LHA Past President Jan Shupert-Arick is working on a book, The Lincoln Highway Across Indiana, to be released by Arcadia Publishing in Spring 2009. She says some of the historical images will also be packaged as postcards, with both arriving in time for next summer’s LHA conference in South Bend. Here are two images from the book – above is the Log Cabin Camp at Benton (currently for sale); below is New Carlisle’s Main Street, now a National Register Historic District.
With Rick Sebak’s A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway awaiting its national premier on October 29, LH fans can get a taste for it in other Sebak videos, which often feature LH locations. Here’s a segment from Things That Are Still Here about Ligonier Beach, a 1920 swimming hole just east of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. The cement pool is fed by an artesian well and offers a short sandy beach.
Updating my post of July 14, the former Congress Inn east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is set to be demolished and replaced by a larger hotel. According to the Lancaster New Era, the 96-room motel on tourist-filled Lincoln Highway East could be razed in the coming months to make way for a six-story Four Points by Sheraton hotel pending plan approval by East Lampeter Township. A special exception for the hotel’s six-story height was granted this summer. Construction of the $12 million, 125-room hotel on the 4.5-acre site could start next summer and be ready by Spring 2010.
At right is a vintage postcard view, and below is the motel today.
The Congress Inn, renamed Passport Inn a few years ago, is next to the Lancaster Host and across from Dutch Wonderland, but looks to be declining. Willow Valley Associates, which owns and operates the county’s largest resort, the Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center, has been hired to manage the new hotel.
Jan Shupert-Arick sent photos of the new Lincoln Highway Kiosk that will be dedicated on October 11 in downtown New Carlisle at City Hall (the old Carnegie Library) on the Lincoln Highway. This is one of the kiosks that are planned in Indiana, partly funded by an LHA grant awarded in June 2007.
The 12th Annual Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor Road Rally was held this past weekend under perfect skies between Irwin and Ligonier, Pennsylvania. A number of antique cars took part, including a 1958 Edsel and the 1958 Chevy pictured here all the way from the Jersey Late Greats car club. I was clued in on the the surprises so only attended Saturday night, but more news to follow later this week.
Dinner on Saturday was at The Road Toad just west of Ligonier. Olga and Kristin from the LHHC were there along with the excited attendees, including Esther and Bernie Queneau (below), known as one of the four Boy Scouts who crossed the LH in 1928 on a safety and promotional tour. Rick Kriss, whose antique auto shop had been toured earlier, donated a number of things to the Corridor including a large LH clock ringed in neon. LHC director Mindy Crawford was there too along with Kevin Patrick, mapmaker for my Greetings from the LH book and co-author with me of Diners of Pennsylvania.
But the highlight was a surprise visit from PBS producer Rick Sebak, who brought along a copy of his just-finished show A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway. Not airing on PBS for more than a month, the crowd was treated to a sneak preview of the entire film on an impromptu setup of computer, video projector, and sheet on the wall.
Here’s a snap of the video, made all the more fun by its casual setup, with the scene showing LHA director Jay Banta driving through the Utah desert. The show will air on local PBS stations on October 29 and 31.
Among the many photos from Denny Gibson’s latest Lincoln Highway trip are some sad scenes from Lisbon, Ohio, showing the Crosser Diner at 127 W. Lincoln Way with a sagging roof and wall. At least supports have been added to slow the damage.
The Crosser is a c. 1944 Sterling diner made by J.B. Judkins of Merrimac, Mass., best known for their streamliner models featuring one or both ends rounded. This is a Dinette model, one of only 4 survivors. Comparing to my photo below, the neon sign has already been removed.
Lisbon is probably the only town along the Lincoln Highway having two vintage factory-made diners, with the Steel Trolley Diner a few blocks to the east. Here’s hoping the Crosser is saved and reopened, but after at least 6 years sitting empty, and now with walls collapsing, the prospects are dim.
The Lincoln Motor Court west of Bedford, Pennsylvania, may be the last of the vintage courts still serving overnight guests along the Lincoln Highway. Denny Gibson stayed there Thursday night and wrote, “Despite looking the same from the outside, each of the cabins is just a bit different inside. I was in #6 this time and it is a bit more romantic than my previous accommodations. Note the champagne flutes and the vines near the bed. Hope I didn’t displace some late arriving honeymooners.” Click Denny’s photo below to see the interior larger:
Read more of Denny’s trips HERE, including a visit to the stone bridge at the Philly border.
Lincoln Motor Court was built before 1945; Bob and Debbie Altizer have been taking care of it for 25 years. As you can imagine, there are many challenges to maintaining vintage cabins from painting, plumbing, and wiring to keeping the cottages comfortable. Replacing the roofs have long been a goal but that is expenesive and grants are typically for non-profits. Help preserve this rare resource by staying overnight next time you’re in Pennsylvania. And look for the Altizers and their court in the forthcoming PBS special.
Lincoln Motor Court
5104 Lincoln Highway
Manns Choice, PA 15550
(814) 733-2891
Producing a video is a lot like the books I write — the research is the fun part. The real work is organizing mounds of info into a concise, coherent story for a broad audience. When I visited producer Rick Sebak, he sat next to the tapes for his PBS Lincoln Highway documentary: 99 of them at 40 minutes each! I count 66 hours of raw material that needs boiled down to a 56-minute show. What’s more daunting: that 65/66ths will not be used, or that he still has to watch and consider that material?
Above, Rick reviews the opening sequence and is about to cut the scene with the blue car — too similar to other road shots. Computers let him drag and drop segments of video like magnets on a refrigerator, then editor Kevin Conrad will perform the final splices (all digital of course). We also visited Paula Zetter, who designed the postcards.
I saw about 2/3 of the video and it’s great fun — very colorful and covering a wide variety of people and places. There’s a little from every state on the Lincoln Highway. Along with some basic history, there are markers and monuments, some food stops, and many attractions. Notable landmarks are sprinkled throughout the show too. Intrigued? Tune in Oct 29 at 8 pm AND announcing — repeating Halloween night at 10 pm. These two airings will also be broadcast on PBS-HD, likely the only HD broadcasts of it.
One more note — with a parallel genesis, my Lincoln Highway Companion book will include many of the same highlights when released in the Spring. Rick is just one of dozens of people who contributed their recommendations of places to visit along the route.
I visited producer Rick Sebak today at the WQED-TV studios to see an early cut of his Lincoln Highway documentary to air October 29 on PBS stations. There’s lots to tell but for now, here’s a sneak peak at 8 new postcards that will publicize the show. The photos were snapped by Rick as he traced the route across the US the past two summers. Six of them will be produced just as you see here; two have been reduced to business card size. All will be sent to media outlets and will be available for fans to acquire — more news on that and the show this week, but for now, CLICK THE IMAGE to see the postcard drafts larger:
And read more about the show on Rick’s blog.
The California chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association reports that Michael Kaelin and Gary Kinst presented a new Historic Lincoln Highway sign to the new owners of the Mountain House, Josie Alvarez and her mother Sara Pina. Sara hopes they can restore the roadhouse to its splendor of 1880-1925, the dates of the original resort being built and its burning. Below, Michael presents the sign to Sara and Josie.
This is the Mountain House in 1910 – click the image to see it larger:
The Mountain House is at the east end of Livermore/Altamont Pass in Alameda County at 16784 W Grantline Road, 4 miles W of Tracy and 6 miles E of Altamont Summit. Its origins stretch back to the gold rush days and are detailed in the July 2008 issue of The Traveler, the chapter’s newsletter. Stop in, have a drink, and say hi to Josie and Sara.
Click the map above for a full-size view of the Lincoln Highway.
Like this blog? You'll LOVE my books!Lincoln Highway Companion features detailed maps and places to eat and stay. Click the book to buy it on Amazon.
Click the Greetings book below to purchase the ultimate guide to the history and route of the Lincoln Highway!
Another fun book! The Ship Hotel: A Grand View along the Lincoln Highway recalls the greatest roadside attraction along the coast-to-coast road.
And for those who LOVE diners, click the book below to purchase our completely updated guide to the history, geography, and food of Pennsylvania's Diners!
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