

Landmarks Illinois’ 2023 Most Endangered site and historic Southeastern village, Brooklyn, Illinois, has experienced a well-deserved wave of attention this month, following the publication of a Chicago Tribune article, “America’s oldest Black town is in Illinois — and it’s dying. But the fight has begun to save it.”
Brooklyn is the oldest and one of the last remaining majority-Black incorporated towns in the country. It is threatened by a declining population, high unemployment rate and limited economy. The village has sold parcels of land to railroad companies, contributing to ongoing disinvestment.
The Tribune article, which detailed the town’s past and ongoing challenges, has been widely republished and shared on social media, effectively bringing renewed interest in preserving and sharing the history of Brooklyn. As Quinn Adamowski told the Tribune, it is not a singular building or site that makes Brooklyn important, “The whole town deserves recognition.”
This month, Adamowski also joined Brooklyn stakeholders to discuss a wide range of community needs, with a central focus on Brooklyn’s rich and important culture and heritage. The 1929-1936 alignment of Route 66 went through Brooklyn, but this history has largely been erased and cannot be found on current maps. Adamowski has worked with Casey Claypool, Executive Director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, to bring Historic Route 66 signs to Brooklyn that will be installed this spring.
(Pictured: Landmarks Illinois Regional Advocacy Manager Quinn Adamowski (left) and Brooklyn, Illinois, Mayor Vera Banks holding a Route 66 sign that will be installed in the village this spring. Article and image, courtesy Landmarks Illinois.)