The Untold Truth About The Lincoln Highway

April 2024 ยท 2 minute read

When Carl Fisher, who also was part of the partnership that built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the LHA notes, came up with the idea to build it, he originally called it the "Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway" and looked to industry leaders to help fund the approximately $10 million required. Frank Seiberling and Henry Joy, presidents of Goodyear and Packard Motor Car Company, respectively, pledged their support, and it was Joy who suggested they name if after Abraham Lincoln, as Congress at that time was discussing funding for what would become the Lincoln Memorial. To help move the project forward, Fisher created the Lincoln Highway Association in July 1913.

When choosing the route, the LHA noted, the builders aimed to create the straightest, most direct route they could, utilizing existing roads when possible. Therefore, they avoided many larger cities. In the end, the route goes through 13 states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. A San Francisco Examiner article on Oct. 31, 1913, quoted in reporting by the Oakland Tribune, raved about its potential. "The Lincoln Highway, which promises to be a lasting monument to the automobile industry and one of the greatest developments ever made in this country, will be officially dedicated tonight by every city, town and hamlet between New York and San Francisco." While some of the roads were paved, some not, by 1915 drivers were able to make the entire trek coast to coast.

In 1915, the LHA published a Complete Official Road Guide to the Lincoln Highway to aid travelers, detailing routes, destinations, recommended supplies, and what they would encounter.

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