Route 66 in Illinois: A look into McLean County’s ties to the Mother Road
As we continue our journey on Route 66, we’re stopping in Bloomington-Normal to check out the McLean County Museum of History.
Illinois Public Media News
In-depth reporting from WILL, NPR, the Associated Press, and other sources
Contact WILL News at willnewsroom@illinois.edu
WILL Newscast
Route 66 in Illinois: Exploring Old Joliet Prison
We continue our Route 66 journey heading southwest to the city of Joliet. Operating from 1858 through 2002, the Old Joliet Prison is now a tourist site. A local history expert takes the 21st Show through the prison highlighting its history and significance to the city.
Route 66 in Illinois: Starting out in Chicago
Route 66, America’s most famous highway is turning 100 this year, and Illinois is bound up in more than 300 miles of its stories. To kick off our week-long series and begin our statewide journey, the 21st Show traveled to the start of Route 66, in the heart of downtown Chicago.
25 years later, Illinoisans remember where they were on 9/11
Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Twenty-five years later, Illinoisans share stories of where they were and how the events of that day affected them.
What do land-grant universities owe Native Americans?
Tristan Ahtone is a member of the Kiowa Tribe and editor-at-large at Grist. His award-winning investigation, “Land-Grab Universities,” revealed how the 1862 Morrill Act turned nearly 11 million acres of Indigenous land into seed money for land-grant universities — including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
