Join West End Service Station in Edwardsville March 27 as speaker Cheryl Eichar Jett explores the influence of women on America's most iconic roadway! Lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. Registration is limited to 30 people and is required- register by emailing Carol at cmatteson@riversandroutes.com. There will be a West End Station African American History display coinciding with this lecture from Jan 1-Feb 28.

The Legendary Women of Illinois Route 66 lecture features author Cheryl Eichar Jett. Jett has published six books through Arcadia Publishing and hundreds of articles on travel, women's history, and Route 66 in Illinois newspapers and national magazines. Her chapter on Illinois was included in a Route 66 anthology due for fall 2025 release. For the past eight years, Jett has collected stories of women's work on the Mother Road, which she's presented in Illinois, Missouri, New York, Texas, and New Mexico. A book based on her research is tentatively set for 2026 publication. Jett is also a playwright and an award-winning short fiction writer and holds a graduate degree in history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.