The coronavirus pandemic is ongoing in the United States and many parts of the world, but the Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Welcome Center in Litchfield, Illinois, wants people to retain their memorabilia from the ordeal even before it’s over.
Anne Jackson, secretary for the museum, wrote a letter to the The Journal-News, based in nearby Hillsboro. It states in part:
As the official keeper of Litchfield area history, we want to collect and keep your stories about what you experience during this time. We also want to collect original, representative items created specifically for the local COVID-19 response, including, but not limited to, signs, protective health devices, social distancing innovations, photographs, and anything that helps tell the story of these trying times. We are not collecting these items yet, as the crisis is not yet over, but we’d like you to remember to hang onto physical items pertaining to these times and begin documenting your experiences.
The museum isn’t collecting the COVID-19 items now; it’s too risky for that. Jackson urged people to drop off the items at the museum at 334 Historic Old Route 66 North “once the precautions and restrictions are over and the museum is again open.”
The museum may be contacted here.
This time period may be painful, much like the Depression was 90 years ago, but Jackson wrote the museum “has an opportunity and obligation to record the experiences we are going through to help future generations understand what it was like.”
Don’t be surprised if other regional history museums along the Mother Road undertake similar initiatives about the pandemic. Litchfield’s simply is one of the first to do so.
(Image of coronavirus masks by Muffinn via Flickr)
History starts now!
They are doing the same thing here in McHenry County, Illinois, where the museum is asking for submissions.
This is major world history happening right now. The last really bad pandemic was the Spanish Flu 1918-1920. And the last event to really impact everybody was WW II, but at least the bars and restaurants were still open for more than just take out or delivery.
I think schools should be requiring students to write about how their lives are being affected as part of their e-lessons.
Maybe you could have people operating our popular Route 66 places write you and tell how they’re coping.