Posts Tagged ‘highway monument’

Fisher Lincoln Highway monument in Utah update

November 7, 2008

Rollin Southwell sent an update on the monument he’s spearheading for Carl Fisher, father of the Lincoln Highway. It is planned for the top of Johnson/Fisher Pass on UT 199 between Clover and Terra, Utah. Architect Steve Ehninger recently announced construction and the dedication dates.

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After a decade of planning, they are working on permits and approvals with hopes to be finalized by January 14, 2009. Construction could start April 9 and be completed by July 8. This includes a rock surround, asphalt paving, signage, and a beacon. Dedication is planned for August 12, 2009.

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Read more at a site about the Fisher Pass monument or Rollin’s blog for more info on Fisher.

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Lincoln artist interred with sculpture in Wyoming

July 21, 2008

The Laramie Boomerang reports that the ashes of sculptor Robert Russin and his wife Adele have been interred at the monument he created in 1959 to honor Lincoln’s 150th birthday. Its location in eastern Wyoming marked the highest point on the transcontinental Lincoln Highway: 8,835 feet. In 1969, the monument was moved to the nearby Summit Rest Area (exit 323) when I-80 opened between Cheyenne and Laramie, and is now at the highest point along I-80: 8,640 feet.

Above is a screen shot from the article and here’s a bit of the story:

Joe Russin, one of the sculptor’s sons, said his father’s wish was to be laid to rest near the statute [sic].

“The Lincoln statute became his calling card,” Russin said. “It was one of his favorite statutes.”

The mighty statute was actually made in Mexico City and then brought, in pieces, to Wyoming….

“My dad hadn’t thought about how low the wires were over Grand Avenue,” Russin said. “So they had to move it through Laramie really early in the morning and they cut the electric and telephone wires for each block as they went through.”

ABOVE: Sculptor Robert Russin and assistants work on the bust of Abraham Lincoln. Courtesy Jim Kearns, Manager, University of Wyoming Media Relations.

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