What is the Lincoln Highway?

[Kevin1956]

8 1/2 miles of the Lincoln Highway in California. What is the Lincoln Highway? It's the oldest highway in the United States specifically meant for motorized travel. It was established in 1913, long before highways were numbered, long before motels, roadhouses, and even gas stations were invented. Before the Lincoln Highway, everything was a mere wagon route. It's America's first transcontinental highway and it traverses 13 states, going from New York, NY to San Francisco, CA. It's the ULTIMATE back-road ride across the US.
https://youtu.be/_BCmff7W7XM

[fishdip]

Originally Posted by Kevin1956

8 1/2 miles of the Lincoln Highway in California. What is the Lincoln Highway? It's the oldest highway in the United States specifically meant for motorized travel. It was established in 1913, long before highways were numbered, long before motels, roadhouses, and even gas stations were invented. Before the Lincoln Highway, everything was a mere wagon route. It's America's first transcontinental highway and it traverses 13 states, going from New York, NY to San Francisco, CA. It's the ULTIMATE back-road ride across the US.
https://youtu.be/_BCmff7W7XM

Is it still in the original place or did they mess it up like the original route 66?

[NevadaWolf]

Depends, the route moved periodically, especially in Nevada across the salt flats. Some of the old road beds are still going along their original route, others have been buried under the modern alignment.

Just a few days ago, an archae friend found pictures from the University of Michigan's collection of Lincoln Highway pictures showing an old Sand Springs stop. Took us a while to work out there was a stop that was near the old Pony Express Sand Springs Station.

1916 Road Guide:
https://books.google.com/books?id=Uk...page&q&f=false

1918 Road Guide:
https://archive.org/details/completeofficial1918unse

[Kevin1956]

Teri's right, many alignments over the years, as there has been with all highways since. If you look at the road guides she posted, you'll get an understanding how hard and long the trip took. Signage was scarce, and maps were rudimentary. An accessory odometer was necessary, as you used mileage points and landmarks to navigate your journey. It would take at least a month to go across the country in the best of weather conditions back then. I'm sure it was an adventure. The highway was developed out of greed by the auto manufacturers and parts companies. They wanted you to travel and wear it out! It became popular though, and brought us things such as state highway departments which didn't exist at the time. It stimulated commerce and the economy in each state it went through. It inspired businesses that didn't exist before, such as gas stations, commercial camp grounds, motels, roadside restaurants, even things like billboards and other road side advertising. States lobbied the Lincoln Highway Association to bring the road through their states. Prior to the highway's development, the only way you could go from state to state was by train.

[cbinker]

Sorry cannot take serious with Starbucks sticker.

[Kevin1956]

The stickers are covering scratches where a vandal attempted to remove the Kawasaki sticker.

[Kevin1956]

@fishdip The Lincoln Highway went through the hearts of many towns and cities, so the roads still exist. It wasn't paved over as much as you may think. In Utah, there's still a 200 mile stretch that's dirt. Adventure bike recommended. This is a very informative and entertaining video. President Dwight D. Eisenhower traveled it in an Army convoy in 1919, and the hardships experienced on his trip inspired him, in the 1950s, to create today's Interstate system. https://youtu.be/DK_pc-gO9pE

[NevadaWolf]

FYI you can embed YouTube videos by using the [youtube] tag around the video ID.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[CC Cowboy]

It's funny how the Lincoln Highway goes right through Gettysburg.

[Kevin1956]

Here's a link to the Lincoln Highway map. It shows the original 1913 route, later alignments, and some alternative roadways you have to take if following it now. About 95% of it can still be driven! It wasn't a highway that was "built", but instead it was a route mapped out in 1913 of existing roads and trails that were already in place. The purpose was to establish the best and easiest way to get across the country, passing through towns with the most services etc. Most of it became Federal U.S. Highways, still used by millions daily. It was, all the way up into the late 20s, the way you wanted to go if crossing the U.S. Other routes were establish throughout the years, given numbering systems etc. It wasn't until 1939, a pretty modern time, that you could actually drive across the country on a completely paved route. Even parts of famed Route 66 wasn't paved in Southern California until the 30s. It wasn't a dirt road either. It was wooden boards that were chained together to create a roadway. Sandstorms would cover it, so Caterpillar tractors would be sent out to drag it over a few feet, exposing it again. http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/