Archive for the ‘signs’ Category
July 27, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The 15th annual Lincoln Highway Festival and Car Show is set for this Sunday in Shelton, Nebraska, which bills itself as the “Lincoln Hi-way Capital” of the state. As reported in the Grand Island Independent, festivities include a car show, antique tractor display, live music, and a photo contest on display at the Lincoln Highway Center. The festival is sponsored by the Shelton Historical Society.
Lunch served at the American Legion Hall will include sloppy joes, Polish dogs, chips, drinks, and pie. The United Methodist Men will be serving homemade ice cream at the north end of Main Street. Organizer Cyndy Ryan said a new addition to this year’s festival will be an antique tractor drive from Shelton to Gibbon and back.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Nebraska, Road trip, Shelton NE, small town festival, travel, US 30
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July 11, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
An auction is set for Saturday, August 11, 2012 at 9 am for highway memorabilia from the famous gas station once run by George Preston in Belle Plaine, Iowa. Not to worry — the signs on the station and adjacent garage are not being sold.
The station moved to 1301 4th Ave (west end of Main Street, green line on map) in 1921 when the Lincoln Highway’s route was changed through Belle Plaine. George started working there in 1923 at age 13 and soon purchased the Standard Oil station for $100. It later became a Phillips 66 and remained operational until 1989. George and wife Blanche also operated a 3-room motel.
After his passing in 1993, the site was cared for by his eldest son Ronald with the same passion and intuition, and he continued collecting memorabilia until he passed away in 2011.
Ron’s daughter Mary Preston wrote to say, “We have no intention of selling the corner but in the same breath we must sell some of the ‘clutter’ on Preston’s Corner.” The family is working with the Lincoln Highway Association and Belle Plaine Historical Society to preserve The Corner for travelers to step back in time.
Objects for auction include gas pumps, toys, furniture, books, farm equipment, a 1927 Model T … and lots of signs.
For additional information about the auction see www.billkron.com/duwa.12-0811.html
Tags:auction, Belle Plaine IA, gas station, highway history, historic highway, Iowa, Lincoln Highway, petroliana, roadside attraction, travel
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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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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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February 29, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition proudly announces that partner vendor ShawCraft Sign Company and company president Jay Allen received the second place award in the 2012 International Sign Design Contest presented by Signs of the Times magazine for production of the ILHC Mural Series in the Best Murals/Banners category. The winning project features the Coalition’s series of large-scale murals designed and fabricated by ShawCraft’s lead designer Jay Allen; each mural is a striking, hand-painted work of public art, communicating the significance and history of the early Lincoln Highway.
Tags:historic highway, Illinois, interpretive murals, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs
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February 7, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
A longtime popular restaurant on the Lincoln Highway east of Pittsburgh, Pa., was destroyed by fire yesterday. A blaze was reported about 1 p.m. Monday at The Winchester Room steakhouse, 1728 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles. Firefighters were on the scene for nearly eight hours.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted North Versailles fire Chief Jeff McNeill as saying the restaurant was a “total loss. I can’t even tell you the last time we had a big fire like this.”
Tags:highway history, Lincoln Highway, PA, restaurant, restaurant fire
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January 24, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
For the past few years, the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition has been producing a series of Interpretive Murals and Gazebos along the Illinois Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway and its 179-mile corridor in northern Illinois. Each mural depicts the history, heritage and events of the highway and its impact on the communities. For the gazebos, four panels tell the story of the highway’s history and culture, including one dedicated to the community and its connection to the highway.
Above, the mural at Fulton depicts the bridge that crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa.
Now a list of both murals and gazebos — along with images of each location — are online for viewing or making a check-off list for your next road trip:
www.drivelincolnhighway.com/murals.html
www.drivelincolnhighway.com/gazebos.html
- Need more LH info? Order Lincoln Highway Companion from Amazon – click HERE
Tags:Fulton IL, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, interpretive murals, Lincoln Highway
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January 2, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The El Cerrito [Calif.] Patch ran an article by Rich Bartke, president of the El Cerrito Historical Society, about the Lincoln Highway. The story concentrates on the San Pablo Avenue, the main artery through El Cerrito, about 10 miles north of Oakland. Early local history is recounted along with Lincoln Highway milestones. The historical society is considering the purchase of two or four new Lincoln Highway signs to identify San Pablo Avenue as a portion of The Lincoln Highway. In 1926, Bartke’s father drove the entire cross-country route in a Model T and snapped the photo below.
Tags:California, El Cerrito CA, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Model T, Oakland CA, Road trip, travel
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Lincoln Highway News 