Old hotel in Mt Vernon, Iowa, demolished

Our friend David at the 42N blog once again brings us news from Iowa. On May 3 the Palisades Hotel near Mount Vernon, Iowa, was demolished in just three hours; at right are before and after pics from his blog. He writes, “The structure was built in the 1880s and was known as the Cedar Springs Hotel. Its original guests were railroad employees working on a nearby quarry…. Palisades Hotel was the place to go long before the convenience of getting there was possible. The hotel stood 20 years or so before the Lincoln Highway was built nearby and many more years before modern State Highway 30 came even closer. Better roads and more reliable cars made visiting other sites around the region more accessible, and eventually helped lead the hotel into retirement in the 1950s. The demolition of the Palisades Hotel (aka Cedar Springs Hotel, Upper Palisades Hotel, Palisades Hotel, Biderman Hotel, and Old Dutch Inn) marks the end of an era when this site served as a gathering place for legions of students, families and relaxation seeker.”

More on “Route 30” the movie and Mister Ed

The Chambersburg Public Opinion reports on the forthcoming film Route 30 (previously written about here in posts 1 & 2). The article notes that writer/director John Putch is the son of Bill Putch, former artistic director of the Totem Pole Playhouse, located between Gettysburg and Chambersburg. It also mentions that a portion of the profits from the September 27 premiere at Gettysburg’s Majestic Theatre will benefit the playhouse and the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor.

One of the featured locals is Ed Gotwalt (above), owner of Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum along the Lincoln Highway in Orrtanna:

Gotwalt, who plays himself, sells peanuts and other goods to a handful of the movie’s characters, helping to connect the three storylines…. Gotwalt pops in and out of the movie, which features three different plots. Each one pays homage to the areas around state Route 30, with a comedic twist.

The world premiere of Route 30 will be at the Stony Brook Film Festival in Long Island, N.Y., in July.

The September 27 premiere in Gettysburg starts at 8 p.m. in the Majestic Theatre. Tickets cost $16 and can be bought from the Majestic’s box office, online at www.gettysburgmajestic.org, at the Totem Pole Playhouse, and at Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum.

Photos used with permission, www.route30movie.com.

Route 30 film imagines Bigfoot at Caledonia

A new independent film, Route 30, is being shot in central Pennsylvania. The title, and locations like Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, might lead you to think it’s a road trip movie along the Lincoln Highway, but this 2-minute clip from Fox 43 News visits writer, director, and producer John Putch filming scenes in the forests of Caledonia State Park between Chambersburg and Gettysburg. He says it was “actually written for the area geographically, and written about the people that meant something to me.” Putch goes on to mention some of the characters, including an eccentric Amish woman and Bigfoot. See my next post for photos from the movie.

Film of S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel, 1972

The S.S. Grand View Ship Hotel was perhaps the best-known, most-visited landmark along the 3,300+ miles of Lincoln Highway. The famous roadside attraction was 17 miles west of Bedford, Pennsylvania, but unfortunately burned in 2001. With my Lincoln Highway Companion book ready for the editors, I’m starting on my next book, a fun look at the Ship. I first wrote about the Ship in 1989 and have been gathering information, recollections, and photos since then.

People took lots of snapshots there, and though they probably took movies, few of those surface, so it’s exciting to see this rare film from 1972! (Total time 3:32) Roger Shaulis shoots out the back window as they speed east on the Lincoln Highway through the Seven Mile Stretch, passing coal trucks. About 45 seconds in, they arrive at the Ship and go to the deck for the view and some goofing. The family jumps on the Turnpike for the final minute, passing through three tunnels on their way to New Jersey.

Kearney Covered Wagon photo update

Leigh and Chuck Henline of Fort Cody Trading Post in North Platte, Nebraska, stopped at the Covered Wagon west of Kearney on their Thanksgiving trip to snap a few photos of the Covered Wagon, previously reported on here. Note the office now has a second story. Here’s a closeup of the wagon, still awaiting restoration:

Or click below for a 2-photo panorama of the site. Note the houses rising behind it on what was once the 1733 Ranch: