SPRINGFIELD – In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of legendary Route 66 in 2026, the Illinois State Museum (ISM) has launched an online database of 100 oral histories about the Mother Road.ISM’s Route 66 Oral History Project database includes video-recorded interviews, as well as world-searchable written transcriptions. Contributors include people who lived, worked and traveled along Route 66 during its pre-interstate heyday, as well as people who currently promote, preserve and interpret the road for current and future generations. “These interviews provide a fascinating glimpse into what it was like to travel Route 66 back in the day, as well as perspectives from people who are working to promote the road today,” said Erika Holst, ISM curator of history and Route 66 Corridor Preserv

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