Archive for the ‘Lincoln Highway’ Category
June 8, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Members of the Galion Historical Society, Crestline Historical Society, Bucyrus Historical Society, and New Washington Historical Society will gather on Saturday to refurbish a monument to Colonel William Crawford, who was captured by Indians and killed in 1782. The monument erected by the Crestline Kiwanis Club in 1928, when Leesville Road was the Lincoln Highway. (Image below and more info at
www.touring-ohio.com/history/crawford.html.)
An article in the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum quotes Mike Hocker, Executive Director of the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway:
“I have no idea when the last time it was cleaned was,” said Mike Hocker, of the Galion Historical Society. “It sits in the shade next to the woods and the moss really loves that.”
Hocker said the monument is made primarily of marble and limestone with a brass plaque.
“It really is a gorgeous monument,” Hocker said. “As part of Crawford 20/20 Vision, we are reaching out to the other historical societies and trying to get to know one another a little bit better.
“We can all benefit from helping one another out on larger projects. We figure if we all get out there, we can have it done in about an hour and a half.”
The monument cleaning begins at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Tags:Bucyrus OH, Galion Ohio, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Ohio, roadside attraction, roadside monument
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June 7, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The next in the series of Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition Interpretive Murals was installed today in New Lenox, Illinois.
This collection of large scale works of public art can be found along the 179-mile Illinois byway corridor, in over two dozen communities. The latest mural is at 125 West Maple Street. It brings to life the story of the streetcar’s competition with the automobile.
As the designated Scenic Byway management agency overseeing the Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway, the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition (ILHC) received a National Scenic Byway Grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism, Attraction Development (TAP) Grant, to work with Jay Allen of ShawCraft Signs to implement the project.
For more information on the Illinois Lincoln Highway, places to see and things to do, stories of the highway’s significance and history, or to download an Illinois Lincoln Highway Visitor Guide, visit drivelincolnhighway.com.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, interpretive murals, Lincoln Highway
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May 31, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Explore the 1913 Lincoln Highway through Indiana on July 21, 2012, as part of the Lincoln Highway Adventure and Moveable Feast, a partnership of the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association and Indiana Landmarks.
Follow the highway east from South Bend past scenic landscapes, historic sites, and good food in Mishawaka, Elkhart, Goshen, Ligonier, Kimmell, and Wolf Lake. End the day in Ligonier, where the Movable Feast showcases landmarks such as the 1839 Stone’s Trace Historic Site, 1879 Kimmell House, and 1930 Luckey Hospital Museum.
Each registered vehicle will receive an Adventure Bag with a dash plaque, discount coupons, and Adventure Passport Booklet containing information about sites along the route with by turn-by-turn directions. Check in via FourSquare or stay connected through your other favorite social media during the Adventure. The Lincoln Highway Adventure welcomes families, car clubs and caravans.
For more information, contact Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office at north@indianalandmarks.org or 574-232-4534.
Buy tickets to the Adventure and the Movable Feast online at: http://adventure2012.eventbrite.com/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Indiana, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, travel
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May 18, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Lincoln Highway fans in the midwest can visit two events this weekend tied to the highway. The 33rd Lincoln Highway Bridge Festival starts today and runs through tomorrow (May 18–19) in Tama, Iowa. Then drive 180 miles east and enjoy the Lincoln Highway Car Show in Franklin Grove, Illinois.
Tama is known for it’s concrete bridge with “Lincoln Highway” spelled out in its rails. Events kick off Friday night with an ice cream social and entertainment. Saturday gets underway with a Firefighters Breakfast at 7 am, a 5K Run at 8 am, and a parade Tama at 10 am. For the 59th consecutive year, Merriam’s Midway Carnival will set up around the Tama Civic Center.
Franklin Grove is home to the Lincoln Highway Association’s National Tourism & Visitor Information Headquarters. Registration starts at 10 am and continues through trophy presentations at 4 pm. The points-basis show is open to all cars, pick-up trucks, and motorcycles, with music by 3-D Sound. The Show will be on Elm and South streets.
Tags:bridge festival, car show, Franklin Grove IL, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, Tama IA
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April 30, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition has installed another in its series of interpretive murals along the 179-mile Illinois byway corridor. The newest mural was installed April 27, 2012, at 348 Victory Drive, Park Forest.
This mural commemorates the proclamation of the route and the naming of the first coast-to-coast highway. The Lincoln Highway’s proclamation declared that the quest to establish a paved highway was everyone’s patriotic duty and that it would serve as a lasting memorial.
Each community receiving a mural is asked to designate representatives to work with ILHC on the project, as well as secure a building site for the mural, research the stories and images that link their community to the Lincoln Highway, and agree to provide maintenance and preservation of the mural. Shown above is the team from ShawCraft installing the mural, with finishing touches by founder/designer Jay Allen.
For more information on the Illinois Lincoln Highway, places to see and things to do, stories of the highway’s significance and history, or to download an Illinois Lincoln Highway Visitor Guide, visit drivelincolnhighway.com.
Photos courtesy Chicago Southland.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, interpretive murals, Lincoln Highway, Park Forest IL, Road trip
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April 27, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Indiana Lincoln Highway Association will dedicate the state’s newest Lincoln Highway Byway interpretive kiosk on Saturday, May 5. The public is asked to arrive at 9:00 a.m. Central Time for the 9:30 ceremony. Other Lincoln Highway interpretive kiosks in Indiana are in New Carlisle, Warsaw, and Plymouth.
Meet Lincoln Highway officials from Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois and join in as the local business community, represented by the La Porte Chamber of Commerce President, Mike Seitz, and La Porte Mayor Blair Milo welcome the crowd to the City for the dedication.
The kiosk is under construction near the intersection of Washington Street and Michigan Avenue in downtown La Porte (just off Lincoln Way). Photos, maps, and text tell the story of how the Lincoln Highway was built as well as the response by local businesses to serve travelers’ needs.
The kiosk was funded by a grant from the national LHA and donations from local businesses and private individuals. Local members of the Indiana LHA, Jim Bevins and Fred Sachtleben, directed the project. They designed the kiosk, researched and selected images, and wrote text for the kiosk panels. They also raised the local matching funds.
Following the dedication, the Indiana LHA will hold its annual meeting, luncheon, and a silent auction fundraiser at B & J’s American Café, followed by a tour of the New York Central Train Depot (now the home of the La Porte Chamber of Commerce).
For more information visit the INLHA website at
www.IndianaLincolnHighway.org or call 574-210-6278.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, kiosk dedication, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, travel
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April 26, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced that the Village of Sutherland, Nebraska, recently was given technical assistance in the form of a comprehensive report for redeveloping a number of former gas stations in its downtown. Most notable is c 1930 cottage station. There is a beautiful photo of it online by photographer Jeffrey Bebee; click his photo to access it, and go to his site to see more:
According to the EPA:
At the core of the technical assistance are four abandoned gas stations located along U.S. Highway 30, which runs through downtown Sutherland and is the former Lincoln Highway. The abandoned gas stations may pose potential environmental and public health hazards due to underground storage tanks that remained after the stations closed. By addressing the tanks, including potential contamination and liability issues, these sites can be made viable for reuse that benefits the community while removing community eyesores and transforming the sites into community assets. The redevelopment of these sites can spur further revitalization in the area.
“The technical assistance provided to the Village of Sutherland allows the community leaders to restore four Brownfields properties to beneficial use for the community,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator. “This is a clear example that shows how being environmentally conscious can bring positive growth and development for our small rural communities.”
Tags:gas station, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Nebraska, roadside
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April 12, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Plainfield Patch features the story (and photo below) behind a diner and gas station best known for the windmill that marked the roadside business. The Windmill was along the Lincoln Highway southeast of town. It was also just off an alignment of Route 66 that shared three blocks with the Lincoln Highway.
John and Mabel Powell leased land at the southwest corner of Lake Renwick around 1925 for their whimsical building. The windmill served as the entrance to the diner and also had a canopy over gas pumps. The upper floors were an apartment for the Powells and their son Robert. The Depression led to the business closing around 1935 and it was leased to James Lyon, who removed the gas pumps and enclosed the canopy to provide a large saloon. Operating as The Palomar and later The Mill, the business survived into the mid-1950s.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, Plainfield IL, Route 66
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March 29, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition (ILHC) was awarded as Best Cooperative Partnership for their Interpretive Mural Series at the 2012 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism on March 16, 2012 in Rosemont, Illinois. The conference celebrated the groundbreaking work of industry innovators with the “Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards.”
As the designated Scenic Byway management agency overseeing the Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway, the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition received a National Scenic Byway Grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism, Attraction Development (TAP) Grant to fund the mural project. Each mural is a hand-painted, unique work of art, approximately 10 x 20 square foot, depicting an exciting story of the early Lincoln Highway. Visit drivelincolnhighway.com for more information on the murals and gazebos, or to download an Illinois Lincoln Highway Visitor Guide.
Tags:award, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, interpretive murals, Lincoln Highway, roadside attractions, roadtrip, travel
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March 27, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
A short and long tour this fall will feature visits to haunted places along the Lincoln Highway in Ohio. The 5-day tour runs Monday–Friday, September 17–21, 2012; the one day is Saturday, October 6, 2012.
The long trip begins with a guided motor coach tour of ” Half Acre of Hell,” a shady little neighborhood of East Liverpool. By Friday, you’ll have reached Salem for a Haunted & Historical Trolley Tour and dinner at Ricky’s English Pub. The one-day bus trip includes a tour of Columbiana County’s Ghostly Tales, Ricky’s, and the Salem tours. Fee for the week-long tour is $565 p/p and includes overnight stays and most meals, with motor coach pickups in Beaver Falls and Cranberry, Pa., and East Liverpool, Ohio. The one-day bus tour is $75. Contact Connie Faulk, conniegoldentriangle@gmail.com or 724-843-0980.
Tags:ghost tours, highway history, Lincoln Highway, Ohio, roadside attractions
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