Part of Our Route 66 Everytown Collection - Cayuga Edition
Crafted from ultra-soft 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton, this unisex jersey tee blends vintage charm with road trip comfort. Featuring the "Site of Meramec Caverns Barn" slogan, this t-shirt celebrates one of Route 66's most iconic advertising relics: a painted barn that has guided travelers for generations. Perfect for history lovers, roadside photo searchers and collectors of our exclusive Route 66 Everytown Collection, this tee keeps a piece of 1930s highway nostalgia alive.
Celebrate Cayuga: where a single barn became a billboard for adventure, linking Illinois farmland to Missouri's world-famous Meramec Caverns.
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About Cayuga, Illinois: Where the Billboards Became a Landmark
Cayuga, Illinois is a small farming community in Livingston County located along the 1926-1977 alignment of Route 66. Settled in the 1850s, this tight-knit village of roughly 150 residents is best known for its connection to one of Route 66's most recognizable advertising campaigns.
On the north side of the highway stands the Meramec Caverns Barn, one of the earliest surviving painted barn advertisements promoting the famous Missouri caverns nearly 270 miles away. In the 1930s, the Lester Dill Company undertook a massive campaign, painting more than 400 barns across the Midwest to draw travelers to Meramec Caverns. Cayuga's barn is one of the last of these original signs still standing and was lovingly restored in 1998 by the Route 66 Association of Illinois. A convenient pull-off area invites visitors to stop, snap photos and connect with a quirky piece of roadside marketing history.
Beyond the barn, Cayuga's grain elevators remain a defining feature of its skyline, a reminder of the town's agricultural roots and its role in feeding Illinois for over a century.
Though its preserved advertising landmark and ties to the Mother Road's golden age, Cayuga offers travelers a fascinating look at how Route 66 once turned ordinary landscapes into billboards for adventure.
Product Features:
- 100% Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton for premium softness
- Side seams for added structure and durability
- Tear-away label for comfort
- Classic crew neckline with a flattering unisex fit - true-to-size for all day comfort (see size chart for details)
- Fulfilled in the USA
Care Instructions:
- Machine wash: cold (max 90°F / 30°C)
- Tumble dry: low heat
- Non-chlorine bleach as needed
- Iron or steam: medium heat
- Do not dry clean
