Archive for June, 2008

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Illinois cuts prices for Buy-Way sale supplies

June 30, 2008

The 2008 Lincoln Highway Buy-Way Yard Sale will again stretch from West Virginia through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday August 7-9 (note only Aug. 8-9 in Illinois). Anyone along the various routings of the Lincoln Highway can have a yard sale and/or business sidewalk sale. In its second year participating, the Illinois Chapter of the LHA has cut the price on yard sale signs and increased the number of free services. Yard sale signs will be $8 and those purchasing a sign who include a street address will be advertised with GPS coordinates and maps. Signs are available at the Lincoln Highway Association National Tourism Headquarters, 136 N. Elm St., Franklin Grove, Illinois, or online. T-shirts prices have been cut too — order them through cafepress.

The Lincoln Highway Buy-Way originated in 2005 in Ohio, Indiana joined in 2006, and Illinois and West Virginia in 2007. This year, Iowa is hosting a Motor Tour across the state, making for activities of nearly 1,000 miles along the road.

In Illinois, the Lincoln Highway passes through Chicago Heights, Matteson, Frankfort, New Lenox, Joliet, Plainfield, Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, Maple Park, Cortland, DeKalb, Malta, Creston, Rochelle, Ashton, Franklin Grove, Dixon, Sterling, Morrison, and Fulton. For more information, visit the state chapter’s web site or contact State Director Kay Shelton at lincolnhighway2010@yahoo.com, (815) 748-7211, or call the National Tourism Headquarters at (815) 456-3030.

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Classic cars visit Duarte Garage, Livermore CA

June 27, 2008

Gary Kinst wrote to say that on June 8, 2008, the Livermore Heritage Guild hosted the Santa Clara Valley Model T Clubs endurance run and flatlanders rally. Approximately 40 Model T Speedsters began arriving at the Duarte Garage at 10 am. A barbeque was awaiting the contestants along with an awards ceremony. The parking lot across from the garage was filled with vintage Studebakers, Pierce Arrows, Packards, Model A’s and T’s. At 1 pm, the caravan headed back to Santa Clara to complete the second half of the run.

As the Speedsters approached the garage on Pine Street, a gentleman in vintage costume flagged them across the finish line. Pine Street is a continuation of Junction Ave., the original Lincoln Highway. Race officials checked each arrival and then directed the racers to the front of the garage where they posed for photos, as seen above.

After driving around the block the cars were staged on Pine Street for spectator viewing. The event drew a respectable crowd consisting of those following the participants, and also people driving past the Garage. The Lincoln Highway display inside the Museum received considerable attention too. Photos © by Gary Kinst.

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Car cruise set for Lincoln Highway Festival

June 26, 2008

The Clarence Lincoln Highway Committee is sponsoring the 2008 Lincoln Highway Festival June 27, 28, & 29, 2008. Below are some of the hiighlights of this old-fashioned celebration in eastern Iowa.

Friday, June 27
Bingo, Frog Jumping Contest, and Adult Bean Bag Tournament.

Saturday, June 28
Lincoln Highway Parade and Car Cruise, Carnival Rides, Petting Zoo, Kids’ Beanbag Tournament, Hog Calling Contest, Dessert Bakeoff, Whistling Contest, Evening Dance.

Sunday, June 27
Church Services in Park, Fried Chicken Dinner, 3rd & 4th Grade Girls’ Softball Tournament, Walking Trail Dedication, Trivial Pursuit Tournament, Watermelon Feed, Horseshoe Tournament, and Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest.

Click HERE for a complete schedule of events.

For more info, contact the Clarence Lincoln Highway Committee festival@lincolnhighwayfestival.com or (563) 452-3291.

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Early Ford V-8s to travel the Lincoln Highway

June 25, 2008

Two friends are set to drive their antique autos across this summer, and like an increasing tide, will follow the Lincoln Highway and let us all follow along on their blog. SoCal Early Ford V-8 Club members George Garrett and Tom Shields will leave Times Square on July 6 and pass through all 13 LH states (with a short detour to the EFV8 Grand National in Dearborn). George has a 1939 Ford Coupe; Tom’s is a ’37 convertible. Both are quite similar to two of my favorite cars, the 1937 and ’39 Lincoln Zephyr.

They’ll be posting daily updates online; so far, they’ve documented getting their cars to the east coast. George says, “I’ve been talking about this for 5 years and it’s finally going to happen…. I’ve downloaded the route to a GPS and it, along with some maps, is going to show us the way. The whole trip should take about a month.” Thanks to new LHA President Bob Dieterich for the tip.

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Joy historical sign and conference wrap-up

June 25, 2008

Randy Wagner kindly sent a photo of the new state historical sign marking the original site of the Henry Joy monument. The sign was recently installed just off exit 184 of I-80. The Lincoln Highway runs to its right, and I-80 can be seen heading to the horizon. For more info, see my earlier post.

Also, the Uinta County Herald ran a nice story yesterday about the just-concluded 2008 LHA national conference.

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Some Sebak Scenes from Wyoming tour east

June 24, 2008

Rick Sebak has been traveling the Lincoln Highway with his PBS crew mates Bob and Glenn for a must-see production that will air this October. Last week he caught up with the LHA national conference buses heading east. He sent shots from the trip:

CLICK the above view to enjoy it large.

Todd Thibadeau tells tour-goers about Church Buttes.

No coaches — school buses only on those dusty Wyoming trails!

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Everyone is driving the Lincoln Highway

June 23, 2008

While seemingly everyone is driving the Lincoln Highway this June, including those now returning from the LHA conference, I’m unfortunately typing not driving. Worse, I’m having trouble downloading photos from Sebak. So for now, just a quick update.

Rick Sebak and crewmates Bob and Glenn were in Woodbine, Iowa, this morning filming at Brick Street Station. Hard to believe that 3 days ago they were at the LHA conference in Evanston, and tomorrow night they’ll be back in Pittsburgh. Then a different kind of challenge ensues – choosing just a few of the stories and moments from the hundred of hours that they’ve filmed along the Lincoln.

They hooked up a couple times with our Piaggio scooter friends, Buddy and Bob — read the blogs from PBS and Piaggio.

Another road trip just completed along the LH in Wyoming was a 3-day memorial ride by friends of Scott Griemann; it can be followed on the Wide Open Wyoming blog.

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2008 LHA conference in Evanston – days 2 & 3

June 20, 2008

Day 2 of the Lincoln Highway Association conference featured a tour westward into Utah. Here are some scenes from LHA President Jan Shupert-Arick:


Gas station at Echo.


Summit Mercantile and Furniture Company, Coalville.


Studebaker Champion in jumkyard at Castle Rock.


Wayne Pump (manufactured in Fort Wayne, IN) next to Pony Express Service Station/junkyard at Castle Rock.

Cross-country cyclists Buddy Rosenbaum and Bob Chase met up with the conference; here, Jan and Diane Rossiter (Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition) try out the Piaggio MP3s.

Day 3 featured speakers such as Mindy Crawford (above) discussing preservation issues plus:
• Todd Thibodeaux on Ezra Emery and Wyoming Good Roads;
• Chavawn Kelley on the LHA’s Austin Bement;
• John Waggener on the Medicine Bow Route;
• Heyward Schrock on Highway Architecture;
• John Clark on Automotive History in Utah;
• and Robert Rampton on the 1908 New York to Paris Automobile Race.

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PBS's Sebak: "We could do this forever"

June 19, 2008

PBS producer Rick Sebak has called the past few days reporting that like any good road trip, there’s just too many places to explore when you’re trying to keep to a schedule: “There’s so much to see, we could do this forever.”

They’re on their second cross-country trip fiming for A Look Along the Lincoln Highway, premiering this October. Amazingly, this afternoon Rick and Bob and Glenn are driving east and will be pulling into the Lincoln Highway conference in Evanston, Wyoming. Amazing because they passed by just a few days ago heading west into Utah where they interviewed former LHA president Jess Peterson, headed down Johnson Pass (above, though Gatofeo wrote to say this is actually Dugway Pass), crossed the Great Salt Desert, got a flat tire, interviewed Jay Banta and toured with him, crossed Nevada, filmed in the Sierras and Placerville, reached the terminus, and are blazing back eastward. Amazing too are the photos and videos they’re capturing for their blog. Here are some extra beauties from Rick – CLICK on them for larger views. Makes you want to hit the road, doesn’t it?


• Horses along Pony Express Road, a LH bypass around Dugway, Utah.


• Pony Express Road meets the LH east of Fish Springs, Utah.


• Jay Banta shows the crew around Kearney Ranch, Callao, Utah.


• Crossing Nevada.


• Bob and Glenn set up a late-day shot at Berkeley Pier on the San Francisco Bay.


• Sebak reaches the Western Terminus in San Francisco for time #2.

Remember to CLICK on them for larger views – and you’ll soon be planning your own trip.

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Sleepy Hollow to be rebuilt as original log inn

June 18, 2008

The Tribune-Review reports that Sleepy Hollow Tavern, along the Lincoln Highway near Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and destroyed by suspected arson in February, will be rebuilt to its original look by a building contractor who once lived in the area. On June 23, Fred Haeflein will begin selectively demolishing the building; equipment is already arriving, as seen in the screen shot below:

Haeflein plans to lead a seven-member crew in rebuilding the structure to its original log cabin inn appearance. The entire second floor and roof could not be salvaged but the first floor will be incorporated into the new structure, and 6 of the 18 framed dormers over windows on the front and back portions of the roof will be reused. Haeflein plans to base his reconstruction on the view in a vintage postcard, seen below, before the later additions of a stone front and solarium in back.

Sleepy Hollow started as a typical roadside stand; the inn was built 1939-1940 but suffered after the westbound lanes of Lincoln Highway/US 30 were moved across Loyalhanna Creek. A small causeway was added, but the place declined in recent decades, surviving mostly as a tavern.

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Posted in food, highways, history, lodging, roadside | 2 Comments »

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