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Many links to newspaper articles are valid only for one week to one month after publication.
by Russell "ypsi-slim" Rein
Hey - I'm back. Are you goin' to the LHA National Conference in Cedar Rapids? I am, of course - haven't missed one yet. This is number 14.
There may still be time to register so c'mon across and See Der Rabbits at the 14th Annual National Conference of the Lincoln Highway Association in Cedar Rapids, IA. Jan Shupert Arick, LHA Indiana Director and National President-Elect sends this invite: The Lincoln Highway Association will hold its annual national conference and meeting in Cedar Rapids, Iowa June 13-17, 2006. This national conference will be held at the Coe College campus located on the original 1913 route of the historic highway.
The conference will include bus tours, seminars, speakers, banquets and the general membership meeting. Advanced registration and fees are required. The registration deadline is May 31, 2006 (but check with the Beckers for late registration.) Highway enthusiasts will converge on Cedar Rapids to celebrate the nation’s first transcontinental highway by participating in the 5-day conference.
The story of “America’s Main Street” began in 1913 when a group of forward-thinking Americans led by Carl Fisher of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Henry Joy of Packard put forth an udacious plan. They proposed an improved highway from New York City’s Times Square to San Francisco’s Lincoln Park at a time when roads were unpaved, unmarked and an adventure to follow. The road was named “The Lincoln Highway” in memory of our 16th president.
The early Lincoln Highway route was greatly improved and dedicated across Indiana on June 22, 1915. Thousands of Hoosiers participated in parades and public events to celebrate the occasion. Vice president Thomas Marshall of Columbia City attended as an honored guest.
The Indiana Route
1913-1928 - The route came from Van Wert, Ohio across the state line into New Haven and entered Fort Wayne on Maumee Avenue. The route continued on Maumee to Harmer to Washington to Harrison to Putnam to Wells to State to Goshen Road. Travelers proceeding on west took the route we know today as U.S. 33 northwest through Churubusco, Ligonier, Benton, Goshen, Elkhart, Osceola, Mishawaka, South Bend then west on the route that became U.S. 20 through New Carlisle. The road then dipped southwesterly (U.S. 2) through La Porte and then on to Valparaiso, Schererville and Dyer on the western Indiana border.
1928 - The later and shorter Lincoln Highway across Indiana took a more direct route out of Fort Wayne and took travelers through Columbia City, Warsaw, and Plymouth until it reconnected to the original route at Valparaiso. Today we now this somewhat modified route and four-lane road as U.S. 30.
The Lincoln Highway Association began to build America’s first coast-to-coast highway. Other groups followed and soon a dizzying array of over 250 highways bearing names confused travelers. In 1926, the US Bureau of Public Roads eliminated named trails and highways while developing a network that would evolve into today’s familiar numbered federal highways. With little left to do, the Lincoln Highway Association and the Boy Scouts of America placed concrete markers along the 1928 route and disbanded. The highway’s history began to fade from memory.
In 1992, another group of dedicated historians met in Ogden, Iowa for the purpose of preserving the memory of America’s most historic road. Today, the Lincoln Highway Association is dedicated to the preservation, improved safety and education surrounding the route and memory of the Lincoln Highway. The endeavor to preserve the memory continues across the country.
For more information, see:
www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/iowa/
Check out some old Iowa mud at the Indiana Lincoln Highway website: www.indianalincolnhighway.com
Position Available with the Lincoln Highway Association:
The Lincoln Highway Association, a national non-profit organization, is looking for an individual to serve as Association Director. This is a new position within LHA.
For more information about the Lincoln Highway, and LHA goals, objectives and mission statement see our web site at:
Apply by mail to:
Bob Lichty, President
Lincoln Highway Association
1330 Fulton Rd. NW.
Canton, OH 44703
The Patrice Press
319 Nottingham Drive
Tooele UT 84074
The telephone number is 1/435/883-9168 for Visa or MasterCard orders. The book is $20.00 and s/h is $4.95 for the first book and $1.50 for each additional item.
Highway related garage sales are becoming very popular:
Highway garage sales big business
Vacation destination: Megasize garage sales
and from Gannettonline (be sure to click the garage sale sign for an interactive map)
Garage sales: Cashing in on castoffs
The US Post Office will have commemorative LH stamps and covers for the 33 communities along the BuyWay route:
Lincoln Highway stamps available
Planning is underway for the Bicentennial of Lincoln's birth to begin Feb. 12, 2008 in Hodgenville, KY:
Planners seek $100 million for Lincoln bicentennial
Canadian Professor Donald McKay has a photographic exhibition featuring the Lincoln Highway in Nebraska and Wyoming in Cambridge, Ontario:
Photographic Show Opens For School of Architecture Associate Professor
Here's an article from the North Platte Telegraph about how area tourism will benefit from the Nebraska Lincoln Highway Scenic & Historic Byway designation:
Designation could bring more tourists to town
Delphos, OH is recognized for its restoration of the Miami and Erie canal towpath:
Canal part of ‘National Trails Day’ celebration
Allen County, IN commemorates and marks its Lincoln Highway:
Allen County portion of historic highway commemorated
Keith Horn, an early Lincoln Highway Restaurateur and one of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchisers, was the special speaker at this year's annual meeting of the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association:
Horn Addresses Lincoln Highway Association
Cindy's Diner will be "staying put" on the Lincoln Highway in Fort Wayne, IN.
Valporaiso, IN has plan to mark its Lincoln Highway with signs, and reproduction concrete posts:
Valpo to mark historic Lincoln Highway route
After reading the article about Valpo's efforts, a resident of the south part of the county called to say her father had one of the original LH post markers in his barn and is donating it to the City of Valparaiso for the marking effort. Yea!!
Rolling along region roads from Northwest IN Times.
LHA member Cynthia Ogorek was interviewed by ReaderViews.com regarding her book “Along the Calumet River,” a documentation of the history and development of the Calumet River running through Illinois and Indiana.
Interview with Cynthia Ogorek
Dekalb, IL is celebrating its sesquicentennial later this year:
Theme for the 150th: Celebrating community
So is Creston, IL:
Thinking About Holidays
Aurora, IL has one of the country's largest collection of Sears Homes:
Catalog included everything, even houses (once upon a time)
In Geneva, IL the Historic Fabyan garage will be restored:
Historic Fabyan Villa garage will be restored
And don't forget to check out the Illinois LH Scenic Byway website at:
www.lincolnhwyil.com
Paul Gilger, VP of the California LHA chapter reports:
1927 Carquinez Strait Bridge Dismantling Ceremony Held Today
The Beginning of the End for a Lincoln Highway LandmarkSaint Patrick's Day 2006 marks the beginning of the end for the historic 1927 Carquinez Strait Bridge. Today, March 17th, the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) held a special ceremony at the Vallejo end (the north end) of the historic bridge to mark the beginning of its dismantling.
Two rivets were ceremoniously removed from the structure, beginning a process that will take until September 2007, more than 18 months, to complete the complex task.
Numerous state and highway officials were in attendance. Detailed news reports were broadcast on prominent radio and television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area (including KCBS-740 AM news radio).
At the ceremony it was revealed that the original 1927 cantilevered-truss bridge was built at a cost of eight million dollars (almost $80 million in 2003 dollars). The replacement 2003 suspension bridge cost more than $500 million.
Just as we enjoy historic photos of famous bridges under construction, we now have the opportunity to photographically document the deconstruction of one of Lincoln Highway's great bridges. I encourage anybody traveling in the vicinity to make sure their camera is in the car.
Fortunately, we still have the 1958 bridge to remind us what the 1927 bridge looked like.
April 24, 2006
As part of the demolition of the 1927 Carquinez Strait Bridge, today CalTrans will be lowering the bridge's road bed onto barges and floating the sections up the Carquinez Strait (the Sacramento River) to ironworks in Benicia, to be disassembled. As previously reported, the demolition of the bridge, including towers, approaches, piers and foundations will be completed September 2007.It was also announced today that the cost of demolition of the 1927 Carquinez Strait bridge will total $18 million dollars.
Also, a short article on the bridge from the Contra Costa
Times:
Carquinez Bridge takes a small step toward oblivion
Paul also reports on a massive landslide that covered the LH in CA:
May 8, 2006
Hello all. A massive landslide this weekend has closed the Lincoln Highway at Kyburz, California (the Sierra Nevada Southern Route). The slide covers U.S. 50 more than 3 stories deep. CalTrans anticipates it will take several days, if not a full week, to clear the road.
The PA Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor gets a grant for an unusual exhibit at an auto junkyard in Stoystown, PA:
Somerset allots tourism funding
Also, it hosts a competition for an old world artists display:
Old-world artists compete for chance to display work
A little history of the "Star of the West", Adamsburg, PA, from Pittsburghlive.com:
'Star of the West': Adamsburg was once stagecoach stop
A little SW PA road history:
Region's long saga of road work
Brian Butko's book on Isaly's Dairy was the topic of this presentation:
Author pens book on well-known company
The AltoonaMirror.com has an article about the abandoned PA Turnpike - Bike Trail Project:
Former turnpike lanes eyed as future bike trail
Sealing the mines of Gold Hill, UT to protect the intrepid LH
tourists and others:
Division seeking input to seal Gold Hill mines
Route 66 is the 3rd biggest tourist draw in IL:
Route 66: Highway’s allure brings in tourists
An article about the National Road Bicentennial from
Ohio.com:
National Road Bicentennial
The borough of Addison, PA celebrated the National Road
last week. The theme for this year was “The National Road
Reflects the Past, Present and Future":
Road festival concludes
Ebay Auctions:
Real photo postcards are becoming increasingly collectible. You can get a good feel for them through an interesting book published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2005 - Real Photo Postcards. Unbelievable Images from the Collection of Harvey Tulcensky, ed. by Laetitia Wolff, and with an essay by Todd Alden. This quality trade paperback is very illuminating and enjoyable, with scores of great images.
As an example - check out this great image from an ebay
auction of a real photo postcard of Annie Clemenc Heroine
of the Copper Country Strike, Michigan 1913 that closed
at $1,025.00:
• 1913 Annie Clemenc Mine RPPC Copper Country Michigan (eBay item #6245630166)
The late Tom Lutzi had a friend who found two copies of the 1915 Complete Official Guide to the Lincoln Highway. He gave Tom one, and later gave Tom the second one. Until Tom unearthed these I had never seen a copy, or seen a copy offered for sale. Bob disbound one copy to make a reprint so collectors and researchers would have one available. Some of his collection has appeared on ebay. The intact copy of this guide sold for, I believe, $1,200 over a year ago. I had bid up to $800 and dropped out. In Feb, the disbound copy was offered for sale on ebay with an opening bid of $100. No one bid on it but me! I guess I was destined to have this copy. A professional binder said he will have it back together better than new soon. The Lincoln Highway Trading Post still has some reprint copies available at $11.95. Get it before it is gone forever.
• The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway (1916)
A really nice printed black and white postcard of the Eagles Nest Tourist Cabins and Gas Station on the LH in Upper Sandusky went for $36.01:
• Upper Sandusky OH pc Eagle Nest Tourist Cabins & Gas (#6250713395)
Trivia Question - where is "Lower Sandusky" and on what highway? Correct answer gets my new special postcard for the Iowa LHA conference.
An archive of a 1942 Pan American Highway trip from
Detroit, that led to the book Adventure South closed at
$130:
• 0536: Richardson Pan-American Highway Expedition Archive (#6599026824)
A shot-up Lincoln Highway sign by the Automobile Club
of Southern California for Wyoming brought $539.99 on
its second go-round:
• Extremely Rare AAA Lincoln Highway Porcelain Road Sign (#6607709042)
A Coolidge-Dawes Presidential Tour ribbon of the
Lincoln Highway in 1924 brought $93.88. This tour
created cross-collectible ephemera for presidential
and highway collectors. I have seem a pinback with
a little LH map across the country, and press photos:
• Rare 1924 Coolidge - Dawes Lincoln Tour Press Ribbon (#7745889279)
A printed black & white postcard view of the interior
of Wood's Restaurant in Upper Sandusky closed at
$66:
• Upper Sandusky OH print photo pc Woods' Restaurant Int. (#6257021581)
The same seller offered another downtown view of
Upper Sandusky that closed at $48.79:
• Upper Sandusky OH rppc Wyandotte Ave Street Scene (#6257043037)
A nice condition advertising thermometer for the
Blair Bridge, between Missouri Valley, IA and Blair,
NE over the Missouri River, and representing the
final change in the Lincoln Highway from June 1929,
brought $425:
• Blair Bridge Thermometer, Lincoln Highway, US 30 (#6608375777)
Certain states are especially collectible when it comes
to Official State Highway Maps - Michigan, Iowa and
Nevada come to mind. This 1934 Michigan map ended
at $62:
• 1934 Official Michigan Highway Map w. pictures (#6610342966)
A remarkable one-of-a-kind collection of gas station
photos from the Pacific Steel Building Co. closed at
$645.65:
• Estate Find Vintage Gas Station Photos 30s 40s (#7223123027)
A 1915 road map of the Automobile Routes out of
San Francisco produced by the Automobile Club of
Southern California went for $121.48:
• Automobile Routes of San Francisco, ACSC 1915 Map (#6610810472)
A 1922 West Michigan Pike Tour Book (Dixie Hwy)
brought $138.50:
• 1922 West Michigan Pike Tourist Book Dixie Hwy. RARE ! (#6610915566)
A 1916 National Midland Trail Tour Book went to
an LHA member for $446.42:
• National Midland Trail Tour Book - 1916
(This was reprinted in the 1970s) (#6611368578)
A black & white printed postcard interior view of Crook's
Restaurant in Lisbon, OH brought $39.76:
• Lisbon Ohio Crook's Restaurant Interior Postcard (#6260543217)
A 1920 Tourists State Motor Guide to Florida went
for $125.38:
• 1920 Tourists State Motor Club Guide Florida Maps (#6612102269)
A 1930's Route 66 map - the Will Rogers Hwy, went
for $78.89:
• Old 1930's Route U.S. 66 Will Rogers Highway Road Map (#6613649260)
A busy day on the LH at Baxters, CA as depicted in a
real photo postcard was popular at $77.56:
• ca. 1940's Baxter, Calif. PO, Roadside Businesses RPPC (#6263223708)
A real photo view of Cisco Grove, CA brought $76:
• RP Cisco, California Postcard-Cisco Grove, Standard Oil (#6263027004)
A great printed view of the Log Cabin Camp on the
LH in Wooster, OH went for $43.22:
• 1934 Log Cabin Tourist Camp Wooster OH PC Lot#24 (#6264427548)
A 1930s Grizzly Gasoline road of Montana brought
22 bids and closed at $380.01:
• 1930s Montana Idaho Wyoming Grizzly Gasoline Road Map (#6615313589)
A 1930 US 40 Log Map & Directory for Missouri
went for $92.51:
• US 40 Missouri Log Map Directory 1931 Int Hwy Svc (#6615133865)
A printed black & white postcard of the Lincoln Hwy
Camp in Gothenburg, NE brought $78.77:
• Lincoln Highway Camp, Gothenburg, Nebr. Postcard 1937 (#6266669153)
A 1924 Hermoline Gas road map of Iowa went for
$78.89:
• 1924 Hermoline Oil Road Map of Iowa (#6617339999)
A logo'd china mug from a Chicken In the Rough
franchise restaurant went for $102.50:
• Chicken in the Rough - 1958 - Rare Version - China Mug (#7229616934)
A 1920 Official State Hwy map of Maryland
brought $85:
• 1920 Maryland MD Road Map (#6617915375)
A wigwam-shaped menu from the Wigwam Cafe at
Wigwam Village in Cave City, KY went for $108:
• 1940s Menu from the WIGWAM Village Cave City, KY (#6619313734)
A linen postcard of the Route 66 art deco New Saratoga
Club in Litchfield Junction, IL brought $88.60:
• Route 66 Litchfield IL New Saratoga Club Linin (sic) (#6269462500)
A china toothpick holder from the now closed Berghoff
Restaurant in Chicago received 31 bids when it closed
at $173.50:
• The Berghoff Chicago Toothpick Holder vintage (#7232603681)
Two postcards, a real photo and a chrome, of the Inwood
Restaurant in Grafton, WV on US 50 went for $119.37:
• RPPC plus a chrome Inwood Restaurant US 50 Grafton WV (#6269836312)
A metal advertising sign of the Lincoln Highway Garage in
Rawlins, WY closed at $290:
• Old Lincoln Highway Metal Sign Rawlins Wyoming (#6620415122)
A 1914 Pacific Road Guide to Southern California closed
at $271.66:
• 1914-Pacific Road Guide Southern California-Automobile (#6620837912)
A very old metal Goodrich signpost sign from San Diego
County failed to meet its reserve when bidding ended at
$511.89:
• San Diego California Goodrich Guidepost Highway Sign (#7234050546)
A brass Lincoln Highway radiator badge was popular
and went for $231.49:
• Lincoln Highway Automobile medallion (#6621500120)
A 1908 Transcontinental Tour advertising booklet from
the Packard Car Co. "A Family Tour From Ocean to
Ocean" went for $164.29 (darn - I didn't get it!):
• 1908 Transcontinental Record in a Packard Touring Car (#6622179572)
A shot-up curved porcelain Lincoln Highway sign closed
at $432.99:
• Genuine Lincoln Highway Enamle (sic) Sign, Burdick, Chicago (#6622324549)
An embossed steel US 2 shield-shaped sign from North
Dakota brought $316.88:
• Very Old North Dakota US Route #2 Highway Sign Shield (#6623206644)
The elusive linen postcard of Dunkle's Gulf Station on the
LH in Bedford, PA closed at $176.69:
• Gulf Gas Service Station Bedford, PA. Postcard (#6273324632)
A very early Shell Gas road map of Central and Southern
California went for $203.51:
• SHELL Oil Co. Map of Central & So. California 1920's (#6624157024)
A 1914 Official Automobile Blue Book, Vol. 8 covering
the Mississippi to the Pacific Coast closed at $208:
• 1914 AAA AUTOMOBILE BLUE BOOK 1000 PAGES TRAVEL GUIDE (#6624445959)
An old shield-shaped Route 66 sign with marble reflectors
closed at $710:
• Vintage Old Route 66 Sign With Reflectors (#6625211138)
A chrome advertising postcard of the Route 66 Bagdad
Cafe closed at $102.50 (this may be a record for a this
type of card):
• Route 66 Bagdad CA Bagdad Cafe (#6274102170)
A logo'd china creamer from the Greyhound Bus co. went
for $261.60 (who knew?):
• Greyhound Bus Lines - 1930's - China Creamer (#6624867526)
A chrome advertising postcard of the Crisconi Oldsmobile
Auto Dealership, Philadelphia closed at $76:
• 50's Crisconi OLDS Dealership, S. PHILA PA, Cars Shown (#6276951482)
An embossed steel US 40 shield-shaped sign from Nevada
brought $845:
• Nevada US Highway 40 Fully Embossed Shield Sign (#6627932815)
An Auto Club of Southern California porcelain Lincoln
Highway sign, 19 miles east to Laramie (I'm thinking
from Rock River?) closed at $986.24:
• Lincoln Highway Porcelain Sign From Wyoming By ACSC (#7240025553)
A 1920 Official State Hwy Map of Indiana went for
$164.50:
• 1920 Road Highway Auto State MAP of INDIANA (#6629490687)
A chrome postcard of the Midway Gas Station and Diner
on US 40 in Cambridge, OH went for $77.88:
• Cambridge OH 1950s Roadside Truck Stop, Gas Station (#6282864761)
A 1920 letter on LHA letterhead from Frank E, Hopely,
Ohio State Consul, Bucyrus went for $22.72:
• Lincoln Highway National Hdqtrs Letter 1920's RARE NR (#6632554966)
That's all for now - hope to see you all in Cedar Rapids.
yer pal,
ypsi-slim