By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

Jim Jones was recently recognized with the Route 66 Association’s President’s Award for 2016.

This award is given by the Route 66 Association of Illinois for years of service to the preservation, promotion and history of Route 66.

Ellie Alexander, tourism director for the City of Pontiac, listed several of the attributes that helped Jones clinch the award.

“Jim was instrumental before the museum was ever a museum. He was a Route 66 enthusiast, grew up on Route 66 in Odell and loves Route 66. He’s been there (Route 66 museum) just about every Saturday of his life and periodically throughout the week he stops in. He is just the face of hospitality when people come in the door. He has stories to tell and will take people hand-in-hand throughout the museum and shares the story of the road with them,” Alexander said.

Jones joins an elite group of past recipients, including Pontiac’s Betty Estes and artist Bob Waldmire, who is featured at the museum.