Scott Berka (city clerk of Colo, Iowa) wrote to say Niland’s Cafe at the Reed/Niland Corner in Colo, Iowa, will host a man walking the Jefferson Highway from Winnipeg to New Orleans. The Colo Development Group invites all to attend on Monday, November 9, at 9:00 a.m. The one-stop gathering of classic roadside businesses is at the intersection of the E–W Lincoln Highway and the N–S Jefferson.
ABOVE: Standing on the Lincoln Highway and “above” the Jefferson Highway at Reed/Niland Corner. BELOW, Berka at the cafe counter.
The Winnipeg Free Pressreports that Mike Conlin from New Orleans and Gary Augustine from Prince George, B.C., have already departed Winnipeg, the northern terminus of the Jefferson Highway.
“People are right into this stuff and, with the baby boomers all ready to retire, and into that age where you’re more into history, I’ve got a feeling that that highway is going to come back,” said Conlin.
The Jefferson Highway, established in 1919, was the first north-south transcontinental road to span the North American continent, named for the third U.S. president of the United States. It runs through Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, ending in New Orleans, Louisiana.
I reported on September 2 about David McLane crossing the U.S. to document life in small towns along four major highways in the U.S. As he says on ohmynews.com, “It is NOT a survey but an attempt to come a fuller understanding of the land and the people which comprise significant parts of America but are typically un-represented by main-stream media. This is the third section and reports on traveling from San Francisco to New York City on the Lincoln Highway.”
ABOVE: Sueko and Dave, 49th Street & Seventh Avenue, New York City.
The final installment finds Dave and Sueko trying to make their way through New Jersey to New York City. Their transmission has other thoughts, but a friendly repair shop owners gets them on their way after a few days’ delay. Read all about it and see Dave’s beautiful photos HERE.
The Shopper Onlinereported on the dedication of two new highway plaques honoring the Lincoln Highway’s Ideal Section between Dyer and Schererville, Indiana. Ideal Section authority Art Schweitzer says the section was “a test highway to lay groundwork for future highway construction.” Engineering of its lighting, underground wiring, expansion strips, and 10”of concrete pavement was quite advanced in its day and was to serve as a model experiment.
Speaking at Dyer was Steve Cramer, v-p of Dyer town council. Town manager Joe Neeb was unable to attend but is credited with much of the work involved in getting the approval for the plaques. The speech for Schererville marker (in the Hometown Inn parking lot) was presented by town manager Bob Volkmann.
Two awards were also presented to two members of the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association: Joyce Chambers, a retired teacher and active member of the INLHA was presented with the Teacher of the Year Award. Chambers spent three years developing a historic two week classroom curriculum about the Lincoln Highway and its history. Indiana LHA president David Hay accepted an award to the INHLA from the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana for its “Outstanding Advocacy, Organizational Planning and Development in Preserving Historic Landmarks.”
Two authors signed books afterwards: Cynthia Ogorek for “The Lincoln Highway Around Chicago” and Jan Shuper-Arick for her “The Lincoln Highway Across Indiana.”
A ceremony was recently held in Rochelle, Illinois, to celebrate a new Lincoln Highway gazebo at the Rochelle Railroad Park off of Ninth Street. The gazebo is one of 16 along the Lincoln Highway in Illinois between Fulton in the west and Park Forest in the east. Stories appeared here and here.
Bonnie Heimbach, ILHC Project Director and Executive Director of the Northern Illinois Tourism Development Office, says they are an effort to interpret the stories of the highway: “These 16 gazebos represent our organization’s first ‘bricks and mortar’ project and we’re very proud of the outcome. This project will give travelers an opportunity to learn more about the Lincoln Highway as well as the community they are visiting.”
For more information on the Lincoln Highway through Illinois, including places to see, things to do, and stories of the highway’s significance and history, visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
The Lincoln Highway will soon have a vintage bookmobile following the coast-to-coast road to promote and talk about books. “Behind the Wheel of the Bookmobile” is a multimedia and film project by Tom Corwin that follows the bookmobile on back roads with acclaimed authors taking turns at the wheel. At each stop the bookmobile will invite the public to take their choice of digital and analog titles in exchange for interviews about books that have changed their lives.
ABOVE: On June 16, 2009, Tom Corwin celebrated when he picked up the bookmobile in Gurnee, Illinois, and met those who had cared for her.
Behind the Wheel of the Bookmobile will begin its inaugural drive in spring 2010 by following the Lincoln Highway. Authors will take turns behind the wheel, stopping in small towns and conducting interviews on the books that have changed their lives in a meaningful way.
The vehicle was built by the last manufacturer in America producing bookmobiles from the ground up. The Maroney BF-240 holds 3,200 volumes on Appalachian kiln-dried oak shelves. It was recently decommissioned by the Warren-Newport Library after 15 years and 70,000 miles of service in suburban Chicago.
Anyone can participate in the Buy-A-Mile-Campaign for a minimum donation of $35. To donate or learn more visit www.bookmobiletravels.com/.
The Pilot News of Marshall County, Indiana, reports that Plymouth, a town along the Lincoln Highway in central Indiana, has opened a new transportation museum that includes the famed coast-to-coast road:
A ribbon-cutting ceremony Sunday marked the culmination of the efforts of many individuals, businesses, and organizations that contributed to the expansion of the Marshall County Historical Society and Museum. Welcoming the guests for the occasion was the president of the Historical Society, Dr. Ronald Liechty. Dr. Liechty explained that the process started full steam upon receiving an INDOT (Indiana Department of Transportation) grant in 2005 to open a transportation museum….
Local resident Kurt Garner was among those in the audience with deep affection for the completed project. Garner was one of several who were instrumental in formulating the original concept of the Transportation Museum highlighting the crossroads of the Dixie Highway: 1915, Yellowstone Trail: 1912-1930, Grand Army of the Republic (U.S. 6): 1931-present, Lincoln Highway: 1913-1950s, and Michigan Road: 1826-1900.
Garner said, “It is a great asset to the county. The museum will be a huge draw across the state for those interested in discovering historic routes.”
The museum is located in the Lauer Building at 123 North Michigan St., Plymouth, (574) 936-2306 or visit www.mchistoricalsociety.org/. The above map of the town is from the LHA’s DeLorme road atlas package; click here to purchase your own — the 2007 version is on sale for $12.50, nearly 70% off while the 2010 edition is prepared.
Just in time for Halloween, The Oakland Tribuneran a feature on the Banta Inn, a saloon along the Lincoln Highway in the small town of Banta, near Tracy, California.
Here’s one story:
“One morning about 1:30 a.m. I saw what looked like a young woman float across the hallway from one wall into another,” said Banta Inn owner Dave Colli. “Other people have seen a little blond-haired girl, about 8 or 9, peeking in the dining room window. Even our cook has had a few encounters. One night he opened the oven and the pan came flying out at him.”…
“Something is definitely here,” Colli said. “We have had recurring dark shadows appear and then disappear. Most sightings have taken place in the evening to early-morning hours. Not only have the employees been witness to this, but we’ve also had reports from our guests.”
Stop by Saturday 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. for a Halloween party at the saloon or learn more at www.bantainn.net/.
The Columbus Telegramreported that Nebraska has a new historical marker honoring the Lincoln Highway. The marker is near the Prairie Creek Bridge at 115th Street and 355th Avenue NW of Duncan. The 1.2-mile Gardiner Station section of the Lincoln Highway and the pony-truss bridge spanning Prairie Creek were used from 1913 to 1928, before the LH was rerouted south of the Union Pacific tracks.
The story begins with Bob and Karen Edmison, who in 2005 began the process of getting the Gardiner Station section of the Lincoln Highway listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Bob is a life-long resident of Platte County near Prairie Creek west of Duncan. He knew that the section of 115th Street, on the south side of his property along with the railroad station known as Gardiner Station, was part of the Lincoln Highway.
“Late in 2005 I contacted the Nebraska State Historical Society to ask how to get a bridge and roadway nominated for the National Historic Register,” Karen Edmison said. “I worked with the National Register Coordinator Stacy Stupka-Burda and the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office and learned the basics of how to prepare a National Register of Historic Places nomination.”
Edmison said she submitted a rough draft of the nomination to the Nebraska State Historical Society in the spring of 2006. She said Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer L. Robert Puschendorf then took over the work using her rough draft nomination….
Puschendorf spent nearly a year completing research for the final nomination which included extensive research of Columbus Telegram archives and then submitted the nomination to the Nebraska State Historic Preservation board…. Approval from the National Park Service came in summer 2007….
Edmison said The Lincoln Highway Association, Nebraska Chapter funded the official plaque at a cost of about $2,600. She and her husband Bob provided the money for the construction of the base of the historical marker and the concrete work around it.
“Bob and Lenore Stubblefield of Shelton are very active in the Lincoln Highway Association, Nebraska Chapter,” Karen Edmison said. “They assisted with getting funding for the plaque part of the marker. The Nebraska State Historical Society and John Lindahl of the Nebraska Historical Marker Program worked with the foundry to get the marker cast.”
Jim Payne wrote with an update on an airplane that once served as a restaurant along the Lincoln Highway in eastern Pennsylvania. “I passed by Dover [Del.] today and stopped at the Air Museum. I especially wanted to see the Lockheed Constellation that once sat atop the diner in Penndel. I passed by there after the plane had been taken down and saw it sitting in an adjacent lot with the wings off. I assumed it was going to be scrapped. I learned recently that it had been saved and restored.”
Here is one of his photos — it’s amazing to see it back as an operating aircraft. Thanks Jim!
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition announces they have 40 murals in the works, with three already being painted – Aurora, Oregon (which was not directly on the LH), and Joliet. You can email diane@drivelincolnhighway.com with questions or visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/ for more information. Below are the plans for two of the newest.
Dennis Crowley just returned from walking the Lincoln Highway from Sacramento to Take Tahoe. He sent the summary below plus I’ve included some of the photos he’s posted online: the first shows him on the original 1914 pavement now on private property in Eldorado Hills. The third photo is in the vicinity of Strawberry, Calif.
This leg into the Sierra Nevadas started with urban sprawl but soon turned to speeding traffic on the twisty, narrow, and very steep highway that often had little or no shoulder, all while Dennis pulled his 100 lb. trailer. Of course, the descent towards Nevada had its own challenges!
The words of Brian Butko summarized my last walk on the Lincoln Highway from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe far better than I ever could have: “That’s a long uphill climb!” No truer words were ever spoken for many reasons. For reasons still unknown to me, I managed to sprain both ankles two weeks before taking on my second walk of the Lincoln Highway a few weeks ago. Thanks to taking things slow and a triple-digit heat wave in the Sacramento metro area that kept my muscles heated up when I walked, I soon found myself admiring the majestic beauty of Lake Tahoe. Besides the obvious challenge this journey was to be the first time I would use the trailer, now affectionately called, “The Man-Wagon” by my neice Amber to camp which meant being without any support vehicle for several days and pulling approx. a hundred pound load behind me. So to say, “That’s a long uphill climb” was the perfect ending and perfect summary to a journey that, in the end turned out to be a huge success.
From 1998 through 2005, Crowley walked and worked his way across America from Chicago to California on Route 66. He now calls the effort Cross Roads, “a single purpose and a simple message. By promoting America’s historic highways Cross Roads seeks to call attention to our country’s Christian heritage. The purpose for covering these highways on foot is to make the statement that America needs to return to and walk in her spiritual ‘old paths.’” He walked his first segment of the LH a year ago.
Read more at www.walkingamessage.com/ or search this site for “Crowley” to read of his Lincoln Highway adventures. To request his four email updates written as he was walking, contact Amber at aherrington@walkingamessage.com/.
One of the Lincoln Highway’s most impressive bridges turns 125 years old today. New Jersey On-Linereports that the Calhoun Street Bridgethat connects Trenton, N.J., a-with Morrisville, Pa., “has not only dodged the wrecking ball but is scheduled for a major restoration next year.” The two-lane 1,274-foot-long span is the only wrought-iron bridge over the Delaware River. It is also known for having a cast-iron marker denoting the Lincoln Highway; similar ones stood at each state border.
The bridge was built on the original piers and abutments that were used for the first wooden span in the nontidal area of the Delaware that opened at the site in 1861. That bridge was destroyed on June 25, 1882, in one of the greatest fires the area has ever witnessed, according to historical accounts.
The privately owned Trenton City Bridge Co. announced it would replace the bridge with a wrought iron structure to be built by the Phoenix Bridge Co. of Phoenixville, Pa, the firm that also did the internal support structure for the Washington Monument in the nation’s capitol….
And after 125 years of use, engineers have determined that judging by fatigue factors; the bridge has at least another 30 years of usefulness carrying its present vehicle weight limits of 3 tons…. [An engineer] said additional factors involved in extending the usefulness of the bridge will be the restoration of the bridge’s trusses and the installation of a new flooring system consisting of high-strength galvanized steel.
Sometimes a story seems important enough to veer off the Lincoln Highway and onto other roads. A story in GTR Newspapers (source of the image below) about a Tex-Mex restaurant on Route 66 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the restoration of its neon sign should serve as inspiration to any roadside business owner wondering if it’s worth investing time and money into preservation.
El Rancho Grande opened at its current spot on 11th Street in 1953 and the neon sign followed soon after. While bypasses drained traffic and other businesses withered, “El Rancho Grande held on to its customer base, stayed open and is today the oldest operating restaurant along the [city's] old Route 66 corridor.” The sign however had faded and stopped working; new owners “felt the restoration of the sign would be the icing on the cake and it would once again reach out to passing motorists that a Tulsa tradition is alive and well.”
But showing how regulations can be out of step with public opinion:
it was determined the sign would need to remain attached to the building during restoration. Taking it down would trigger city sign permit requirements that could render the old sign totally out of compliance for further use. Therefore the sign was restored in place.
Here’s hoping citry planners will be the next to realize the vcalue in preserving and restoring vintage signs and businesses.
Flickr friend loungelistener wrote to alert us that the Bon-Air Motel sign is no longer found at the abandoned property in central Ohio. It was a popular photo stop for those following the original Lincoln Highway through Williamstown. Here is an old photo from loungelistener; you can read others’ comments about his photo here.
Ohio’s Milke Buettner did some sleuthing and reports the sign was acquired by the guy who has the building on the southwest corner of the crossroads covered in old gas station signs. He adds, “In a related matter, the Eagle Creek Historical Organization will be erecting a new brick pillar at the original crossroads in Billtown (a.k.a. Williamstown) some time in 2010. I write about this is the most recent issue of Buckeye Ramblings.”
The Mansfield Ohio NewsJournalreports that the Ambassador Hotel will be razed.
At a sheriff’s auction last Friday, GRE Enterprises LLC turned in the sole bid for the landmark hotel at 191 Park Avenue West, the old Lincoln Highway.
The hotel went for its starting bid, $77,890 — exactly what the former owners owed on taxes.
A representative for GRE said, “We’ll take it down…. The old restaurant that used to be Buckeye Tony’s will stay. The rest of the lot will be cleared and put up for sale.”
The restaurant was also known as the Blue Dolphin in the 1960s when it was the Downtown Motor Lodge.
Students at 61 elementary/middle schools along the historic Lincoln Highway just received copies of The Lincoln Highway Road Trip Board Game, courtesy of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Using pewter-like game pieces (vintage gas tank, suitcase, compass, tourist cabin, postcard, and antique auto) players move along the highway beginning in Irwin. The goal is to be the first to travel 200 miles along the historic highway to Abbottstown.
A sampling of a few of the 200 question cards (answers at the end):
1) “What Lincoln Highway community had 5 trolley car companies in one town?” A. Gettysburg; B. Irwin; C. Breezewood; or D. New Oxford.”
2) “Bill’s Place once boasted to have the country’s smallest _________, which tourists often used before leaving the attraction.” A. Gift Shop; B. Bowling Alley; C. Post Office; or D. Bathroom.
3) “Name the town along the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor that you would most likely see bison roam.” A. Fayetteville. B. Schellsburg; C. Harrisonville; or D. Tatonkaville.”
LHHC summer intern Alex Gra, developed the game, which meets/exceeds PA Academic Standards for Mathematics, Science and Technology, Reading, Speaking and Listening, and History. In addition to the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, funding support was through The Sprout Fund/Pittsburgh 250/Community Connections in Pittsburgh.
A limited number of the games are available for purchase through the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor website at www.LHHC.org — click on Gift Shop, then Collectibles; or call the office at 724-238-9030. (Answers: B, C, B)
Ohio’s Mike Buettner sent word of two signs along the Lincoln Highway that welcome drivers to Van Wert, Ohio. The sign shown below (photo by John Renock) is on the Marsh Foundation property at the east edge of Van Wert
Buettner, Ohio LHA Director, says a similar sign was erected on the Brookside Dairy property at the west edge of Van Wert:
This project was the brainchild of LHA member Larry Webb, who has accomplished more interesting Lincoln Highway tasks in his home town than any other Ohioan. Money to build the gateway signs was raised by a local group, which has asked to remain anonymous. Larry presented the idea to the “Main Street, Incorporated” group in Van Wert when he was on that committee, and they enthusiastically backed his idea, paying any bills that were not otherwise covered by donations.
The brick pillars are built to the same standards as the original pillars erected in Crawford County and other western counties of Ohio during the 1920s, and were laid up by a local bricklayer. The cement capstones were constructed from a mold fashioned by Richard Taylor of the Mid-Ohio Chapter. The “Welcome” sign was designed by a local architect. The signs were in place just in time for the annual Lincoln Highway “BuyWay” event, which according to Mike Hocker, enjoyed its best year ever.
The Chambersburg Public Opinionreports that the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor will hold an open house in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to present ideas and discussions for marketing and preserving the Lincoln Highway. The open house will be from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. in the Disabled American Veterans building, 2705 Lincoln Way West.
Representatives will discuss projects such as Franklin County’s Roadside Giant (an old fruit truck at Shatzer’s Orchard on Lincoln Way West, seen above), restoration of a 1930s diner, the MVPA 2009 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, and information about the Lincoln Highway beyond Franklin County. For information, call (724) 238-9030.
Looks like it might be another tough week to keep up with blogging — kids have the flu and I get more symptoms every hour. But here’s some cheery news (and a photo) from Jeff at Vintage Roadside.
Kelly & I are on a road trip from Portland, OR to Nashville, TN for the National Trust annual conference and we’re driving the Lincoln Highway across Wyoming & Nebraska. We’re writing our blog and visited the Black & Orange cabins today in Fort Bridger, Wyoming. We linked to your post about the cabins to give people more history about them.
The Boulder Daily Camerahas a nice story on the Circle Motel in Lafayette, just north of Denver on the Lincoln Highway’s Colorado Loop. Like many mid-century motels, it wavers between identies of classic architecture (it was once the Lafayette Cabin Camp) and a modern trouble spot. Preservationists want to preserve it as a symbol of city’s early highway history while critics consider it blight.
Kenneth Foote, a member of Lafayette’s Historic Preservation Board, said the motel on the edge of Old Town is the last building left that’s associated with the city’s early highway history….
“This building has outlasted its life span,” said owner Mike Macinko. “It should be scrapped. There’s infinitely more bad history here than good.”
The motel, one of the few options for those who don’t have the money for a down payment and don’t want a long-term lease, has long had a reputation for attracting drug dealers, sex offenders and others living on the edges of society….
Count former owner Phyllis McGlathery as a preservation proponent…. She became interested in the property’s history after receiving a letter from the National Park Service about the Circle Motel’s connection to the Lincoln Highway. A historic survey commissioned by Lafayette in 2008 described the Circle Motel as the “best example of properties related to the 1920s-1930s rise of the auto-related retail and service economy” in the city. According to the survey, the property represents the prominent economic role of the Denver Loop of the Lincoln Highway….
Macinko, the owner, said he’s not interested in applying for local landmark designation…. His plans include razing all the buildings and replacing them with small, energy-efficient apartments. In a nod to the motel’s lengthy history, he said, he would try to incorporate the look and feel of the place in a new design and keep the original cottage….
The article includes a history of the property and long list of criminal problems there in the past 5 years.
Join the fun tomorrow, October 3, when plaques will be dedicated in Indiana at both ends of the Lincoln Highway’s Ideal Section, an early study of modern highway construction. The west sign will be in front of the First Midwest Bank in Dyer. The east sign will be in front of the Home Town Motel in Schererville.
Above is the original Ideal Section monument; below is a great old photo in Dyer from Kathy Powers, Dyer Historical Society.
Reception at 1:00 p.m. CDT, Dyer Historical Society
• Greet Art Schweitzer, local LH advocate and preservationist
• Browse the museum and see a newly donated 1928 LH post
• Meet LH authors Cynthia Ogorek and Jan Shupert-Arick.
• Enjoy refreshments provided by the Dyer Historical Society
Program at 1:30 p.m. CDT
• Presentations by LHA and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
Plaque Dedications at 2:30 p.m. CDT
• Depart museum and go to the west end of the Ideal Section to dedicate a new plaque
• Then go to the east end to dedicate the second plaque in Schererville
Kathy offers some history behind the new markers:
Art Schweitzer, Schererville Historical Society, began this project several years ago. Because of state mandates there were many delays. When I approached our town manager, Joe Neeb, he picked up the ball and began working on the project. He arranged a meeting with the Schererville town manager, Bob Volkman, Schererville Town Council member, Tom Schmidt, Art Schweitzer, Cynthia Ogorek, author of “Lincoln Highway around Chicago,” Dennis Hawrot, Betty Jonas, and myself. Plans and ideas were discussed. Bob Volkman contacted Décor Iron Works who built posts for the signs and each town’s public works men installed the signs. Our sign is on a state poured concrete pad on a break-away post in front of First Midwest Bank. The sign itself was paid in large part by monies received from Bank Calumet thanks to Cal Bellamy. The Dyer Historical Society also contributed money.
A Flickr user named Bill posts photos of road trips taken on his the Honda ST1100 named “SilverSTreak.” He recently documented his wonderful cross-country journey along much of the 1913 alignment of the Lincoln Highway at www.flickr.com/photos/silverstreakst/3915870529/.
A monument for Lincoln Highway “father and founder” Carl Fisher will be dedicated this Saturday, October 3, 2009, at Fisher Pass in central Utah. Family member Jerry Fisher, who wrote The Pacesetter biography of Carl, will sign books afterwards. The site of the monument is at a crest on UT route 199 between Clover and Terra, Utah.
Guiding force Rollin Southwell writes:
Its been a long haul and we have lost a few of our committee members that gave their time and first $1000.00 for this project. They are the late Thomas A See and the late Norma Berns. But with the help,support and donations we are ready. A great big thank you goes to Stephen Ehninger of EFT Architects, Jerry Timmins, Jack Mason, Kenn Gillette with UDOT-Region 2, American Road Magazine, National Lincoln Highway Assoc. and State Chapters.
Fisher Pass was part of a plan by the Lincoln Highway Association to shorten the route across the Great Salt Desert. Using what was then calledJohnson Pass and building a road across the great Salt Flat (Goodyear Cutoff) would shorten the distance between Salt Lake City, Ut and Ely, NV by some 50 miles. Though the Cutoff was never compleed, Fisher Pass was finished. The State of Utah received Fisher money with interest, but the agreement was never completed as it was to include a monument to Fisher. The RG Southwell Foundation has led the charge in recent years to finally complete the task. Learn more at fisherpass.com/.
The Chambersburg Public Opinion reports that Pennnsylvania’s Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor appears to be one of the casualties of Pennsylvania’s budget battle.
Funding for the historical organization currently isn’t on any recent version of the Commonwealth’s budget, according to Kristin Poerschke, office manager for the Heritage Corridor in Ligioner. Should the organization not be funded with state dollars it would leave them looking at fundraising as its primary source of income potentially.
The Heritage Corridor was started in April 1995 and is one of 12 special “Heritage Areas” in the state devoted to promoting Pennsylvania’s Heritage. The corridor is composed of about 200 miles of U.S. 30, starting in Adams County and traveling west to Westmoreland County….
In previous years, Heritage Areas were funded through the state, with $1.95 million being divided among the dozen organizations. Should the budget pass without funding for the Heritage Areas, the Heritage Corridor will find itself in unfamiliar territory….
The organization will look to raise funding by holding events rather than soliciting donations, she said. The corridor will host an “An Affair with Lincoln” in Ligonier in December that will include arts, crafts, music and an Abraham Lincoln impersonator.
Visit the heritage corridor HQ at 215 East Main St, Ligonier, PA, or go to www.lhhc.org/.
Tomorrow, September 26, Mt. Vernon, Iowa, will hold its 4th annual Lincoln Highway Festival from 9-4. The Mt. Vernon-Lisbon Sunreports that more than 30 artists will display their works on First Street. Note on the screen shot below that the newspaper also has an opinion poll about a U.S. Route 30 bypass.
What sets this festival apart is the quality of the work, said Katrina Garner, a member of the Mount Vernon Area Arts Council, which sponsors the event….
A special part of the event this year is a silent auction organized by the Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge and the arts council to benefit Galen Lacey, who has been involved with the event in the past and faced a heart transplant this past year (see story on this page)….
While most of the festival action is in the booths on First Street, art by Hugh Lifson, Benesh and Garner will also be displayed at Tatyana’s Kitchen at 224 First St. W. The three artists, along with artist Sue Coleman, get together every so often to do plein air painting, Garner noted.
Cornell College students will also be involved in the event and will be selling a calendar that features their works.
Tony Plaut, a Cornell art professor, will exhibit his interactive sculpture, “The Typer Piper.” It uses organ flutes, an old manual typewriter, a bike pump and a car tire so users may create their own musical scores.
Festival favorite Paul Imholte, known as the Stringman, will be returning. He’ll stroll the festival playing everything from guitar to banjo to dulcimer.
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition’s first Interpretive Gazebo was dedicated on Sunday, September 20, in Creston, Illinois. Diane Rossiter, director of the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, says 15 more gazebos are being constructed across the state in the Illinois Lincoln Highway Corridor: “With the approval of an FHWA Implementation Grant and a Transportation Enhancement Grant, the gazebos are being developed in cooperation with the City of Dixon, Wendler Engineering of Dixon, Horizon Displays of DeKalb, Sebastian Construction of Brookfield and – last, but not least – with the continued support of our community partners.”
The project is expected to be completed by the end of October, perfect time to take a cruise through Illinois. For more information, visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
An avalanche of work has made me fall way behind posting updates, but here’s something you’ll enjoy on YouTube – a clip of “Fording the Lincoln Highway,” the silent film made by Ford Motor Company about the 10-millionth Model T’s promotional tour from New York to San Francisco on the Lincoln Highway in 1924:
The September newsletter arrived from the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition (ILHC) with a report on the completion of the first of 16 Interpretive Gazebos to be constructed along the Illinois Lincoln Highway corridor. There’s also a report on the National Scenic Byways Conference that was held in Denver, and lots else too. Ask to have them emailed to you too at www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
The Carroll, Iowa, Chamber of Commerce blog reports on three upcoming events that, while not directly Lincoln Highway related, nonetheless have the coast-to-coast road as a focus.
A lecture on Sept. 24 is for business leaders who want to hear how byways can have a positive impact on a community from an identity perspective as well as economically. The free lecture at Santa Maria starts at 7:00 pm, meal at 6:00 pm (reservations required).
Bus tours on Sept. 29 and 30 are also for leaders and business owners who want to see what the tourists see between Grand Junction and Westside: “Seen from the eyes of a New York traveler who knows nothing of Iowa, our history and land is new to them and not boring. With some interpretation sites to point out, we can attract tourists just as Route 66 does in the south.”
Mike Hocker, Executive Director of the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway, has announced the winners of the 2009 BUY-WAY Yard Sale Scavenger Hunt.
Mike reports:
First place winner was the team of Chuck and Sue Peck and Sandy Smith of Helena, Ohio, near Fremont. They will receive “Fun Things to Do for a Year” along the Lincoln Highway, including an overnight stay at the exclusive Spread Eagle Tavern in Hanoverton, and the Rodeway Inn of Wooster. Marathon gas cards, tickets to the Canton Classic Car Museum, Ohio State Reformatory, a signed Lincoln Highway book by notable author Brian Butko, a DVD of the history of the road, free dinners at the Oak Park Tavern (an original Lincoln Highway one-stop of the 1930s) and the Das Dutch Kitchen, gift certificates for Lehman’s Hardware, J&M Trading Post, a subscription to AMERICAN ROAD Magazine, along with other items to round out the winning cache.
“We had so much fun,” said Sandy, reflecting on how everyone was so helpful with helping them find the items. “We were having a tough time finding an ice scraper, so a shopper grabbed one out of his truck and sold it to us!” “But the toughest item to find was a bow tie’” Sue’s husband, Chuck, said. We finally found one as we were about to give up the hunt. Now we are glad we held out for it.”
Second and third place winners receiving similar prize packets were Denise Laughery of Galion earning second place, and Sonia Childs of Mansfield; third place.
The idea was to find a dozen common place items on the official scavenger hunt list at yard sales across Ohio, document where they were bought, photograph them and email or mail the photo as an entry. Three winners were drawn from the qualified entries.
“We thank our supporting businesses who have donated these fun prizes. This not only gives a lucky winner lots of things to do for free, but helps bring more travel and tourism–and more knowledge of our road, the first coast-to-coast paved highway in the U.S.” Mike Hocker, OLHHC executive director said.”
The 2009 BUY-WAY had over 1,000 sales in Ohio alone. Photos of this year’s event can be seen online at www.historicbyway.com/. Next year’s yard sale dates are August 5, 6 and 7.
ABOVE: Sue Peck, friend Sandy Smith, and Chuck Peck were excited to tell fun stories about their Lincoln Highway BUY-WAY yard sale adventures, while collecting the scavenger hunt items, which earned them first place winners.
Colo, Iowa, city clerk Scott Berka wrote to say the Colo Development Group has decided to close the much-loved Niland’s Cafe. Friday was its last day open.
Berka wrote, “We will still rent the motel rooms through the development group office (641) 377-2238. We are studying possible alternative uses for the cafe. One suggestion has been to make it available for meetings and special events. We would also be receptive to the right party leasing the facility and keeping it as a cafe.”
Click the map above for a full-size view of the Lincoln Highway.
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