The new york to san francisco high way dates primitively from 19, finally became an. Routes highway history bibliography general highway history. Three reports and books published by the lincoln highway association contribute to the historical overview chapter. Documenting the residences and businesses that once lined the lincoln highway through ames. Just as the establishment of the city of ames and its early growth was tied to the first transcontinental railroad, its further growth in the early 20th century was tied to its location on the first transcontinental motor vehicle route, the lincoln highway. Jun 01, 2017 before the interstate highway system, before famed route 66, before highways were even numbered, there was one road that started it all, one road that changed america forever. A guide to americas first coasttocoast road butko, brian on.
Iowa lincoln highway association copyright 2019 all. The lincoln highway and transcontinental route covered the same ground. This book is only available directly from the author. Old historic route 30 lincoln highway segments in iowa.
Courtesy of the state historical society of iowa, franzwe, gregory, the lincoln highway, vol. As more and more of the original lincoln highway fabric disappears beneath superhighways, our role in preserving its legacy becomes urgent. The lincoln highway association officially dedicated the route on oct. A whole generation of americans, exposed to the wellorganized publicity of the lincoln highway association, kept the lincoln highway alive long after its official significance was gone. Experience travel the way it was when getting there was half the fundrive the lincoln highway. As you can imagine, condensing this much iowa history into a bookletsized resource was a monumental challenge.
Click the greetings book below to purchase the ultimate guide to the history and route of the lincoln highway. One of the things he does really well in the book is tell about his occasional side trips off the lincoln highway route to see other nearby things that interested him, said joyce ausberger, of jefferson, who is on the boards of both the historical society and the iowa lincoln highway association. The lincoln highway entered iowa on the lyonsfulton bridge, since torn down, north of the presentday iowa highway 6 bridge. The lincoln highway back in time general highway history. Union pacific railroad great western diesel locomotive trains westerns chicago history american book. The lincoln highway had its problems in story county as it had to travel across rivers, creeks, and boggy spots. Lincoln highway route information length 3,389 mi 5,454 km existed 19present major junctions west end lincoln park in san francisco, ca east end times square in new york, ny location states california, nevada, utah, wyoming, colorado, nebraska, iowa, illinois, indiana, ohio, west virginia, pennsylvania, new jersey, new york highway system auto trails lincoln theater in cheyenne. The excerpts selected from this book, the lincoln highway, focus on alice ramseys journey across america. Every year, the state historical society hands out awards to the best iowa history books published in the previous year. The lincoln highway, 1916 lincoln highway association. Jul 05, 20 the tour, organized by the lincoln highway association lha, has attracted a mix of history buffs, vintagecar enthusiasts and those who simply enjoy a good road trip and figure the 100th. The lincoln highway general highway history highway. When marion lost the linn county seat to cedar rapids in 1921, a more direct route from mount vernon to cedar rapids was created. Lincoln highway in iowa lincoln highway association.
The seedling mile in linn county, iowa, was part of the lincoln highway associations socalled object lesson program that sought to graphically demonstrate, in the paving of selected onemile demonstration sections, the benefits of concrete paving to improving road travel across the nation. Discovering historic iowa transportation milestones. Those who travel the lincoln highway through iowa can follow the original route closely and remember the days of the classic road trip. Dedicated in october 19, the original route went from times square in new york city to lincoln.
The single best introduction to the subject, the book contains an accurate, readable text and evocative photographs. Lincoln highway history iowa lincoln highway association. Lincoln highway news stories and history from americas. During the shutdown, the museum can mail you the book, or you can purchase a book for pick up once we open. Route 66 is more firmly embedded in american pop history and culture, but the lincoln highway is older and it arguably has a stronger claim to being the most important american longdistance highway. In october of 1992, the lincoln highway association was reactivated at a meeting in iowa. A nice companion to butkos other lincoln highway book, this is the book that lists all the roadside attractions on the lincoln highway, including addresses, phone numbers, and websites. Main street across america, university of iowa press, 1988. However, it does not list the dayshours the locations are open, which could be a liability on the road in the decisionmaking of whether to attempt to make it. Lincoln highway statue abraham lincoln this is a great statue of abraham lincoln commemorating the building of the lincoln national highway. Frank seiberling, president of goodyear, and henry joy, president of the packard motor car company.
Most notably, he calls attention to the reinvigorated lincoln highway association and its efforts to preserve what is left of the old road. A road trip celebration of americas first coasttocoast highway, centennial edition brian butko. Jul 4, 2012 historic photos relating to the illinois lincoln highway. The lincoln highway in greene county, iowa is a multiple property submission to the national register of historic places, which was approved on march 29, 1993. Main street across america drake hokanson on amazon.
That reaffirms my belief that there is an interest in the subject. Lincoln highway heritage byway in iowa books and maps. Cruising through forgotten iowa history on lincoln highway. This is largely the history of the lincoln highway itself, its promoters, and its.
The image made for the highway was by then too deeply seated. Two men from the automobile industry who pledged money to fishers idea would later play major roles in the highway s development. A lincoln highway information center is in the windmill near the crossing of the mississippi river into iowa. One of the most famous pictures on the lincoln highway is a car trying to make it through the area where the colo bogs are now located. Your first major metropolitan area on the route features the first paved mile of the lincoln highway in iowa, called the seedling mile, located halfway between marion and mount vernon. A history of tama county iowa vol 1 and vol 2 by j. Iowa lincoln highway association, grand junction, ia. Cronks cafe along the lincoln highway in iowa was founded. The author obviously spent a great deal of time on the details and made the trip himself.
A showcase for the lincoln highway story grand junction, iowa, aug. History of the interstate trail, jefferson highway and. The new york to san francisco high way dates primitively from 19, finally became an improved. Also, boasts of three lincoln highway markets, a large map showing the lincoln highway across iowa and the u. Join us for the latest events, photos, and news on iowa s longest and most historic byway. Both provide detailed maps for each of iowas thirteen lincoln highway counties. Home page of lincoln highway, a country group from altoona, iowa. Because the lincoln highway was a collection of roads and not specially designed like the highways and interstates we know today, traveling it is an exciting and unique adventure full of historical sites.
Significant portions of the highway are concurrent with other highways, most significantly, u. Saluting one of the most important of the early named highways on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. If youve ever driven on interstates 80 or 35, youre also enjoying a legacy of fast, efficient transportation that took root with the lincoln highway more than 100 years ago. Tamas sesquicentennial, 2728 july 2012, a supplement to the tama newsherald. The excerpts selected from this book, the lincoln highway, focus on alice ramseys. Belle plaine, iowa, celebrates its rich lincoln highway history. October 31, 19 was one of the most significant dates in american history. The lincoln highway association was reformed in 1992. In april 1988, the university of iowa press published lincoln highway, the main street across america, a textandphoto essay and history by drake hokanson. Lincoln highway s origins in 1912, carl fisher, the entrepreneur who had founded the indianapolis motor speedway, thought america needed a coasttocoast highway. It then went south on second street in clinton along what is now u. We set out to cover a 200mile stretch one weekend 100 miles into iowa and then another 100 miles in nebraska.
The excerpts selected from this book, the lincoln highway, focus on alice. The lincoln highway is one of the earliest transcontinental highway routes for automobiles. Located along the mississippi river at the crossroads of the great river road and the lincoln highway, come discover when clinton was at the crossroads of lografts, sawmills, and railroads. It is best to have a copy of gregory franzwas book or the iowa chapters map pack see for more information below.
The document chronicles some of her travels along the lincoln highway. It is best to have a copy of gregory franzwas book or the iowa chapter s map pack see for more information below. The high school stadium was located nearby, where the lincoln plaza now s. In 1918, nevada paved the section that went through town. Publishing history this is a chart to show the publishing history of. While the other named highways were quickly forgotten, the lincoln highway was not. In the better country, published 1928, dallas lore sharp and his wife daphne crossed the country hoping to find if there was a better country out there somewhere. The tour cars, both historical and modern, spanned 100 years, from 19 to 20, and included two of henry b. Andreas illustrated historical atlas of the state of iowa, 1875. This barcode number lets you verify that youre getting exactly the right version or edition of a book. Cronks cafe is a 90yearold iowa tradition located along the historic lincoln highway.
These articles offer details about the building and navigating of the jefferson highway in northern iowa, and how the highway gave birth to the jefferson. Henry joy came up with the idea of naming the highway after abraham lincoln. In his new introduction to this tenth anniversary edition, hokanson revisits the lincoln highway and finds it changedmuch for the bettersince the original publication of this book. The lincoln highway in new york and new jersey by doug pappas published by the northeast chapter of the lincoln highway association. How have people tried to preserve the rich history of iowas historic highways. It is on the town square with the classic courthouse in the background and the bell tower with tours next to it. Lincoln highway performing on cw iowa 23s iowa live.
At the same time, the region provides the traveler with exceptional lodging and dining choices. One of his favorite overnight stops was a small town in iowa. To keep friendly to classic cars, the tour does not travel upon the sections of the road which are gravel. Hidden history of clinton, iowa published by the history press. Official map of the lincoln highway lincoln highway association. Iowa is among the original states that are home to the first transcontinental highway in the united states. The jefferson highway, the first book on this pioneering road, covers its origin, history, and significance, as well as its eventual fading from most memories following the replacement of names by numbers on longdistance highways after 1926.
New jersey pennsylvania ohio indiana illinois iowa nebraska wyoming utah nevada california. From there, it generally followed these presentday roads. Highway 30 across iowa, youre never far away from the lincoln highway, if not right on top of it. A picture of progress on the lincoln highway, the lincoln highway. The lincoln highway and its history are discussed in numerous books. Iam writing a book about the history of the industry in iowa and have so far chronicled over 90 automotive efforts. The greene county lincoln highway association was formed in 1991 during an effort to save the. The story of a crusade that made transportation history pubished by.
Us highway 30 aka the lincoln highway runs through 14 states today, due to rerouting over the years. It includes five individual listings and five historic districts located in greene county, iowa, united states. As much as 85% of the original highway is still drivable in the hawkeye state, although some of it is gravel. Pork tenderloins, maidrites and more book from the history press, as well. Pennsylvania travelers guide to the lincoln highway by brian a. Main street across america, photographer and author drake hokanson wrote, the ink was barely dry on the map when towns and citizens began scheming ways to get the route changed to include them. Also, from milford east to the iowa border, the highway is closely paralleled by. The story of a crusade that made transportation history. This book should be owned and read by every motorist who has driven across the u.
Hokanson had been intrigued by the mystery of this oncefamous highway, and tried to explain the fascination with the route in an august 1985 article in smithsonian magazine. A showcase for the lincoln highway story greene county iowa. The lincoln highway is a 3300mile long road stretching across the united states from new york city to san francisco. A grand view along the lincoln highway recalls the greatest roadside attraction along the coasttocoast road. I have researched across the state and i continue to uncover nuggets of auto industry gold. However, it was once americas most famous transcontinental highway reaching from new york to california. The route may take a long time to initially show up, particularly on mobile devices. It was the backdrop for an nbc radio show on saturday mornings. Past times, a supplement of the marshalltown marshall county. Both in their 50s with 4 boys in college, they traveled slowly, musing on the topic daily. Ten years after its original publication, drake hokansons bestselling book continues to.
The national lincoln memorial highway over the buffalo trace beulah b. A live chat with lincoln highway explorer and author news. Official map of the lincoln highway lincoln highway. See more ideas about lincoln highway, historical photos and lincoln. The lincoln highway is coast to coast, san francisco to new york and i am planning on taking this route and route 66 to and from sacramento on one round trip. This highquality magazine, which is distributed to members by the new lincoln highway association. Published by the university of iowa press, 10th anniversary edition, 1999.
The western region of nebraskas lincoln highway nebraska byway presents the traveller with an opportunity to experience not only beautiful scenery but also the areas historical importance in american history and yearround community events. Skating for health and fun is advertised in the 1945 ames phone book at dad and mom carrs roller rink at 530 lincoln way. Ten years after its original publication, drake hokansons bestselling book. Lincoln highway provides history and sites in iowa the. Tometich, with mason city officers harvey fitzgerald and joe hearity. Photos of the lincoln highway in tama county by drake hokanson. The lincoln highway association then dissolved in 1935 after the publication of the story of the associations great achievement in the book, the lincoln highway. The lincoln highway originally wound through marions city streets and followed 1st ave. How is the story of belle plaine, iowa, an example of how this highway. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, many piecemeal road relocations were considered as improvements to the lincoln highway, and not as hindrances of the lincoln highway.
Courtesy of the lincoln highway digital image collection, university of michigan digital library collections dragging the road near ames, iowa. Lincoln highway statue jefferson 2020 all you need to. Oct 25, 2000 in denison, iowa, is a spanish colonial revival building built in 1940 to go along with a cafe and service station built to assist crosscountry travelers. Volunteer appreciation for lincoln highway bridge park association. This is largely the history of the lincoln highway itself, its promoters, and its transportation context. Most notably, he calls attention to the reinvigorated lincoln highway association and its efforts to preserve what is. The lincoln highway bridge park association was organized in 2014 to promote the lincoln highway that runs through tama. The lincoln highway map pack by the iowa chapter of the lincoln highway association nebraska. Lincoln highways origins in 1912, carl fisher, the entrepreneur who had founded the indianapolis motor speedway, thought america needed a coasttocoast highway. Just a couple of sections of the original lincoln highway of yesteryear. Apr 20, 2017 the best iowa history books of the past year. Outside features information boards about the loess hills and history about u. Making selections and abbreviating the information resulted in some difficult editorial choices. Many of the baby boomer generation and those who came later may have never heard of the lincoln highway unless they have had occasion to travel it.
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