Lincoln Highway
The granddaddy of road trips
STORY BY David and Kay Scott
For most travelers “ road trip ” brings to mind a vehicle journey in which the destination is less important than the experience of getting there . A leisurely drive along Route 66 , U . S . 1 , or the Pacific Coast Highway would certainly qualify . More modest , but equally enjoyable candidates , might include the Blue Ridge Parkway or Highway A1A along Florida ’ s East Coast . Seldom mentioned by even experienced travelers is the granddaddy of them all , the Lincoln Highway .
What a shame because America ’ s first transcontinental roadway connecting New York ’ s Times Square with San Francisco ’ s Lincoln Park is a history-filled journey like no other .
Evolution of Travel in the Early-20th Century
Interstate transportation was dominated by railroads in the early 1900s , a time when roads , mostly unpaved , were the responsibility of individual communities , counties , townships or the families that used them .
Automobiles had been around since the turn of the century , but most were expensive , and it wasn ’ t until 1908 , when Ford Motor Company began mass-producing the Model T , that middle-class families began purchasing motor cars .
The increase in vehicle ownership and the public ’ s desire for more and better roads resulted in governments providing funding matches for financing road construction .
About the same time , businessman Carl Fisher , owner of a firm that manufactured automobile and truck headlights , began promoting a coast-to-coast hard-surface highway . Fisher looked to the automotive and related industries to provide financial support for fulfilling his dream . With pledges from important individuals and businesses the project gained steam and the proposed highway was named after one of Fisher ’ s heroes , Abraham Lincoln .
Getting the Project Up and Running
To get the project off the ground , the Lincoln Highway Association was formed to raise funds to be matched by government . Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison , both friends of Fisher , were early contributors , as was then U . S . President Woodrow Wilson . The majority of Association funds were spent for publicity which proved successful in that most work on the highway — much of which was a gravel trail — was funded and completed by government .
The highway ’ s proposed 3,400-mile route through 13 states was announced Sept . 14 , 1913 . New York City ’ s famed Times Square was a natural eastern base , while Lincoln Park in San Francisco was selected as the western terminus . The route would be altered and the
6 Community Life