LINCOLN HIGHWAY ROUTE ANNOUNCED

Ocean-to-Ocean Route to Run Through Thirteen States and Many Cities.

$5,000,000 IS SUBSCRIBED

Yesterday Nominated as “Lincoln Highway Day”— Plans for the Project In Detail.

DETROIT. Sept. 13. — Thirteen States will be traversed by the Lincoln Highway, the route of which was definitely announced to-day in a proclamation issued from the national offices of the Lincoln Highway Association here. The States which will be crossed by this memorial to Abraham Lincoln are New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, IIllnois, Iowa., Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Starting in New York City, the highway passes through Jersey City, Newark and Trenton to Philadelphia, then west to Pittsburgh, through the north central section of Ohio, over to Fort Wayne and South Bend, skirts Chicago, enters Jolliet, Rochelle, Sterling, and other Illinois cities, reaches Iowa at Clinton and leaves at Council Bluffs, passes through Omaha, goes to Denver and north to Cheyenne, west through Green River and Evanston to Salt Lake City, finds its way into Nevada by way of Tippet's ranch, and, after reaching Reno, goes to Lake Tahoe, Cal., finally ending on the Pacific seaboard at Oakland and San Francisco.

The Directors of the Lincoln Highway Association have endeavored to select a route of easy grades yet combining the scenic splendor of the country. Some of the points on the road adjacent to it or to be connected with it by branch highways are Gettysburg, Washington, Canton, the resting place of McKinley; the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, the home of Lincoln in Springfield, Ill.; Lincoln's birth place in Kentucky, the scenic splendor of Colorado, the Grand Cañon of Colorado, and the many and varied wonders of Utah, Nevada, and California. The proclamation of Route of the Lincoln Highway Association which is signed by the Directors and officers, R. A. Alger, Paul Deming, F. A. Seiberling, Albert J. Beveridge, John N. Willys, A. R. Pardington, R. D. Chapin, A. Y. Gowan, Emory W. Clark, Henry B. Joy, and Carl G. Fisher, and also by Henry E. Bodman, counsel, and Frank H. Trego, engineer, is as follows:

“Whereas, The purpose of this association is to immediately promote and procure the establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all descriptions and without toll charges, and whereas, toward the end of accomplishing this purpose elaborate research and investigation have been prerequisite to crystallization of opinion before intelligent and wise decision could be reached, and whereas this association expressly desires to impress upon all the people that it fully acknowledges that a public declaration of a route is of no force or effect except as it shall be wise and practicable, and being so meet with the approval of the people for such a useful and enduring memorial, and whereas it is obvious that this association can only aid and co-operate toward the desired end, and that upon all the people and especially upon the officials of each State and County and upon the inhabitants thereof, within the borders of which is designate by these resolutions a section of the Lincoln Highway, does rest the patriotic burden of establishing, broadening, straightening, maintaining and beautifying such highway to the end that it may become an appropriate memorial to the great martyred Patriot whose name it bears, and whereas our chief step toward the desired goal is to crystallize in the public mind the practical wisdom of the route selected, therefore be it recorded here:

“First - That in general it has been for nearly a century and is to-day the main Overland Trail, and that part lying west of Chicago is known by that historic name.

“Second - It is the most direct and most practical route as to grades, curves, and general topography.

“Third - It is to the greatest extent improved and marked throughout its length.

“Fourth - It is capable of being established as a fitting memorial highway at the least cost, and, whereas, it is now proper to declare the results of deliberation and inspection in the hope that the wisdom and care in selection may insure united sentiment, and with the prayer that this record will appeal to the hearts of all patriotic Americans to the end that plans and activities toward construction may go immediately forward, therefore be it

“Resolved, That the Lincoln Highway now is and henceforth shall be an existing memorial and tribute to the immortal Abraham Lincoln; that the Lincoln Highway does extend from New York to San Francisco. Over and through the following States: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California."

More specifically the route is described as passing through or near the following cities in the several States:

New York – New York.
New Jersey – Jersey City, Newark, Trenton, Camden.
Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, Lancaster, York, Gettysburg, Chambersburg, Bedford, Ligonier, Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls.
Ohio – Canton, Mansfield, Marion, Kenton, Lima, Van Wert.
Indiana – Fort Wayne, Ligonier, Elkhart, South Bend, Le Porte, Vaparaiso.
Illinois – Chicago heights, Joliet, Geneva, De Kalb, Rochelle, Ashton, Dixon, Sterling, Morrison, Fulton.
Iowa – Clinton, De Witt, Cedar Rapids, Tama, Marshalltown. State Centre, Ames, grand Junction, Jefferson, Dennison, Logan, Council Bluffs.
Nebraska – Omaha, Freemont, Columbus, Central City, Grand Island, Kearney, Lexington, Gothenburg, North Platte, Ogallalia, Big Spring, Chappell, Sidney, Kimball.
Colorado – Julesburg, Sterling, Fort Morgan, Denver, Longmont, Loveland, Fort Collins.
Wyoming – Pine Bluff, Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins, Wamsutter, Point of Rocks, Rock Springs, Green River, Granger, Fort Bridger, Evanston.
Utah – Echo, Parley’s Canyon, Salt Lake City, Garfield, Grantsville, Timple, Kanaka Ranch, Fish Springs, Kearney’s Ranch, Ibapah.
Nevada – Tippet’s Ranch, Shelburne Pass, Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, Wadsworth, Reno, Carson City.
California – Truckee, Auburn, Tallac, Placerville, Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland, San Francisco.

To-day is being celebrated all over the country, by Municipal, County and State Governments, also by many automobile companies, as “Lincoln Highway Day.'' It is the day set aside by H. B. Joy, President of the association, for bringing the project of the highway from New York to the Pacific Coast forcibly before the general public. Large posters and display proclamations or the route finally decided upon by the Directors of the association after this transcontinental highway had been indorsed by the State Governors at their meeting at Colorado Springs a few weeks ago were recently sent from Mr. Joy’s offices to Governors, legislators, business men, and automobile concerns in the thirteen States to be traversed by the Lincoln Hills and to public officials and leading business men in all of the larger cities of the country. It cost $6,000 in stamps to mail the 125,000 large tubes containing the printed matter. The addressing was done by a corps of 100 stenographers, who worked at the task exclusive of everything else. Fully twice as many more were required to fill the tubes and prepare them for mailing.

This Lincoln Highway Day is the day the association expects to obtain from all over the country $5 subscriptions from owners of automobiles and all others interested in establishing, as soon as possible, the great highway. All who send subscriptions will receive a certificate of membership in the association, also insignia for motor car. As soon as the total of $10,000,000 is obtained, more than half of which has already been pledged in writing by less than 500 concerns and individuals, the work of establishing the continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific will begin.

From: The New York Times (Sunday, 14 Sep 1913), C6.

See also:

Today in Science History event description for formation of Lincoln Highway Association on 1 July 1913
Quotations on the Lincoln Highway
'New American Road Across Continent,' - The New York Times (15 Sep 1912).
'How the Lincoln Highway Project Now Stands,' - The New York Times (5 Apr 1914).
'Lincoln Highway Entering Wedge,' - New York Times (27 Aug 1911). Article about an unrelated, earlier proposal which also chose the Lincoln Highway name. When this project failed, the name was adopted for the coast-to-coast road.

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