Two recent articles discuss the fate of bricks used to pave the LH in Ohio, a state famed for its brick roads and pillars along the Lincoln.
The first story details the efforts of the Great Platte River Road Archway that spans I-80 in Kearney, NE, to acquire bricks for a historical display. Hoping to get one from each state, they instead got an offer from Ohio of 2,000 bricks unearthed from Tuscarawas Street in Canton during a road project. The only obstacle is getting them there, but former LHA president–and Canton resident–Bob Lichty has volunteered to lead the effort. Arch officials now plan to recreate a 30-foot long, 16-foot wide highway outside leading to a Lincoln Highway interpretive area. The LH centennial conference of the LHA will be held at Kearney in 2013, with the arch as a focal point.
The other story may not have such a happy ending. The Canton Repository reports that a half-mile of red-brick Cindell Street is set to be paved over, primarily because a township trustee says it’s rough surface is hard on slowplows. Only 10-12 feet wide, it is estimated that preserving the brick surface might cost a half-million dollars, while paving with asphalt would run only $27,000. With so many speaking out for its preservation, a fellow trustee has been given a year to find funding to preserve at least a portion of the road. LHA member Jim Ross has a map showing the brick portions in this area.
Cindell Street, just east of East Canton. already has some patching as seen here:
Lincoln Highway News 
October 25, 2007 at 10:47 am |
Just a note to let you know what’s happening on the Illinois Lincoln Highway – the only part of the Lincoln Highway that has received its National Scenic Byway designation. I am the Associate Director of the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition and, besides publishing an annual visitor guide, we currently have an Interpretive Exhibit at the Dixon Welcome Center, a Traveling Exhibit (currently housed in Rochelle), three Interpretive Murals (DeKalb, Creston, and Rochelle), and an Information Kiosk (with computer to browse our website) in Aurora. We are in the process of building 20 Interpretive Gazebos along the Illinois Lincoln Highway corridor and hope to hear soon that our grant to put up 40 more murals will be approved. If you are interested in talking, please feel free to contact me at the email address above or call 815-547-3854. It’s wonderful what groups are doing across the nation to help preserve and promote the first transcontinental highway in America!