Posts Tagged ‘Lincoln Highway’
February 27, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor will present “Pennsylvania’s Roads: From the Lincoln to Eisenhower” at 2 pm, March 11, at the Lincoln Highway Experience, 3435 Route 30 East, near Kingston Dam in Latrobe. Presenter Jeffrey Kitsko will explore the history of the Lincoln Highway, the PA Turnpike, and the Interstate Highway System as envisioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Jeff will also discuss roadway construction from the time of the named auto routes and the importance of preserving the Lincoln Highway. He brings his expertise on the history of Pennsylvania’s roadways particularly as the webmaster of the award-winning site www.pahighways.com.
Advance reservations are required. Visit www.LHHC.org to make reservations through PayPal or call (724) 879-4241. A fee charged per person will include light refreshments.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, PA, Road trip, roadside, travel, US 30
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, road surface, Road trip, roadside, transportation, travel | 2 Comments »
February 22, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
UPDATE 3/27/12: LHA Vice-President Kay Shelton reports “City Council of Geneva voted tonight not to allow the demolition of the Pure Oil Building.” She spoke there in favor of its preservation.
A former gas station along the Lincoln Highway in Geneva, Illinois, may be demolished. An article in the Geneva Patch (and other sources) says the landowner has proposed to replace the 1937 station with a branch of St. Charles Bank at the West State Street site. The well-maintained cottage-style station closed in 1995 and has been home to The PURE Gardener since 2006 when former owner and auto repair operator Joe Kuchera sold the building.
As the writer in the Geneva Patch stated:
On one hand, we have a historic building that is shown proudly in Geneva Chamber of Commerce brochures. It’s a building style that goes back to the 1930s and one that’s considered a milestone marker of the Lincoln Highway. On the other hand, it’s a former gas station. And the bank’s plans represent new development at a time when the tax base—particularly in downtown Geneva—is shrinking….
The public, always split on such matters, is leaning towards preservation. The writer continued….
But in these economic times, can the city afford to do that? Can any government in good conscience say no to good-faith development in an economy that makes it more and more difficult for anyone to build or expand?
The garden center owners who lease the blue-and-white station posted a letter to the editor HERE pleading to save the building. Comments overwhelmingly favor preserving the building because it makes sense, both aesthetically and economically.
NOTE: A follow-up article stated that last night, “With the applause of about 50 passionate spectators, Geneva’s Historic Preservation Commission voted 5-1 Tuesday to deny demolition of the former Pure Oil gas station.” But the commission is only a recommending body; the developer can still take the issue to the city’s planning commission and council.
Tags:gas station, Geneva IL, highway history, historic highway, historic preservation, Illinois, Lincoln Highway
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, travel | 4 Comments »
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
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs | Leave a Comment »
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
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, signs, travel | Leave a Comment »
January 9, 2012
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Stuck inside with no road trips till Spring? Click on over to mylincolnhighway.com for a fun look at some LH travels in Ohio. Jamie calls her blog “A somewhat baised guide to the greatest road across the USA.”
Her trips so far are mostly in east-central Ohio but she’s also traveled a few times to Grand View Point near Bedford, Pennsylvania, and even visited the new Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum past Chambersburg. Below, she is at Grand View Point (which was renamed Mt. Ararat a couple decades ago when the Ship Hotel was ark-ified). The view of the gas station across the road. Note the pillar on the right is missing, spelling certain doom for the roof. Also note the graffiti artist reminding us of their trip in “20010”!
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Ohio, PA, Road trip, roadside attraction, travel, US 30
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, travel | 5 Comments »
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
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, signs, transportation | Leave a Comment »
December 16, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor has a new home along the Lincoln Highway between Greensburg and Ligonier. LHHC has purchased the 1815 stone Johnston House across from the Kingston Dam. The site will eventually be home to the Lincoln Highway Experience Museum, which will include the restored Serro’s Diner that sat along the LH in Irwin.
LHHC is holding a Grand Opening of its gift shop today, Friday, December 16, 2011, from 3 to 7 p.m. Hot cider and gingerbread will be served. In addition to Lincoln Highway memorabilia and books, you’ll find many fine crafts from the Handmade Along the Highway program.
Contact LHHC at 3435 Route 30 East, Latrobe, PA 15650. New phone: 724-879-4241. www.lhhc.org/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, LHHC, Ligonier PA, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, travel, US 30
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, souvenirs, travel | Leave a Comment »
December 15, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Mike Kaelin of Tracy, Calif., sends word that Francis (Frank) H. Duarte, 96, passed away on Nov. 22, 2011. He was the last business owner of the iconic Duarte’s Lincoln Highway Garage in Livermore. Frank was born in 1915, the year of the Pan-Pacific International Expo in San Francisco, a prime destination that year for Lincoln Highway travelers. Coincidently, the California LHA Chapter is planning its Winter meeting at Duarte’s Garage on Jan. 7, 2012.
Frank had bought and managed Duarte’s Garage after his discharge from the Army Air Corps in 1945. he had already worked there for his father, Frank, since 1934, then enlisted as an aircraft mechanic in 1939. He is survived by two nieces. Services on Dec. 14 were private, and Frank was interred at St.Michael Cemetery in Livermore. Donations in his name may be made to the Duarte Garage Museum, now operated by the Livermore Heritage Guild. Learn more about the garage and museum at www.livermorehistory.com/.
Tags:California, highway history, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, Livermore CA, vintage gas station
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, museum, roadside, signs, transportation, travel | 1 Comment »
December 14, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition has installed the next in the series of Interpretive Murals along the 179-mile Illinois byway corridor. The mural on a township building at 11008 West Lincoln Highway/US 30 in Frankfort, Illinois, depicts the actual Eagle Scouts and Scout leaders who made a Nationwide Safety Tour along the Lincoln Highway in 1928.
The tour was a promotion of the Lincoln Highway and the Scouts’ plan to place concrete markers along the route. The story of their adventure giving safety daily demonstrations, “good road turns,” and helping out wherever needed is told in the mural. Specifically named is Eagle Scout Bernie Queneau, now age 99 and still one of the Lincoln Highway’s leading supporters.
For information on the Lincoln Highway in Illinois, including places to see, stories of the highway’s significance, or to download an Illinois Lincoln Highway Visitor Guide, visit drivelincolnhighway.com/.
Tags:highway history, historic highway, Illinois, interpretive mural, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, US 30
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, roadside, signs, travel | Leave a Comment »
December 13, 2011
LINCOLN HIGHWAY NEWS IS A BLOG BY BRIAN BUTKO
Recent blog posts from “Endless streams and forests” have visited a number of Lincoln Highway locales. The writer, Jenny, lives in Asheville, North Carolina, but has traveled far and wide; many of her posts are about the outdoors and “landscape viewed through the filter of history, literature, art, or philosophy.”
Lincoln Highway travels so far have been mostly across Pennsylvania, such as a visit (above) to Williams Deluxe Cabins in Exton.
Tags:Exton PA, historic highway, Lincoln Highway, motel, PA, roadside
Posted in highways, history, Lincoln Highway, Road trip, roadside, travel | Leave a Comment »
Lincoln Highway News 