When you think of US Highways, the first one that springs to mind is Route 66. But before US Highways were numbered they had a name. The very first was the Lincoln Highway. Carl Fisher, who had already built the Indianapolis race track and would later develop Miami Beach, foresaw that the country needed a highway across the continent. He organised the Lincoln Highway Association, named after Abraham Lincoln to give it patriotic appeal. To fund his idea he asked for cash donations from auto manufacturers and accessory companies. The public could become members of the highway organization for five dollars. Starting in Times Square, New York the Highway ran for 3400 miles through many states and finished in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Although directness was an important factor and many cities and scenic attractions were bypassed, the Highway brought great prosperity to hundreds of cities, towns and villages along the way. In 1925 the system of named Highways was substituted with the now familiar system of numbered U.S. Highways. While the other named highways were quickly forgotten, the Lincoln Highway was not. The Lincoln Highway Association was reactivated in 1992, and is now dedicated to preserve the Highway. (photo courtesy Lincoln Highway Association)

June 10, 2007