Lincoln Highway Intro

An idea born in September 1912, organized in July 1913, made public in September 1913, and dedicated in October of the same year. The Lincoln Highway as a named roadway wouldn't last to 1930, however. At that time, highway signs with numbers were posted, taking authority away from the 3,000 concrete markers planted along the route.

By the time my grandfather set out, the Lincoln Highway was US Routes 30 and 80. These are what both he and I took. Today, the route rolls through each state very much undercover. There are interesting signs, plaques, and murals if you look for them, but otherwise, the route quietly meanders through countryside and small town. The rural towns it connects all shared similar qualities: they were small, neat, brick and stone, and eerily silent. Often we would be the only car on main street (the Lincoln Highway), and when we got out to look around, there were rarely any stores open. They felt like very well kept-up ghost towns.

In 1939, these same towns (those not affected by the Dust Bowl) would have been in their heyday. Clinton Iowa, for example, was a popular stop. A river and railway town, travelers of all types rested here. They stocked up at the Smith Bros. General Store, stayed at the five story La Fayette Hotel, and took in views on the banks of the Mississippi.

Today, the Lincoln Highway Association is still alive and well. They work on making incredibly accurate maps of the highway's various routes, install informational placards, and generally try and keep the spirit of the first trans-continental highway alive. If you're a traveler and not a tourist, perhaps a roll down this historic road it in your future.

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