The Lincoln Highway

Given events of last night, we decided to take it easier than we’d planned. We skipped the Jocelyn Art Museum with its Impressionist collection, and also gave the Laurentzin Park and conservatory a miss. But one thing we felt we absolutely could not miss was a three mile stretch of the original Lincoln Highway.

The Lincoln Highway, built in 1913, connected New York City’s Times Square with San Francisco’s Lincoln Park. It crossed twelve states and ran 3300 miles. In Nebraska it followed the Great Platte River Road used by fur traders, overland emigrants, and the Union Pacific Railroad.

In the summer of 1919 Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower led an eighty-one-vehicle military convoy through Ogallala, Nebraska on the Lincoln Highway. The trip promoted the importance of Interstate travel by the military. Later, as president, Eisenhower began the project that continues today of building our Interstate Highway system.

Also, my book club will recognize the Highway as the northern route mentioned in our read, “West With Giraffes.” The giraffes took the other southern route on their cross country trip to the San Diego Zoo. It’s a wonderful book. You should read it.Read more