March 29, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Long-time Lincoln Highway advocate Rollin Southwell passed away suddenly on Sunday while in Iowa. Among the many contributions of “The Man from Utah” to Lincoln Highway history, preservation, and promotion was the conception and creation of a monument to Carl Fisher in central Utah.
Rollin’s family has planned a service for Monday, April 1, 2013, 11 am at the Twenty-Seventh East Ward, 185 North P Street (corner of 4th Ave), Salt Lake City. In lieu of flowers, Marie Southwell, Elizabeth Southwell, and Robert Southwell ask that donations be directed to the Utah State Historical Society in honor of Rollin’s love for historical research, particularly the history of the Lincoln Highway.
Tags: highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, Rollin Southwell, travel, Utah
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, signs, transportation, travel, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
March 10, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Singer/composer Cecelia “Cece” Otto will celebrate the Lincoln Highway’s centennial this summer with concerts in every state along the coast-to-coast road. An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway is a “singing travelogue” that will serenade communities with songs popular during the highway’s heyday.
Cece wants these performances to be free so she is asking for donations to help defray some of her costs. Visit her Kickstarter campaign at www.kickstarter.com/projects/614045560/an-american-songline> to make a donation. Whether you donate or not, at least check out her project, one of the most creative celebrations of the Lincoln Highway’s centennial.
“I will travel through 14 states, following the original 1913 route of the Lincoln Highway. I’ll be singing a mix of operetta, light classical, and vaudeville songs that were performed in concert halls and recitals along the road throughout the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s. And I’ll be staying with people along the way and getting to know them and their communities.”
An American Songline kicks off mid-April in New York City. Cece will then travel from New Jersey to California, where the journey ends in Lincoln Park, the western terminus of the Lincoln Highway. To learn more about American Songline, visit americansongline.net or its page on Facebook.
Tags: American Songline, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, music for a highway, opera, singing
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
February 24, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
As reported by Nebraska Outback, the town of Brule (west pf Ogalalla) wants to tear down an old hotel along the Lincoln Highway to make way for other businesses. According to KNOP-TV (source of the screen shot below), “A new Community Development Agency in Brule wants to revitalize the downtown area, starting with this old hotel building on 2nd and State streets.”
Although no plan or even interest in the location is mentioned, the agency official nonetheless says a replacement “will be a nice looking structure that will start bringing in tax base. That basically helps all those entities that are dependent on upon tax income.”
It is unfortunate that when a structure looks old or in disrepair that so many want to demolish, when it is just those structures, restored or not, that give a community its character. This sense of heritage is exactly what people come to such towns looking for, not chain businesses that can be found anywhere.
Tags: Brule Nebraska, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Nebraska, old hotel demolition, roadside attraction
Posted in film/video, highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
February 6, 2013
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition (ILHC) blog reports that a bed & breakfast along the Lincoln Highway corridor has won a prestigious award. Parkside Bed and Breakfast, 200 E. Roosevelt Street, DeKalb, Illinois, was awarded the prestigious Guest Favorite Award from BnBFinder. Only 8 out of 3,000 that are listed on the BnBFinder.com site were chosen for this award. The main house was built in 1854; the attached apartment was opened as a B&B in July 2010. They are located just south of E. Lincoln Highway.
Learn more about innkeepers Bob and Pam Snow or make a reservation at www.parksidebedandbreakfast.com.
Tags: B&B, DeKalb IL, historic highway, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside lodging, travel
Posted in history, Lincoln Highway, lodging, travel, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
January 29, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Murals, created by artist Jay Allen for the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition, won first place in the Murals/Exhibit Graphics category in an annual sign contest presented by Signs of the Times magazine.
Now the murals are competing in the Signs of the Times 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards. They need YOUR help. It’s EXTREMELY easy and fun to see the competing projects.
Every mural is a hand-painted, unique work of art. So far, 29 have been installed. Upon completion, the series will be one of the largest works of public art in the country.
Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8DV5THL and vote for your 3 favorite projects, including of course the murals. Voting is limited to once per computer and concludes on February 8.
Tags: highway history, highway mural, Illinois, Lincoln Highway, roadside
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs, transportation, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 25, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Nebraska Lincoln Highway Scenic and Historic Byway Association has published a Centennial Travel Guide to promote attractions along the Lincoln Highway. Nebraska’s portion of the coast-to-coast road 450 miles, makes it the state’s longest byway. Print versions are available or see it instantly online HERE.
Sarah Focke, LH byway president, says “The centennial of the Lincoln Highway in 2013 will mean increased tourism…. This will help them visit all the hidden treasures located along the way.”
The guide includes historical information about the highway and key byway attractions and historical sites, maps to find lodging, meals and entertainment and a schedule of activities along the way.
Copies of the travel guide are available in the 36 communities across the byway, or for more information, visit
http://www.lincolnhighwaynebraskabyway.com.
Tags: highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Nebraska, Road trip, roadside attractions, roadtrip, travel, US 30, vacation
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, travel, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 23, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Joliet Area Historical Museum, at the crossroads of the Lincoln Highway and Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, is asking for help in restoring its 1928 Lincoln Highway concrete marker. According to a release, the museum hopes “to raise $5,000 to restore the highway marker which is deteriorating rapidly. Restoration includes: stabilizing the interior rebar, re-adhering the broken segments, removing bronze disease, brightening the paint, and displaying it inside.” Of course, there is no paint — the colors are in the concrete — but the rest sounds like a worthy endeavor.
Read more HERE in the release:
Tags: 1928 concrete marker, concrete post, highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Joliet IL, Lincoln Highway, Route 66
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, museum, signs, transportation, travel, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
January 21, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
I’m catching up on some old articles, including this nice feature in The Quad-City Times of Davenport, Iowa, that recounts the story of the Lincoln Hotel along the Lincoln Highway in Lowden Iowa.
http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/bill-wundram/five-room-hotel-keeps-old-time-charm/article_fc7b1df0-02ad-11e1-9f67-001cc4c002e0.html
Posted in highways | Leave a Comment »
January 21, 2013
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
While all things should look similar, the “hidden” address of Lincoln Highway News has changed slightly. You’ll still find this blog at http://www.lincolnhighwaynews.com but the new “hidden” address is https://lincolnhighwaynews.wordpress.com.
The former address, http://brianbutko.wordpress.com, will now serve as the “hidden” address for my website, whose main address is http://www.brianbutko.com. The old version had become impossible to update.
Confused? Don’t be. Nothing has changed much except the behind-the-scenes addresses. I made a few minor tweaks, and about the only regret is the site visits counter had to start over.
So welcome to the same Lincoln Highway News!
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
November 2, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The newest project by Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition is not a mural or gazebo, it’s an exhibit at the Joliet Area Historical Museum in Joliet, Illinois. The unveiling coincided with the first-ever Illinois Scenic Byway Week, recently designated by Governor Quinn.
The new exhibit offers striking graphics and vintage photos complimented by stories that convey the Lincoln Highway’s impact on America and its increasingly mobile society. A detailed map and a replica 1928 Lincoln Highway marker help visitors find the route on paper and on their next rip on the road. The Joliet Area Historical Museum is a popular jumping-off point for followers of Route 66 heading west from Chicago to the Pacific coast.
Tags: highway history, historic highway, Illinois, Joliet IL, Lincoln Highway, museum exhibit, Route 66
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, museum, roadside, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
Lincoln Highway News 