then known as Chicago's Municipal Airport but it wasn't much of
a rest stop at all the idea for the Oasis wouldn't arise until the 1950s with the expansion of the
massive Regional and interstate highways the idea to build the Illinois tollway oasis was proposed
in 1950 by the chairman of the state Toll Highway Authority Samuel Skinner the concept was to create
service areas along the tollway where Travelers could take a break eat and refuel without having
to exit the highway the first Illinois tollway oasis was built in 1959 and several more have
been constructed since originally seven oases were built but now only four remain for practicality
they were named after the towns in which they stood these rest stops were unusual as they were
situated over the interstate highways forming part of the Illinois Tollway system The Oasis
was marketed as the quote Pie in the Sky a place where diners could relax and watch Cars go under
with hermetically sealed glass protecting them from the fumes of the road the tollway's budget
did not allow for such a spectacular offering so the space was leased out to General oil and each
Oasis was equipped with air conditioning quarry tile floor pastel colors and very modern equipment
for the kitchens in-house Fred Harvey chain it was reported that Lobster could be prepared at
the Oasis in 95 seconds thanks to a particular electronic cooker steak could also be prepared
but it would be cooked not broiled futuristic as these rest stops were by 2005 they needed a
massive overhaul as most facilities including the family bathrooms dog runs and picnic tables were
all original and hadn't been updated since 1959 I grew up in Chicagoland and distinctly remember the
Oasis as a rundown and aged looking facility in the 1980s and 90s I think that's how most
of us remember them but it's why I'd also like to examine them in their Prime this is the Belvedere
Oasis opened on July the 20th 1959 it featured 24-hour service a snack bar gift shop and service
area a 1970s Daily Republican recalls that the town of Belvedere was known only as an oasis to
the millions of people who stopped there for rest and refreshment the article also reported that in
1969 over 5.8 million cars trucks and campers passed through the station back then residents
would also prepare for the waves of westbound Chicagoans on special occasions or weekends with
the manager of their Howard Johnson restaurant quoted saying when they say on the radio that a
million people are leaving Chicago for a holiday weekend you can almost guess that three quarters
will come down that road this means that during a wave The Oasis needed to accommod day around
fifteen thousand visitors daily compared to the usual three thousand it was almost impossible to
keep the restrooms in order on a weekend like that the Daily Chronicle furthered the notion recalling
on September the 11th 1972 that the restrooms are limited and poor another curious fact is that the
Oasis was frequently graced by the Rich and Famous according to the Daily Republican Johnny Cash Evil
Knievel and Liberace were a few of the big names that did their shopping there these days the Oasis
is renovated and offers a beautiful panoramic view thanks to its enlarged Windows however
you probably shouldn't expect to eat steak here the Dekalb Oasis is more of an honorary mention
it opened in 1975. this rest stop was different from the others as it was not constructed over the
tollway the Oasis is located on the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway I-88 between Aurora and DeKalb
The Oasis features a food core with a variety of options including McDonald's Subway Panda
Express and Cinema bun there's also a Starbucks located inside the Oasis the restrooms are said
to be clean and well maintained and there is also free Wi-Fi outdoor seating and a gift shop with
state-themed souvenirs the lake forest Oasis also known as the Tri-State tollway oasis is
a rest area located on the Tri-State Tollway in Lake Forest Illinois it was built in the 1950s as
a joint venture between the Illinois Tollway Authority and the Standard Oil company which
operated a gas station and restaurant on site The Oasis was designed as a modernist structure
featuring a large glass and steel Pavilion and landscaped grounds it quickly became a
popular stop for travelers and locals offering a convenient place to rest refuel enjoy a meal
Etc over over the years this Oasis has undergone several Renovations and updates and it's safe to
say that this Oasis is a landmark a cherished part of Illinois's Transportation history
Chicago's Southland Lincoln Oasis is located in South Holland and is unique in that it is one
of few not named directly after the town it's in you see the Lincoln Oasis was named after
Abraham Lincoln who served as the 16th president of the United States and is widely regarded as
one of the country's most important historical figures anyhow over the years the Chicagoland
Lincoln Oasis has undergone several Renovations and updates to better serve the needs of Travelers
in 2014 it was closed for a major renovation project that included the installation of new
food options a gas station an outdoor seating area and so on the station continues to serve
as a popular rest stop for drivers traveling through Chicago's Southland region built in the
late 1960s the Chicago Tribune remarked that this Oasis as a landmark is quote the last of its kind
so what about the Oasis stations that have been lost to time does anything remain well
let's take a look starting with the Lost Hinsdale Oasis from Google Earth street view you'll see a
lone pillar standing after the demolition of this Oasis in satellite view you can actually see the
demolition process unfolding in 2022 go back just one year to 2021 and the Oasis is still intact
this now vacant land on the Tri-State Tollway I-294 was closed and demolished to make way for
the central Tri-State Tollway rebuilding project and this is not a unique case the Des Plaines
Oasis was one of seven Oasis located along the Illinois Tollway system it was located on the
Jane Adams Memorial Highway I-90 near Des Plaines however in 2014 the Tollway Authority announced
that the displays Oasis would be closed and demolished as a part of a larger roadway widening
project the widening project involved adding additional Lanes requiring the removal of the
Des Plaines Oasis to accommodate the new traffic the Tollway Authority determined that rebuilding
the Oasis in the same location would not be feasible due to the roadways reconfiguration and
the need to address safety concerns for drivers and Oasis customers built in 1959 along I-294 was
once the O'Hare Oasis which was also demolished in order to widen roadways the Curious thing about
this demolition was that the rest stop itself was entirely renovated and rather beautiful after the
demolition of the O'Hare Oasis The toway Authority replaced it with a new facility called the O'Hare
Oasis customer service center the new center provides a range of service to Travelers including
restrooms a convenience store vending machines and public telephones it's located near the
original site of the O'Hare Oasis and serves as a convenient rest stop for drivers traveling the
area according to the Chicago Tribune a man named Joe Cho was the last person to visit the previous
Pavilion he remarked that he was quote sad to see the place go after taking some cell phone pictures
and admiring the space in a calm reverence other Travelers that day expressed their disappointment
upon hearing news of the rest stops impending doom Tasha Lumpkin remarked I'm going to miss it it's a
part of Illinois history it's an Illinois treasure shortly after security locked the doors forever
and it was then that another traveler urgently made his way to the Oasis when he realized the
rest stop was closed he exclaimed quote a pretty bump I gotta go to the bathroom bad sadly for him
it was too late bathroom and the Oasis were out of service forever it's difficult to determine
just what will become of the remaining facilities there doesn't seem to be much Nostalgia for them
but they are extremely practical my guess is that the greatest threat is simple Road expansion and
perhaps the demolition of an oasis Bridge isn't the end of the world either as there are bridges
in Chicago of a much greater artistic value for example to take down one of Chicago's famous
movable Bridges well that would be an assault on History to find out why click this link and
watch our episode on that topic and until next time this is Ryan silkash signing off