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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm

Route History

Name: Route History
Address: 737 E. Cook Street, Springfield, IL, 62703, US
Telephone: (217) 503-4129
Price range: $
Rating: 5

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Route History, History Museum, 737 E. Cook Street, Springfield, IL.
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Route History is a space to experience and learn about the tragedy, resilience, and excellence of Black people along the Historic Route 66 highway and in the city of Springfield Illinois.

10/09/2026

Checked in, rested up, and ready for the next stop! 🧳🚗 Before we leave the Manor House Hotel, let’s make sure we have our Route 66 essentials.

For Black travelers during segregation, packing took more than choosing outfits. Food, water, and bedding helped families prepare when service or lodging wasn’t guaranteed. The Green Book helped them find places where they were welcome.

With our map unfolded and bags packed, we’re heading west discovering the places and people that shaped Black travel along the Mother Road. What’s one thing you’d bring on our Route 66 road trip? 🧳🚗 🛣️

10/07/2026

Bags packed? Green Book handy? Let’s check in! 🛎️

Our first stop takes us back in time to the Manor House Hotel in Chicago! 🚗🧳

This striking building in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood began as a private home before becoming a hotel. Listed in the Negro Green Book , the Manor House helped Black travelers find a place to stay during segregation.

This vintage scene invites us to imagine our journey ahead.

Although the building no longer stands, its story is our first discovery as we explore Black travel history along our Route 66 adventure.

10/02/2026

We’re hitting the road and you’re invited! 🚗🗺️

Introducing The Road Ahead: A Green Book Journey Along Route 66.

Join Route History for a virtual road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica as we explore historic hotels, restaurants, and service stations listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book. At each stop, we’ll uncover stories of the places that welcomed Black travelers and the communities that made these journeys possible.

Every Wednesday and Friday, we’ll share a new stop, a new story, and a closer look at Black history along the road.

Take a look at our itinerary, invite a friend to ride along, and tell us: Which stop are you most excited to explore?

📍 Our journey begins in Chicago. Stay tuned!

09/29/2026

Hey! 🎉 TODAY is the day! Join us for the 2nd Annual Black2School School Social tonight from 5–8 PM at The Sphinx Center, 2525 S. 12th St. 📚❤️

Come unwind, connect, and enjoy refreshments, music, door prizes, a cash bar, and GOOD VIBES! 🎶🍹🎁

Grab a coworker and come hang out with us. Tonight, the social is for the STAFF! 🙌🏾 See you there!

09/25/2026

A summer in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard. 🏖️

In this 1950s photograph, beachgoers enjoy a day along the shore. For generations, Oak Bluffs has been a summer destination for Black families, a place to swim, visit friends, and return to familiar faces year after year.

That tradition grew during an era when Black travelers could not count on being welcomed at every hotel or resort. Black residents and business owners helped make Oak Bluffs a place to stay and gather. Among them were Charles and Henrietta Shearer, whose guest house, Shearer Cottage, welcomed Black vacationers and was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book.

The photograph captures an important part of travel history: the pleasure of reaching a place where you could spend the day by the water.

Photo: Beachgoers in Oak Bluffs, 1950s. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; gift of Dr. Teletia R. Taylor and descendants of Geraldine A. Taylor, proprietor of Taylor’s Playfair. Via Narratively

09/23/2026

Did You Know?

The hotel in this photograph was once a listing in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide that helped Black travelers find places to stay and other services during segregation.

For a traveler arriving in Springfield, the Dudley Hotel was more than a name on a page. Its listing offered something practical: a place they could plan to stop and stay.

The hotel is no longer standing, but photographs like this help preserve the history of the places that welcomed Black travelers and the people who made those journeys possible.

09/18/2026

Every stop had a story.

The hotels, restaurants, service stations, and tourist homes featured in the Green Book were more than points along a route. They were part of a wider network of people who offered hospitality, dependable service, and a sense of welcome to Black travelers navigating America’s segregated roads.

Many of these establishments were supported by Black entrepreneurs who transformed their businesses and homes into trusted community spaces. A meal, a room, a tank of gas, or a welcoming door could help travelers continue their journeys with dignity and greater peace of mind.

Today, these places remind us that history lives not only in major landmarks, but also in the everyday businesses and individuals who helped others move forward.

09/14/2026

Route History was honored to receive the Legacy of Historical Preservation Award at the Springfield Urban League Inc. 100th anniversary dinner for our work preserving the stories of the Great Migration and the history of Black travelers along Route 66!

For generations, the Springfield Urban League has helped expand opportunity, strengthen families, and support the Springfield community. Its history also reflects the broader Urban League Movement and the vital role these organizations played as Black families established new lives and communities during the Great Migration.

At Route History, we believe preserving this history is essential to shaping our future. We are honored to carry this legacy forward and look forward to the next 100 years!

Congratulations to the Springfield Urban League Inc. on 100 years of service and leadership!

09/11/2026

Route 66 came to symbolize freedom, possibility, and the promise of the open road. Beginning in Chicago and stretching westward, it offered travelers new opportunities for movement, exploration, and connection.

Yet during segregation, that promise was not experienced equally. Black travelers often faced discrimination at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and other roadside businesses. Resources such as The Negro Motorist Green Book became essential, helping families identify places where they could safely rest, eat, and refuel.

The history of Route 66 is both a celebration of possibility and a reminder of the resilience required to pursue it.

09/09/2026

Between 1910 and 1970, millions of Black Americans left the rural South during the Great Migration, seeking greater freedom, safety, and economic opportunity in cities across the North, Midwest, and West. Many were escaping racial violence, segregation, limited employment, and unequal access to education and housing.

Although migration offered hope, building a new life in an unfamiliar city was not always easy. Black families often faced discrimination in the workplace, housing restrictions, and difficulty accessing essential resources. Urban League affiliates became important sources of support, helping newcomers find employment, secure housing, continue their education, and adjust to their new communities.

The Great Migration was more than a movement from one region to another, it reshaped American cities, strengthened Black communities, and influenced the nation’s culture, politics, and economy. The work of organizations like the Urban League helped turn the search for opportunity into a foundation for lasting progress.

Address

737 E. Cook Street
Springfield, IL
62703

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

(217) 503-4129

Website

http://www.routehistory.net/, https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3AdU3xHNT2Su6puTZveecA#/registration

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