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Excitement is building! We will soon be celebrating the Centennial of the Lincoln Highway. This event has been several years in the planning, since the first meeting with Bob Lichty, then president of the LHA, in 2005.
The Centennial Celebration will be in three parts. Car tours starting from both New York City and San Francisco will meet in Kearney on June 30. A big celebration is planned in Kearney, in downtown “On the Bricks” on June 30 and at the Great Platte River Road Archway on July 1.
The Official Centennial Program will be held at the Archway at 1 pm on July 1. An optional Centennial Gala will be held at the Archway at 7 pm on July 1, presented by the Lincoln Highway Nebraska Scenic and Historic Byway. The Bobby Layne Orchestra will be playing, and wine and snacks will be featured.
Our 21st Annual Lincoln Highway Association Conference will be July 1–5 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Registration and setup of the Book Room and a separate Display Room will begin at 9 am on July 1. Bring your original Lincoln Highway signs and memorabilia to share. We will have a separate, secure room for Lincoln Highway items and signs.
On Tuesday, July 2 we will start with a welcome breakfast, and then leave for our optional east bus tour. We will be stopping at the Grand Island Seedling Mile and at Central City to see the Merrick County Courthouse, site of the first proclamation of the Lincoln Highway on October 8, 1913. We will have lunch at Columbus and then follow the Lincoln Highway to Schuyler. Then we will travel to Lincoln, where we will visit the Museum of American Speed. There are three floors of beautiful displays and dioramas depicting automotive and racing history. The 1921 Five-Millionth Model T Ford and thousands of Model T accessories are on display, along with many vintage racers and 500 pedal cars dating from 1890 to the present. We will return directly to Kearney.
Wednesday, July 3 will be the day we’ll stay in Kearney to enjoy special presentations. These will include The History of the Original LHA, The Founding of the New LHA, The Building of the Blair Bridge, The Colorado Loop, and Mapping of the Lincoln Highway on Google. Emily Post will be there to tell us about her journey on the Lincoln Highway. Our group picture will be taken on this day. The Awards Banquet is Wednesday evening, and we can view Kearney’s big 3rd of July Show across the Interstate at the Viaero Events Center from the Holiday Inn parking lot.
Thursday, July 4 is Explore Nebraska Day. You can visit local attractions, join 4th of July parades and events in nearby towns, or take our optional bus tour to North Platte. One bus will be going directly to North Platte to visit the large Bailey Rail Yard and the Golden Spike Tower. We will have lunch in North Platte and visit the Lincoln County Museum. We will drive by Scout’s Rest Ranch, the home of Buffalo Bill, and return directly to Kearney. The evening of July 4, we will all cruise out to the Classic Car Collection on Highway 30 for dinner at 7 pm and a tour of this fantastic car collection. Over 130 cars are featured, including an old-time filling station, drive-in theater and ’50s style restaurant.
Friday, July 5 will feature the farewell breakfast buffet and the membership meeting. An optional west tour by auto will feature the Kearney Seedling Mile, the famous concrete covered wagon, Overton Bridge, Cozad (the center of the Lincoln Highway in 1914), and the Gothenburg Berm, terminating at Big Springs, Nebraska.
Bring your prize Lincoln Highway photos. They should be enlarged and matted, and will be displayed on easels, reviving our photo display.
During your free time we have plenty for you to do. Please visit the web sites of the Nebraska Tourism Commission or the Kearney Visitors Bureau.
For golf enthusiasts, play Nebraska’s newest top rated golf course, Awarii Dunes. Discounted rates are available to anyone associated with the Lincoln Highway conference. Interested players or for reservations can call (308) 743-1111 or email landon@awariidunes.com. A limited number of golf clubs are available for rent. Visit the golf course’s web site at www.awariidunes.com. We will have more information available at the LHA registration area at the Holiday Inn.
Our host hotel for our 2013 LHA Conference in Kearney is the Holiday Inn Convention Center: (308) 237-5971 or 1-888-465-4329. They will have a block of rooms for the Conference at a guaranteed rate of $94.95 plus tax. Be sure to mention that you are coming for the LHA Conference when making your reservation.
Make your plans to participate in this historic event. We look forward to seeing you there!
— Lenore Stubblefield, 2013 Conference Organizer