The 14^th Annual Business Meeting of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League was held on April 26, 2008 at the Elks Hall in Galion, Ohio. The Ohio Lincoln Highway League is the state affiliate of the Lincoln Highway Association, a historical interest group which endeavors to promote and preserve the history of the Lincoln Highway—the first transcontinental automobile route in the United States.

Among the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the “Exemplary Friend of the Lincoln Highway Award” to the Ohio Department of Transportation. This is an award given by the Lincoln Highway Association to individuals or groups for outstanding contributions to the association’s promotion and preservation efforts. In this case, ODOT was honored for their part in constructing the splendid new Lincoln Highway Bridge at the I-75 interchange with State Route 696 at Beaverdam. The bridge features four large Lincoln Highway logo signs which face four-lane traffic on I-75, and four smaller logo signs set in brick pillar replicas which face traffic on State Route 696—a renumbered roadway (formerly U.S. 30-North) that was once part of the historic Lincoln Highway route. The brick pillars are reminiscent of twenty other pillars which were originally set along the route of the Lincoln Highway during the 1920s.

Photo by John Renock

On hand to accept the etched glass award on behalf of ODOT was Kirk Slusher, P.E. (right), who is the Planning Administration for ODOT District One at Lima. The presentation of the award was officially made by LHA President Jan Shupert-Arick of Fort Wayne, Indiana. At the request of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League, Kirk took a few minutes to discuss the history of the project and explain how transportation enhancement funds became available for this aesthetic bridge. It was then pointed out by members of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League that in their opinion, this award was merited not only for ODOT’s vision regarding this wonderful new bridge, but also for its continuing assistance in such matters as the posting of green interchange signs and brown historic byway signs which help travelers rediscover the route of the Lincoln Highway as it traverses 241 miles across Ohio.

Church Buttes, a unique rock formation along the old Lincoln Highway east of Evanston

Eagle Rock, also along the old Lincoln Highway east of Evanston

A tunnel built in 1920 east of Evanston

The newly restored Machine Shop, where many conference activities will be held

The newly restored Roundhouse

Historic Depot Square, located on the Lincoln Highway

Sunset Cabins, along Bear River Drive (Lincoln Highway)

A Lincoln Highway concrete marker near Depot Square

And here’s a message from Shelly Horne, the chairman of the 2008 LHA Conference.

Dear Fellow Lincoln Highway Enthusiasts:

This year is a rare opportunity for you to attend an exceptional Lincoln Highway conference without travel costs blowing a head gasket in your budget. Evanston, Wyoming will host this year’s conference. A quaint, interesting, historical town, Evanston is located on the highway just down the road apiece.

The theme of the conference is “Rails, Trails, and Highway Tales.” Evanston was an end of track town on the U.P.R.R. in 1868. It has a rich railroad history and many preserved railroad buildings and artifacts that you will enjoy. It has one of the few remaining original roundhouses west of the Mississippi with an operating turntable. Come ride it. Evanston sits near many of the old trails that people traveled from east to west to expand our great nation. If you like, you can visit the Mormon, Oregon, and California trails as well as the Pony Express route, all within easy driving distance.

And highway tales… we have hundreds of them. The first Wyoming Lincoln Highway consul was P.W. Spaulding from Evanston. He owned the first car in Uinta County, was a successful attorney, and a personal friend of Henry Joy, first president of the Lincoln Highway Association. We will be exhibiting a rare original LHA “Notable Service Award” given to P.W. Spaulding in the early years of the association. We will be giving a replica of this award to every attendee of the conference, a nice watch fob or key ring, and very rare. Hugh Colpharp will display his replica of the ten-millionth Ford Model T at the conference.

You could hardly cross the wide open country of Wyoming or the deserts of Utah without a water bag dangling from your radiator. So we have replicated the desert water bag, complete with cork and rope, as a tote bag for your memorabilia collection at the conference. We love replicas. You will be provided with a special table decoration at the annual banquet, a crystal-like replica of an old antique Packard automobile engraved with the LHA logo. Take it, cherish it, put it in your water bag replica with your LHA medallion.

The tours will be exciting. West in Echo Canyon you will explore Mormon history and learn how the canyon walls were used to defend against Johnson’s army; travel past the “Witches” to Taggart, to Wanship and the Echo reservoir. East to Fort Bridger and the Black and Orange cabins, then on to Miller’s crossing. See an eagles nest high on the bluffs of Church Butte. On the return trip to Evanston, watch film of the original military convoy that crossed the country from Washington, DC to San Francisco on the Lincoln road. See the comments of a young Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower about his experience on the convoy.

The slate of speakers who will be addressing the conference is top notch. They will present a myriad of topics from notable Lincoln Highway people, to Utah highway history, to the 1908 New York-to-Paris Automobile Race. Then as dessert, we will be entertained by Willie Le Clair, Shoshone Indian, with stories of the Shoshone and Chief Washakie in Evanston.

Tour historic Evanston. Visit the Sunset Cabins on the Lincoln Highway. See Evanston’s original Lincoln Highway markers, and meet and visit with your LHA counterparts from across the country to exchange “Highway Tales.” You will be amongst the privileged few to attend and view the first Lincoln Highway Art and Photo show assembled by Ms. Kell Brigan, an LHA member in California.

If gas and airfare prices continue to rise it will become more expensive to attend future conferences. This is the time, this is the place, the 16th annual LHA conference, June 17th to 21st in Evanston, WY. Complete a registration form (visit www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org) by May 2nd to be eligible for a free conference reimbursement drawing. See you here!

Shelly Horne
LHA Conference 2008 Chair

There will be a dedication ceremony for a new sign commemorating the Lincoln Highway and the Wiggins Trading Post in Lathrop, CA on Saturday, December 8 at 11:30 AM, at the corner of South Harlan Road and Thomsen Street. Refreshments will be provided.

The full program is below.

Program

Welcome
John Serpa, Member of the Lincoln Highway Association and Sunrise Rotary

Presentation of Colors
Marine Corps League, Modesto Detachment #109

Musical Medley
“America the Beautiful”

Thanks
Gabe Young, cement and engraving of stone monument
Brian Green, Signarama of Tracy

Introduction of Honored Guests
see Honored Guests below

Speakers
John Garamendi, Lieutenant Governor of California
Kristy Sayles, Mayor of Lathrop
Norm Root, President of the California Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association

Unveiling of Monument
Boy Scouts of America, Troup #425, Lathrop, CA (accompanied by a musical medley)

Presentation of Marine Corps League Certificate of Appreciation for Loyalty and Patriotism
Presented by John Treantos, Commandant, Modesto Detachment #109, to Mr. Dalwinder Dhoot, for flying the American flag continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 14 years at Joe’s Travel Plaza

Completion of Ceremony
Mr. John Serpa will call for the retirement of colors

Invitation
Mr. Dhoot cordially invites all guests to join the grand opening festivities for the new Best Western hotel

Food and drinks will be provided

Honored Guests

John Garamendi
Lieutenant Governor of California

Kristy Sayles
Mayor, City of Lathrop

Dalwinder Dhoot
Host

Members of the California Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association

Stephen Dresser
President, Lathrop Sunrise Rotary

Dolores Delgado
Chief of Police, City of Lathrop

Best Western Representative

Charles Edwards
Boy Scout Troup #425 Leader

Richard Wiggins
Grandson of Francis Wiggins

Mary Kennedy
President, Lathrop Chamber of Commerce

The Lincoln Highway

In 1913, Carl Fisher, president of the Prest-O-Lite Company, along with several other prominent businessmen, set out to establish a “Coast-to-Coast” road that would connect our great nation. Until this time, there were only fragmented sections of road, connecting small towns to the railroad or to river cities. The new road would not only allow motorists to travel freely across the country, no longer bound to railroad time schedules and destinations, but would also attract residents of the East Coast to the Panama-Pacific Exposition, being held in San Francisco in 1915.

The original route of the Lincoln Highway (1913-1927) traveled from Stockton through Lathrop, on what is now Harlan Road, passing the Wiggins Trading Post on its way to Tracy and eventually Lincoln Park in San Francisco. With the opening of the Carquinez Bridge in 1927, some traffic was diverted onto the Fairfield-Vacaville route (1927 until the Lincoln Highway lost official status in 1928).

Wiggins Trading Post

Wiggins Trading Post was established on the Lincoln Highway in 1924. Francis Wiggin opened his store to serve the needs of the motoring public traveling through the Central Valley. He provided Gilmore Gasoline, oil, and other motoring necessities. In 1932, he began selling “Indian Head” Gasoline, for which he had a patent. Francis also provided Indian trinkets and souvenirs, a holdover from his early days as a setup man with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. His son, Francis Porter Wiggin II, became involved in the business around 1936.

Francis’s grandson Richard operates Wiggins Trading Post in Chilcoot, California on Highway 70. Another grandson was the famous football coach Paul Wiggin, of Stanford and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Trading Post in Lathrop closed in 1967. Francis Wiggin Sr. passed away in 1950 and his son in 1987.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the re-establishment of the LHA. Since 1992 a great deal has been accomplished along the historic corridor, and many more people are aware of the road and are out there traveling the back roads of America.

As we approach the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the congressionally appointed Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) is promoting a greater awareness of our nation’s greatest president and for whom the highway was named. The patriotic approach to building the highway worked in favor of gaining much needed grassroots and political support for the corridor as it was marked in 1913. In late September of this year, the LHA received news that both the 2008 and 2009 LHA conferences have been endorsed by the ALBC. Such an endorsement will be effective in achieving our mission: to preserve and promote the historic road. Our activities take on even greater meaning as we work on very local projects, state-level projects, and national-level projects.

The LHA Board of Directors, committees, and our executive director are setting new goals that focus on the long-term objectives of sustaining our organization’s mission, achieving national byway designations, preserving the road, and collaborating with tourism professionals to promote heritage tourism.

We challenge every member of the LHA and the public to become involved by being a voice for the road, asking others to join the LHA, participating in activities, building collaborations with local and regional partners, and by sharing your own resources, whatever they may be. I urge you to join the leadership of the LHA by offering your time, talents, and resources. We have much work to do, many road trips to take and make new friends to make.

Get out there — drive the road! We look forward to seeing you in Evanston, Wyoming in June 2008 and in South Bend, Indiana in June 2009.

Jan Shupert-Arick, President, LHA

Currently, I’m backfilling the blog with Russell Rein’s previous newsletters. I’m not quite done yet, so meanwhile, you can access them at

http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/news_old/

Once I’ve finished the migration, this link will go away.

Enjoy the new News section!

A real photo postcard of Globin’s resort in Al Tahoe closed at $33.58
http://xrl.us/7bag

A printed black and white view of a diner interior from Bordentown, NJ required $217.50 to take home:
http://xrl.us/7bai

A boxed set of 25 real photo Keystone Stereoviews of the Eastern half of the Lincoln Highway was a bargain at $90:
http://xrl.us/7bak

Two very scarce early views of Medicine Bow, Wyoming went for $57.99 and $53.99 respectively:
http://xrl.us/7ban
http://xrl.us/7bar

A real photo of the intersection of Valley Rd and the Lincoln Hwy in Paoli, PA was a battle between two bidders when it closed at $257.00!
http://xrl.us/7bat

A 1920 Golden Gate Pocket Guide & Map of San Francisco went for $70.65:
http://xrl.us/7bax

A signed limited edition volume, The Salt of Earth, by Bonneville Salt Flats land speed record holder A B Jenkins closed at $113.50:
http://xrl.us/7baz

A real photo post card of Red Fox James from the Indian School in Carlisle, PA from 1914 and on the Lincoln Highway brought only one bid at its opening price of $124.95:
http://xrl.us/7bbf

[Red Fox James, a Blackfeet Indian, rode horseback from state to state, seeking approval for a day to honor American Indians. On December 14, 1915, Red Fox James presented the endorsements of 24 state governments to the White House. There is no record, however, of such a national day being proclaimed. I have another real photo postcard of Red Fox on the Lincoln Highway in Utah. You can read more about Red Fox at: http://electricindian.50megs.com/redfox2.htm]

A set of 90 1915 -1917 strip maps of the National Old Trails Highway from the Southern California Auto Club was very popular bringing 23 bids and closed at $716.66:
http://xrl.us/7bbo

A Howard Johnsons Restaurant logo’d china teapot went for $307.45:
http://xrl.us/7bbq

A nice condition folding Texaco Lincoln Highway Road map closed at $64.00
http://xrl.us/7bbu

and another went for $60.95:
http://xrl.us/7bb2

A 1923 Illinois Dept. Of Highways Construction Map surprisingly brought $204:
http://xrl.us/7bb6

A AAA Lincoln Highway brochure went for $21.97:
http://xrl.us/7bca

An aluminum business card from the Lincoln Highway Garage in York, PA closed at $36:
http://xrl.us/7bcg

A 1924 National Park to Park Highway Map brought $114.50:
http://xrl.us/7bck

Checkout this neat medal token from 1976, as produced by the Iowa US 30 Association:
http://xrl.us/7bcn

A 1929 Humble Oil map guide of the Airways, Highways, and Waterways of Texas closed at $90.89:
http://xrl.us/7bcr

Don’t you wish you saved those plastic gas pump figurine salt and pepper shakers from the ’50s? This pair from Standard brought $147.49:
http://xrl.us/7bct

These Shell ones from Van Wert, OH brought $91:
http://xrl.us/7bcx

This real photo postcard of the Hoffman Hotel garage on the LH in Bedford, PA closed at $43:
http://xrl.us/B.C.

An interior of the dining room at the hotel brought $46:
http://xrl.us/7bd4

A scarce real photo view of the Lincoln Lodge west of Ligonier, PA brought $79.85:
http://xrl.us/7bc5

A nice copy of the scarce By Motor to the Golden Gate by Emily Post closed at $53.79:
http://xrl.us/7bc9

A yellow diamond Winding Road sign with marble reflectors was popular drawing 14 bids and closed at $280:
http://xrl.us/7bdb

A 1925 Custer Battlefield road map brought $71:
http://xrl.us/7bdd

A 1936 menu from Farrell’s Cafe on the LH in Columbia, PA closed at $51:
http://xrl.us/7bdf

A really nice porcelain sign for Members of United Motor Courts brought $159:
http://xrl.us/7bdo

The very scarce (limited to 150) volume Retracing the Pioneers written by Hugo Alois Taussig was privately published in San Francisco in 1916. This is an early western auto trip narrative. It closed at $96:
http://xrl.us/7bdu

Another one of those Lincoln Highway Garage signs from Rawlins, WY turns up again from the same seller who keeps finding these “in an old garage in Rawlins” closed at $132.49:
http://xrl.us/7bdy

A shield shaped steel US 6 sign with most of its paint gone closed at $146.94:
http://xrl.us/7bd2

A rare butter box from the Lincoln Highway Dairy in Delphos, OH closed at $66:
http://xrl.us/7bd6

A vintage luggage decal from Chambers Lodge in Lake Tahoe received 10 bids and brought $54:
http://xrl.us/7bea

A worn and rusty Lincoln Highway cigar tin box still brought $56.55:
http://xrl.us/7bec

A scarce 1925 Standard Oil road map of Alabama closed at $56.77:
http://xrl.us/7bec

A very scarce 1921 volume of Locke’s Good Road Maps covering the Western states, extensively illustrated with photos of gas stations, garages and one stops was in demand and closed at $209:
http://xrl.us/7bek

An early real photo postcard view showing the roadway over the Donner Summit closed at $53.98:
http://xrl.us/7ben

A modern (mid-century) chrome view postcard of Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe was a surprise when it closed at $59:
http://xrl.us/7bet

An attractive ’50s advertising postcard from the Midwest Motel on the LH east of Fort Wayne closed at $46:
http://xrl.us/5jca
[This distinctive postcard was published by a long gone company from Winona Lake, IN. I am interested in finding out more information about this company.]

Iowa maps (like Nevada and Michigan) are always popular. This 1931 “Iowa has stepped out of the mud” one brought $43.42:
http://xrl.us/7bez

This 1937 Iowa Official State Hwy map brought $34.33:
http://xrl.us/7be3

A 1938 Centennial one brought $64.21:
http://xrl.us/7be5

and a 1939 one brought $32.88:
http://xrl.us/7be7

A 1926 road map of Montana from the Sunburst Refining Co, was highly desired with 13 bids and closed at $185.53:
http://xrl.us/7be9

A collection of Lincoln Highway Dairy bottles - 3 cream top quarts and 2 half-pints brought $152.52:
http://xrl.us/7bfd

For some reason lots of real photo postcards of the tiny LH mining town Dutch Flats in CA have been showing up in the last few months. This attractive main street view closed at $74:
http://xrl.us/7bff

This view showing hydraulic mining brought $48.77:
http://xrl.us/7bfj

A 1921 volume - Motor Camping by Elon Jessop went for $66.56:
http://xrl.us/7bfm

A 1926 volume - Motoring Thru the Yosemite, closed at $67.66:
http://xrl.us/7bfo

A 1920’s Indian Oil road map of Indiana attracted 13 bids and closed at $128:
http://xrl.us/7bfq

A 1932 Mohawk Hobbs map guide to the Lincoln Highway brought $34.55:
http://xrl.us/7bfu

A 1923 one brought $36.45:
http://xrl.us/7bf2

I’ve been trying to get one of these Studebaker 1909 Pathfinding for the Glidden Tour booklets for over 20 years. My bid of $151.99 was not sufficient for this one which closed at $154.49:
http://xrl.us/7bf6

and my bid of $169.50 was not sufficient for this 2nd one that closed at $172:
http://xrl.us/7bga

http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/

This collection is especially strong in the western states with 4,723 color views of California. Here’s a sample of the building of the second Carquinez bridge in 1957:

http://xrl.us/6xdy

http://www.everyscape.com/

and visit the new slow travel site at:
http://www.slowtrav.com/USA/