Springfield will be getting two new markers in the coming months.
Springfield City Council voted unanimously at their regular meeting this week to approve $24,000 for a new marker on the African-American Heritage Trail and on old Route 66 at College and Scenic.
Zone 1 Minor Neighborhood Improvement Program funds from the ¼-Cent Capital Improvements sales tax will be used to procure and install the markers.
Community advocate Lyle Foster told city council members one marker will celebrate and acknowledge the important contributions of Roberta Bartley and Olive Decatur. The sisters taught for many years at Lincoln School, which was where Black children received an education during the era of segregation.
The 11th marker on the heritage trail will be located at the Bartley-Decatur Neighborhood Center, 918 E. Calhoun.
"The history of this building is absolutely phenomenal," said Foster. "But as a transplant to Springfield coming from Chicago, I never had any idea of this important history."
He said the building has served as a hospital, a veterans home and a daycare center, and now it's a community center. He said, to learn it's full history, watch for the marker.
Foster said the mission of the African-American Heritage Trail is "to continue to research and publish previously undocumented history and to involve the Springfield community in the identification and celebration of the contributions made by people of color to the community."
The other marker will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Eric Clausen, assistant director of Springfield Public Works, said the hope is that it will be one of 66 sculptures throughout the community to mark the anniversary. That effort is being led by Visit Springfield, according to City Spokesperson Cora Scott.
Grant Kendall who owns a barbershop near the proposed site, told council he believes it would help boost tourism since it would be one of the first things people would see coming from the airport into center city.
