SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — "It winds from Chicago to LA / More than two thousand miles all the way / Get your kicks on Route 66!"
Nearly 70 years ago, Nat King Cole sang his love letter to the historic highway and now it's your turn! Route 66 will be 100 years old in 2026 and to celebrate, the Illinois State Museum wants to hear your stories from the original highway in Illinois.
Known as the Mother Road and Main Street of America, Route 66 operated from 1926 until it was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985.
To celebrate its centennial birthday, historians from the museum want to record oral histories from the original highway in Illinois, which starts in Chicago and stretches downward through Bloomington and Springfield before crossing into Missouri in St. Louis. According to a press release, historians are specifically looking to interview the following:
- People who have memories of driving on Route 66 or traveling the highway with family or for business
- Those who were involved or whose families were involved in operating restaurants, hotels, or auto service businesses along the route
- Anyone who participated in the building, maintenance, or rerouting of the Mother Road
- First responders who worked along Route 66
- Those who have any other firsthand experiences with Route 66 to share
Participants will be asked to sign a permission form granting legal rights to conduct and save the interview. Monetary compensation is not offered for participation.
Anyone interested in being a part of this project should contact the project coordinator, Judy Wagenblast, at jwagenblastp@gmail.com. The National Park Service is partially funding the oral history project.
Videos of the interviews and transcriptions will be available in a public online database during the 100th-anniversary celebration in 2026.