Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-28

Today the Lincoln Highway has an
undisputed right to the name: Inc
Main Street of the Nation Tho but .
years old the route has history OF in
tense human interest to all America.
The story of the Lincoln Highway is
an epic in road building, a tremendous
human narrative of the conception OF
a great idea and the methods en-
ployed TO place a gigantic plan before
the practical American public.
The Lincoln Highway is a vast con-
ception in the interest of national
progress
Visualize a great, throbbing artery
of traffic, crossing a continent thru
eleven of its greatest states, bearing
the burdens of their commerce, carry
ing the products of their soil to mar
ket, aiding in the distribution OF their
manufa ctured products, linking togeth :
er their farms and their cities opening
up the pathway to learning for their
rural children and the road to q freer
social intercommunication and closer
understanding to their citizens; a road
forming the backbone Of a national
system and which, with its innumer-
able feeder routes and inter-connecr-
ing links. leads from the greatest CEN
ters of our population to the most re-
mote outposts of our civilization.
Such is the concept of the Lincoln
Highway. Three years ago it was but
vision in the minds Of q few con-
structive dreamers. Their vision has
been verified. Their foresight, their
understanding of the possibilities Of
appeal to the American people has
been justified. The Lincoln Highway
today has ceased to be vision. 1t has
boone an extremely important reality
the most important road in the
United States-the first thru, connect
ing road upon which it has been posi-
BILE to concentrate public attention and
public interest to such an extent that
in three years the combined force ui
the states, counties, townships and mu,
inequalities thru which it passes has
resulted in the expenditure Of over
$ll,000,000 in constructive work. The
Lincoln Highway has become the ma
tons object lesson road.
The Lincoln Highway Association
was not, as so many people seem to
imagine, organized to be a constructive
organization. 1t did not undertake
nor has it undertaken, to build the
Lincoln Highway.
Function of the Organization.
The function Of the Lincoln Highway
Association has been, first to center
national attention upon the Lincoln
Highway-the backbone of any Amer.
lean system of roads--in an endeavol
to secure the efficient expenditure OF
public funds in the states. counties ant
townships thru which the road runs
by educating the officials and the pub
lie TO the necessity of building frs
our inter-county and Interstate routes
Of communication.
Results in the actual forwarding OIL
this great scheme are being realized
at rate no one dared to propnesy a.
the time the project was launched
The progress made in 1915 sets prec.
edent in unified effort of this charac-
ter in this country.
The standardized marking of thf
Lincoln Highway is phase OF i'm
provement worthy of note. Definite
established, continuous well under .
stood markers along a route give it g
personality" They identify the roac
aud thru increasing its traffic, leaC
toward it's Improvement. With the CO.
operation of the communities and pa
triotic organizations along the route
the Lincoln Highway Association com
pleted this work during the past season
from New York City az far west al
North Platte, Neb., a distance of over
100 miles. More than 5000 markert
were erected across the states of New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana
Illinois, Iowa and Nebras ska. The
markers were painted in standard
fashion eight feet from the ground
and the work done in q uniform anC
artistic way, so that it Is now posi-
bic for the tourist to start out in New
York City and drive thru to Cheyenne
Wyo., without the necessity Of ever in
quiring the direction or how to turn al
confusing cross roads, stencils havins
been used to indicate right and let
hand turns where necessary.
Even thru the crowded metropolitan
centers of such cities as Newark
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Omaha
the telegraph poles bear the weicoms
insignia which allows the tourist tt
thread his way thru the maze o.
streets without the loss of time or tn.
| disagreeable necessity Of inquiring al
| rections.
Lincoln Highway Improvement in 1915
Huge sums of money have been spen
| in real road improvement. In New
i Jersey. where the Lincoln Highway ii
entirely hard surfaced, $IS3,67S wa