From Van & Bev Becker:
With sadness, we note the end of an era. The Lincoln Highway Orchard on the west side of Cedar Rapids where the original route joins Hwy 30, is cluttered with closed signs. Where once there were hundreds of producing apple trees, now there is only a short row on each side of the house. Only 22 trees remain.
This once-thriving business has been sacrificed to make way for a Hwy 100 bypass around the northwest side of Cedar Rapids.
The Iowa DOT apparently does not understand the difference between a one-year cycle on a field of corn and a 10+ year cycle for an orchard. We have spoken often with the owners and after years of fighting the DOT, they were flustered, fatigued and resigned to the end of their orchard and chosen way of life.
As regular customers, I guess we’re going to have to find a new source for quality apple cider. Some members will recall their cider served at our Iowa LHA meetings served at the History Center and the Cedar Rapids Library.
The Sioux City Journal reports on a new website covering Iowa auto trails:
http://xrl.us/2s98
[The link in the story doesn’t work!! If someone knows what it is please let me know.]
I was able to find IDOT’s historical on-line photo data base though at:
http://165.206.203.102/ERMSPortal/HistoricalPhotos_Home.aspx
Iowa Public Radio News took home a number of awards in the 2006 Iowa Broadcast News Association (IBNA) and Iowa Associated Press (AP) contests, including Kyle Gassiott – 1st Place – Best Student Radio Feature – On the Road on the Lincoln Highway in Iowa. [Anyone know if this show is archived on web?]
New Gazebo adorns old gas station site in Lisbon, IA from the Sun.com:
http://www.mtvernonlisbonsun.com/article.php?viewID=1387
