Two long-lost Lincoln Highway markers were unearthed recently in California. They are two of the concrete posts planted along the road in 1928 as a final memorial to Lincoln and the road named for him. LHA president Bob Dieterich explains:
I got an email from Lee Hollifield saying he had two “Lincoln Highway posts.” He didn’t want them resold, but wanted them put on display and his father-in-law, Ray Helm, given credit as the donor. Everybody agreed that the California Chapter of the LHA should take possession. Norm Root and Lloyd Johnson and I drove up to Camino (on the Pioneer Branch of the LH near US 50) to see them. Beside his driveway were the two posts, barely recognizable because of all the red volcanic soil that had leached into the concrete.
Ray had half-interest in a salvage yard and when he and his partner dissolved the business about 20 years ago, they each took what they wanted. There were four posts; we think two of them ended up at the entrance to the El Dorado County museum at the county fairgrounds in Placerville. Ray took the other two home and laid them beside his driveway. Over the years they literally sunk into the ground. Lee dug them out of the ground and they decided to donate them somewhere. They are now at Norm Root’s house waiting restoration. Both are cracked, but Norm can perform miracles on concrete.
At our last California chapter meeting, we voted that one of them should end up in the Folsom History Museum. Folsom is also on the Pioneer branch and the museum is a logical place to display them while being protected from vandalism.
The top photo shows Norm Root and Lloyd Johnson standing by the markers as we found them. The second photo shows the markers being loaded into the back of Norm Root’s Suburban.
The third photo shows the posts being pressure washed in Norm’s driveway.
You can also read about it from the donor’s perspective HERE, and here is one some of his images:
Tags: buried markers unearthed, California, Camino CA, highway history, highway markers
Lincoln Highway News 
November 20, 2008 at 7:58 am |
Good story and I found the “donor’s perspective” just as interesting. First off, the link is to a forum discussion that is labeled “off topic”. That’s exactly right, since it’s in a motorcycle forum, but it instinctively seems backwards to us roadie types. The thread includes comments on eBay, offspring, the route of the LH, Rick Sebak’s latest PBS show, and the joy of giving. I enjoyed the opportunity to eavesdrop on a different, but friendly, point of view.
November 20, 2008 at 9:30 am |
Always great to “find” another post. And, in this case, two of them.
I was wondering how many original markers remain, and how many were there in the first place?
November 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm |
The number of posts is often generalized to about 3,000 or one per mile, but Russell Rein counted every entry in Gael Hoag’s log book of where to place them and got just 2,437 plus about 4,000 pole-mounted signs for city streets. Of course, there are enough exceptions, changes, and mysteries to warrant a lifetime of research.
Someone has probably counted the originals – I’ll make a guess of about 50-70. There are perhaps that many reproductions too, including across most of Nevada. Then there’s the distinction of those along the route versus those in museums and flower beds. For my PA book I counted 23 plus 7 off-route in PA when I published in 1996.