The meeting started at 1:15 PM with the treasurer's report, which is available upon request. The report included payment received from the West Sacramento Historical Society for four Lincoln Highway markers. The concrete frame for the markers was built by Norm Root, and the bronze medallions were from Esther Oyster, who is moving to California.
Mary Salazar brought up a technical deficiency in the chapter bylaws. They left out when the two-year term of officers should start (even or odd) in Article 4. We decided on odd-numbered years starting in 1999.
Other technical details need to cleaned up. Mary will them clean up, and we will vote on the changes at the next meeting.
Jack Duncan spoke next about the upcoming September tour, which the chapter decided in the previous meeting to have it go from Sacramento to Fairfield. He thought it was going to be boring, but became exceited about the tour route after actually driving it.
The tour route starts in Sacramento at Capitol Street Tower Bridge, goes west across Yolo Causeway to Davis, exits into Davis on Olive Ave, goes past an office complex called "The Lincoln Highway Center," under the railroad into downtown, onto 1st Street to B Street (the Lincoln Highway was D St. but it is now one-way the wrong way), to Russell Boulevard along Central Park. There is a concrete marker at the northeast corner of the park. Unfortunately, the bronze plaque next to marker says that the CSAA installed the post, and the post is in wrong place.
The route then turns west along Russell along UC Davis. (The Lincoln Highway, and subsequently US 40, went along section lines until the 1940s, when it was realigned to I-80's present alignment.) This part of the highway is lined by nice black oak trees.
Then the route goes south towards Dixon. Near I-80, it turns west at the site of old Milk Farm onto Seavers, then turns south toward Dixon again, and goes over I-80 by the "new" Milk Farm. At this point it is called North 1st St. After it crosses the railroad, the Women's Improvement Club Park is on the left. The chapter plans to put a Lincoln Highway concrete post by this park. (Jack will discuss this with Dixon's Public Works Department.)
The tour proceeds through downtown Dixon to 1st Street and A Street, turns right onto A Street, and crosses the railroad again. Then it turns left onto Adams Street, following Union Pacific Railroad towards Fairfield. It then turns onto Midway west to I-80, goes onto I-80 west, exits by the Nut Tree onto Del Monte Road into Vacaville.
Vacaville realigned many of their roads downtown this year, which complicates the route. The route has to detour around a "no left turn," and a bridge that crosses a creek is now a pedestrian bridge, near which there is another post. (The tour map will make this clear.) Jack says that downtown Vacaville is getting spruced up and it looks quite nice now.
The route next goes onto I-80 west for 1/4 mile, then exits at Cherry Glen Road and stays on it for about 3 miles. It then crosses I-80 into Fairfield and becomes North Texas Street, curves to the right onto Texas Street and goes by a courthouse with a Lincoln Highway marker. It finally ends at a park on the south side of the road.
The tour route is on the original Lincoln Highway alignment almost the entire time, with a marker in every town. Some of the markers are new. Three of them are original, but none of them are in their original location. Originally, the posts through Dixon were concrete, but through Fairfield there were only metal signs.
Jack would like the tour to stop at the pedestrian bridge in Vacaville and at each post. He still needs to write up the West Sacramento portion. He thinks the tour would take about 2.5 to 3 hours.
The chapter then discussed possible starting points in Sacramento. Jack and Milt may look into it. One possible idea is starting at the Towe Automobile Museum in Sacramento and ending at Allan Witt Park in Fairfield. The tour will start about 9 AM. Jack will write up the tour with a definite start and end.
Cleona asked what would happen at the end of the tour. Mary suggested that people would bring their own lunch, and the chapter would provide cake and drinks.
Mary asked what we should charge. Lauretta said that last year, with a $10 per car charge, the chapter ended up in a hole. Jack asked whether we want to "make a profit" from the tour, or use it as a publicity and recruiting opportunity.
Mavis suggested that we could talk to the Methodist church in Fairfield into provide lunch. Jack said that the church could also provide publicity in Fairfield. But then he said that would not be another meeting between now and the tour, so a decision needed to be made very soon. An informal poll of the chapter showed that the picnic was preferred, and the price was set at $12 per car.
Jack noted that our publicity agent, George Clark, should publicize the tour in the towns that the tour would go through.
Norm said he would build four concrete Lincoln Highway markers himself, one each week in August. Jack said he would help. Each would weigh about 350 pounds.
Milt brought in a Shell map of California from 1940 and a 1916 Tour Book, which he bought at a literature fair at Pasadena City College. Jack looked at the map and said it was detailed and accurate. He also brought a California historical landmarks book, and brochures for the Towe Auto Museum.
Mavis related a story about a guy who got stuck while driving across the country. He contacted his relatives, who contacted Mavis via the Lincoln Highway Association roster, whose friend got him. Moral of the story: bring the roster wherever you go!
Jim Armstrong likes to explore where the old road goes. Recently, he went from Fernley to Sacramento, then to Wadsworth, where he walked across a 1917 railroad bridge. From there, he followed the old highway through Reno, Verdi, Crystal Peak Park, through Truckee, to Soda Springs.
In Sacramento, Jim drove on Auburn Boulevard, past Watt Avenue to Winding Way to a bridge crossing a creek. Underneath the bridge, the original two-lane part was dated 1927. Then he went west on Del Paso Boulevard. Near the end, the road curves to the left. The original road went right under RR and across American River up until 1935.
When crossing Tower Bridge, the road goes slightly right down, under the railroad. At the underpass, he could see the old alignment through empty fields. Jack Duncan mentioned that Joel Windmiller's web site talks about these fields.
By Dayton, Nevada, Jim said you used to be able to drive on the old highway. Now, it's blocked off. On the other hand, by the Mustang exit off of I-80, the old highway was blocked off. Now, you can drive it.
By the Donner Lake overlook, you can see 5 roads: I-80, US 40, the Lincoln Highway, the old Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Rd, and the Immigrant Trail. It's possible to hike the wagon road east towards Truckee, but from there the road is blocked by a fence.
Finally, Jim talked about Melissa Core Peak near CA 88. By Carson Pass, near the new visitor center, he could see the old pass road. He walked down the old road, and saw markers in a tree. Walking to the left, he could see the really old 1848-1862 road. This road used the "West Pass," which was higher, but the grade was easier. He could see gouges from wheels in the surrounding boulders.
Next, Jimmy Lin talked about recent changes to the chapter's web site.
Mary Salazar mentioned that the Lincoln Highway is now featured in AAA TourBooks.
The last person to show stuff was Clark Wood. He brought photos of concrete markers in San Francisco, Nevada, and other places.
Before the meeting wrapped up, we welcomed two new members: Chester Ross, and Clark Wood.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:37 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
James Lin
Recording Secretary
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Maintained by James Lin <jlin@ugcs.caltech.edu>