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| COLO | Pop. 500 Alt. 1,038. | Control, Junction of L.H. and Main Road Leading to Village. |
| Marshalltown 21.5 |
Carroll 84.9 |
One hotel, 1 garage. Two banks, 1 railroad, 25 general business places, express company, telephone company, 1 newspaper.
Between Colo and Nevada, the Jefferson Highway, leading from Winnipeg to New Orleans, follows the Lincoln Highway. |
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Gravel |
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- A Complete Official Road Guide of The LINCOLN HIGHWAY Fifth Edition (1924)
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Colo.
The original Lincoln Highway left State Center on a tract of land where the current U.S. Highway 30 now sits. In between, however, the route changed - exiting State Center to the northwest and passing just north of Colo on a very early highway overpass. But this wasn't just any highway overpass! Roughly a hundred feet east from Niland's Cafe here - see the concrete marker? - the Lincoln Highway crossed over the Jefferson Highway, so-named for another famous President. Until 1925, the highway system in America carried names for identification, not numbers. That changed in the late 1920s, when the Lincoln Highway became U.S. 30, and the Jefferson became U.S. 65. Bisecting the country from New Orleans to Winnipeg, the Jefferson Highway was well known in its own right, thus making the Niland's Corner intersection a very important national crossroads.
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Colo.
Instructions on how to get from the Lincoln Highway to the Jefferson Highway (U.S. 65) at Niland's Corner.
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Colo.
"Charles Reed had a farm in the Niland tract. In 1925, to supplement his income, he opened the L&J Service Station right on the corner. Three years later, realizing how valuable the location was, he demolished the first building and erected a new station [above] just west of the original site. That building still stands, although it has been closed since 1967, when U.S. 30 was rerouted a mile to the south. The foundation of the original station, which measures 9' x 12', still remains." (Greg Franzwa, The Lincoln Highway: Iowa, 1995)
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Colo.
"The Niland family, eager to be of still greater service to travelers on the two highways, built three cabins in 1928 - the start of the 'Colo Cabin Camp.' The place is now know as the Colo Motel and is still in operation. Some of the units are rented by the week, but a few are still available to tourists." (Greg Franzwa) You might want to call first, as vacancy is by appointment nowadays. Note the inlaid tile in the concrete outside the shower rooms signifying MEN and LADIES.
At press time, the city of Colo has raised over $150,000 toward renovation of the Niland's Corner historical one-stop.
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West of Colo.
Before reaching the old underpass between Colo and Nevada (unless you're a train, in which case it's an overpass), the original Lincoln diverged from current U.S. Highway 30, tracking off to the southwest on gravel. Immediately to the right on that road lies the old Shady Point cabin camp. The photo proves that the campsite's moniker is appropriate. The cabins are in good condition for their age.
All images Copyright © Paul W. Walker, 1995, 1996, 2001.
Original page design by Paul Walker.