Archive for the ‘roadside’ Category
October 16, 2009
Flickr friend loungelistener wrote to alert us that the Bon-Air Motel sign is no longer found at the abandoned property in central Ohio. It was a popular photo stop for those following the original Lincoln Highway through Williamstown. Here is an old photo from loungelistener; you can read others’ comments about his photo here.
Ohio’s Milke Buettner did some sleuthing and reports the sign was acquired by the guy who has the building on the southwest corner of the crossroads covered in old gas station signs. He adds, “In a related matter, the Eagle Creek Historical Organization will be erecting a new brick pillar at the original crossroads in Billtown (a.k.a. Williamstown) some time in 2010. I write about this is the most recent issue of Buckeye Ramblings.”
Tags:highway history, Lincoln Highway, motel, neon sign, Ohio, old neon, sign missing, Williamstown OH
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs | 1 Comment »
October 15, 2009
The Mansfield Ohio NewsJournal reports that the Ambassador Hotel will be razed.
At a sheriff’s auction last Friday, GRE Enterprises LLC turned in the sole bid for the landmark hotel at 191 Park Avenue West, the old Lincoln Highway.
The hotel went for its starting bid, $77,890 — exactly what the former owners owed on taxes.
A representative for GRE said, “We’ll take it down…. The old restaurant that used to be Buckeye Tony’s will stay. The rest of the lot will be cleared and put up for sale.”
The restaurant was also known as the Blue Dolphin in the 1960s when it was the Downtown Motor Lodge.
Tags:1960s hotel, hotel razing, Lincoln Highway, Mansfield OH, urban renewal
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, roadside | Leave a Comment »
October 7, 2009
Looks like it might be another tough week to keep up with blogging — kids have the flu and I get more symptoms every hour. But here’s some cheery news (and a photo) from Jeff at Vintage Roadside.
Kelly & I are on a road trip from Portland, OR to Nashville, TN for the National Trust annual conference and we’re driving the Lincoln Highway across Wyoming & Nebraska. We’re writing our blog and visited the Black & Orange cabins today in Fort Bridger, Wyoming. We linked to your post about the cabins to give people more history about them.
Read their adventures at vintageroadtrip.blogspot.com/.
Tags:cabins, Fort Bridger WY, Lincoln Highway, restoration, tourist cabins, vintage motel, WY
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, Road trip, roadside, signs, travel | 2 Comments »
October 1, 2009
A Flickr user named Bill posts photos of road trips taken on his the Honda ST1100 named “SilverSTreak.” He recently documented his wonderful cross-country journey along much of the 1913 alignment of the Lincoln Highway at www.flickr.com/photos/silverstreakst/3915870529/.
Tags:cross-country trip, fun on the road, highway history, Lincoln Highway, mortorcycle trip, old gas station, Road trip, roadside attractions, vacation, vintage attractions
Posted in film/video, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, signs, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
September 29, 2009
A monument for Lincoln Highway “father and founder” Carl Fisher will be dedicated this Saturday, October 3, 2009, at Fisher Pass in central Utah. Family member Jerry Fisher, who wrote The Pacesetter biography of Carl, will sign books afterwards. The site of the monument is at a crest on UT route 199 between Clover and Terra, Utah.
Guiding force Rollin Southwell writes:
Its been a long haul and we have lost a few of our committee members that gave their time and first $1000.00 for this project. They are the late Thomas A See and the late Norma Berns. But with the help,support and donations we are ready. A great big thank you goes to Stephen Ehninger of EFT Architects, Jerry Timmins, Jack Mason, Kenn Gillette with UDOT-Region 2, American Road Magazine, National Lincoln Highway Assoc. and State Chapters.
Fisher Pass was part of a plan by the Lincoln Highway Association to shorten the route across the Great Salt Desert. Using what was then calledJohnson Pass and building a road across the great Salt Flat (Goodyear Cutoff) would shorten the distance between Salt Lake City, Ut and Ely, NV by some 50 miles. Though the Cutoff was never compleed, Fisher Pass was finished. The State of Utah received Fisher money with interest, but the agreement was never completed as it was to include a monument to Fisher. The RG Southwell Foundation has led the charge in recent years to finally complete the task. Learn more at fisherpass.com/.
Tags:Carl Fisher, ELy NV, Goodyear Cutoff, highway history, Lincoln Highway, monument dedication, old roads, Salt Lake City UT, Utah
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
September 22, 2009
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition’s first Interpretive Gazebo was dedicated on Sunday, September 20, in Creston, Illinois. Diane Rossiter, director of the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, says 15 more gazebos are being constructed across the state in the Illinois Lincoln Highway Corridor: “With the approval of an FHWA Implementation Grant and a Transportation Enhancement Grant, the gazebos are being developed in cooperation with the City of Dixon, Wendler Engineering of Dixon, Horizon Displays of DeKalb, Sebastian Construction of Brookfield and – last, but not least – with the continued support of our community partners.”
The project is expected to be completed by the end of October, perfect time to take a cruise through Illinois. For more information, visit www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
Tags:celebrating an old road, Creston IL, gazebo for highway, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Interpretive Gazebo, Lincoln Highway
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, transportation | 1 Comment »
September 16, 2009
The September newsletter arrived from the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition (ILHC) with a report on the completion of the first of 16 Interpretive Gazebos to be constructed along the Illinois Lincoln Highway corridor. There’s also a report on the National Scenic Byways Conference that was held in Denver, and lots else too. Ask to have them emailed to you too at www.drivelincolnhighway.com/.
The Carroll, Iowa, Chamber of Commerce blog reports on three upcoming events that, while not directly Lincoln Highway related, nonetheless have the coast-to-coast road as a focus.
A lecture on Sept. 24 is for business leaders who want to hear how byways can have a positive impact on a community from an identity perspective as well as economically. The free lecture at Santa Maria starts at 7:00 pm, meal at 6:00 pm (reservations required).
Bus tours on Sept. 29 and 30 are also for leaders and business owners who want to see what the tourists see between Grand Junction and Westside: “Seen from the eyes of a New York traveler who knows nothing of Iowa, our history and land is new to them and not boring. With some interpretation sites to point out, we can attract tourists just as Route 66 does in the south.”
Tags:Carroll Iowa, driving old 2-lanes, highway history, Illinois, interpretive gazebos, Lincoln Highway, Scenic Byways
Posted in highways, Lincoln Highway, roadside, transportation | 1 Comment »
September 4, 2009
I recently talked with Olga Herbert, director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, about how the Ship Hotel constantly struggled with people stopping to take photos or use the restrooms but not buy anything. Costs to just stay open, let alone provide services, are a huge problem for roadside businesses. Olga adds:
I hear that all the time from Dunkle’s Gulf and Lincoln Motor Court. People love to stop for a snapshot, but then get gas at the BP and check into the Hampton Inn. In an effort to get more (and a younger Lincoln Highway fan base) we have begun a LHHC geocache. One of the sites is at Lincoln Motor Court. Geocachers and the Altizers [who own the motel] really enjoy it; feedback is posted on http://www.geocaching.com. It appears many have driven by Lincoln Motor Court and always wondered about it. Now they are stopping, meeting the Altizers and checking the place out. Hopefully, it will turn some adventure seekers into Motor Court guests.
There are a number of geocaches along the LH such as at the restored Coffee Pot nearby. Learn more about the motor court one HERE.
A couple first-person reports came in recently. First was a reader’s reply to this blog from Bonnie Metzler:
Just visited there 8/7/09. Loaded with nostalgic charm and spotless! Glass doorknobs, vintage lace curtains and bedspreads-SIX pillows on my bed and bedside plate of mints. Windowbox full of flowers, complete with friendly owner critters-cat came in to nosey around my cottage! Old fashioned tile bath w/porcelain fixtures and fabulous old wooden window. Cable TV, microwave, mini frig, and coffee pot plus glass mugs. Only drawback was Route 30 is noisy even late night if you sleep light. Will find a reason to return! Owners were friendly and accommodating!
Also, NY LHA Director Jerry Peppers writes:
We just stayed overnight in Bedford at the Lincoln Motor Court. The LMC is a true 1920s era experience, including the Altizer’s 1920s era hospitality. The cozy cabins are tastefully updated but the quality of construction from that era is still very apparent. Don’t worry about the lack of air conditioning, even in mid-August. The crisp mountain air had us scrambling to get under a blanket!
We also ate at the Jean Bonnett Tavern and saw Dunkle’s Gulf, which are in your book. Bedford has street concerts Friday nights in the summer in the center of town; you lose sight sometimes just how friendly people are. After visiting Sue’s hometown in Ohio we picked up the LH in East Liverpool and drove it, including Cindell Street, to Canton. We stopped at the Hot Dog Shoppe in East Liverpool and the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon (both in your book) and at Bob Lichty’s auto showroom in Canton. I have autographs in your book from the places where we stopped.
Tags:Bedford PA, cabin court, classic motel, Lincoln Highway, motor court, PA travel
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, Road trip, roadside, travel | 2 Comments »
August 31, 2009
An interpretive gazebo will be constructed along the LH in Plainfield, Illinois, this fall. According to the Joliet Herald News,
The gazebo, one of 16 the coalition is building in participating communities, will be near Village Hall on the south side of Lockport Street. The coalition plans to use federal grant money to build the gazebos statewide along Lincoln Highway, once known as “the most famous road in America.” The village chipped in $3,080, 20 percent of the gazebo’s cost.
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, which Plainfield joined in 2006, has been marketing the 179-mile route for more than 10 years. The group counts 34 towns along its Lincoln Highway corridor, which means all aren;t exactly on the route, such Frankfort, Mokena, Joliet, New Lenox, Aurora, and Oswego.
Besides the gazebo for Plainfield, a committee is working with an artist to design a mural that will be painted on a local building along Lincoln Highway. This will likely depict U.S. Grant Blakely, former publisher and owner of the Plainfield Enterprise newspaper who was instrumental in getting Lincoln Highway routed through Plainfield, as well as several prominent local historic buildings, Schwarz said.
For more information about the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, visit www.drive lincolnhighway.com/.
Tags:highway history, Illinois, interpretive gazeno, Lincoln Highway, marking an old highway
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs, transportation, travel | 2 Comments »
August 24, 2009
A week ago I reported on Denny’s Gibson’s blog but if you didn’t bother visiting it, go to dennygibson.com/lhwest09/ now and spend a half hour seeing, feeling, and tasting a trip along the Lincoln Highway westward from Illinois. Make sure you click his photos to see them bigger; here are a few.
A real heartbreaker, the Covered Wagon attraction near Kearney, Nebraska. Someone was working on the building last year, with plans to restore the wagon and oxen, but now they look worse than ever.
Here’s a great old road segment west of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. A truck used the road while Denny was there.
The pull-off has been paved and ground was recently broken for the Fisher Pass monument south of Grantsville, Utah.
Tags:coast-to-coast, highway history, Lincoln Highway, Nebraska, old motels, Road trip, roadside America, Utah, vacation, vintage attractions, Wyoming
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, transportation, travel | Leave a Comment »
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