Two Famous Roads - The Lincoln Higway and Route 66 Intersect in downtown Joliet

 

At the corner of Chicago and Cass streets in downtown Joliet, Illinois, is a 7-foot marker commemorating two early highways that crossed the United States: the Lincoln Highway and Route 66.

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The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway was a pioneering project in the development of transcontinental automobile travel in the United States. It was conceived by automaker Carl G. Fisher in 1912 and established in 1913 by the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA).  

Key aspects of its development:

• Motivation: Fisher believed that the popularity of automobiles hinged on the existence of good roads. The Lincoln Highway aimed to address the need for a continuous, improved route across the nation.
• Funding and Support: The LHA solicited donations from various sources, including industry leaders like Packard and Goodyear, as well as prominent figures like Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. President Woodrow Wilson, the first U.S. President to frequently use an automobile, also contributed.
• Route Planning: The initial route ran from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, spanning 13 states. It often incorporated existing roads, including historically significant ones like the Philadelphia to Lancaster Pike and parts of the Mormon Trail. The LHA also undertook a "Trail-Blazer" tour to scout the route, though the final route didn't always follow the expedition's path.
• Promotion and Publicity: The LHA used various tactics to raise awareness and support for the highway, including commissioning statues of Lincoln and promoting a cross-country Army convoy in 1919 to highlight the need for better roads.
• Improved Road Construction: The LHA sponsored "seedling mile" projects to demonstrate improved road construction techniques, including a famous "ideal section" in Indiana.
• Legacy: The Lincoln Highway significantly impacted the development of the U.S. highway system. It inspired the creation of other named auto trails and played a key role in advocating for government involvement in highway construction. Notably, the 1919 Army convoy on the Lincoln Highway, which included Dwight D. Eisenhower, influenced his support for the Interstate Highway System, which eventually superseded the Lincoln Highway as the primary coast-to-coast route. 

Challenges and Changes:

• Varied Road Conditions: Initially, the Lincoln Highway was not a fully paved and uniform road. The "Trail-Blazer" tour encountered challenges with mud, sand, and rough terrain.
• Route Realignment: The initial route underwent adjustments, including the removal of the Colorado Loop and a realignment through West Virginia.
• Numbered Highway System: The establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System in 1926 led to the Lincoln Highway being largely replaced by numbered designations, most notably US 30. 

Despite being replaced by numbered highways, the Lincoln Highway remains a historically significant route, remembered as "The Main Street Across America" and for its crucial role in promoting and developing the nation's road network. 

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1.  1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy - Dwight D. Eisenhower

In the summer of 1919, a young Lieutenant Colonel named Dwight D. Eisenhower participated in the first Army transcontinental motor convoy. The expedition consisted of 81 motorized Army vehicles that crossed the United States from Washington, DC, to San Francisco, a venture covering a distance of 3,251 miles in 62 days. The expedition was manned by 24 officers and 258 enlisted men. The convoy was to test the mobility of the military during wartime conditions. As an observer for the War Department, Lt. Col. Eisenhower learned first-hand of the difficulties faced in traveling great distances on roads that were impassable and resulted in frequent breakdowns of the military vehicles. These early experiences influenced his later decisions concerning the building of the interstate highway system during his presidential administration.