Women’s Work on Route 66
Synopsis
We’ve all heard of Route 66, but how often do we pause to consider the women who helped shape life along its 2,448 miles? Women pumped gas, ran businesses, held public office, painted murals, joined the military, stepped into industrial jobs as wartime “Rosies,” and even designed everything from iconic fashions to excursion riverboats.
In this session, author Cheryl Eichar Jett draws from her forthcoming book Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66 to explore the essential roles women played along the Mother Road. Her research brings forward the stories, labor, and creativity that enriched communities and helped define the history of America’s most storied highway.
About the Speaker
Cheryl Eichar Jett
Cheryl Eichar Jett is a historian and author whose work centers on the often-overlooked contributions of women along Route 66. Her forthcoming book, Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66 (Reedy Press, Spring 2026), draws on more than a decade of research.
Jett is the author of six books for Arcadia Publishing, contributed the Illinois chapter to Route 66: 100 Years, and has published hundreds of articles ranging from local newspapers to national magazines. An award-winning writer of short fiction, she holds a graduate degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Centennial Speaker Series Moderator
Audra Bellmore
Professor / Endowed Curator
Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture
College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences
University of New Mexico
Hosting Organizations
Illinois State Museum
The Illinois State Museum system includes the headquarters museum and ISM-Research & Collections Center in Springfield, with branch sites in Lewistown and Lockport, as well as State Historic Sites across Illinois.
The Museum inspires exploration of Illinois’ past and present to inform and enrich everyday life and promote stewardship of cultural and natural resources for the future.
Session Host
Amanda Bryden
Registrar of History & Historic Sites