The transcontinental route of the Lincoln Highway is depicted in the map above while below traffic moves through Mansfield’s square which still prominently displays the historic highway’s signs. In the first photo lower right looking north through the subway on Park Ave. East, you can see the route through town was different from 1913 to 1928 than in later years. In the next lower picture a gaily painted fire plug at Park Ave. West and Bowman St., is sporting the Lincoln Highway symbol in celebration of the city’s 200th birthday in 2008.
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY--If you stand on Park Avenue in Mansfield’s Central Park you are on the very first automobile road that crossed the United States; The Lincoln Highway.
It was dedicated in 1913. Its first official length was 3,389 miles from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco and it soon became known as “The Main Street Across America”.
It also was the country’s first major memorial dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, pre-dating Lincoln’s Memorial in Washington, DC by nine years.
Its entire route through Ohio was located on US Route 30 from East Liverpool to Van Wert and on into Indiana. That highway used to pass through downtown Mansfield. Now, of course, we know US Route 30 locally as the Mansfield Expressway.
US 30 originally came into Richland County from the east near Mifflin on what is now known as Ohio Route 430 and it exits our county to the west on Ohio Route 309. Notice the number “30” is contained in those new route numbers; a clue to the route’s original designation.
That is why you will see those familiar, red, white and blue Lincoln Highway markers on those roads today and not along the current four-lane version.
In 1912 railroads dominated our interstate transportation and only 8.6 percent of the network of mostly local roads was “improved” surfaces of gravel, or bricks for example. That era was long before asphalt or concrete paving were common.
The cost of constructing the highway was estimated at 10 million dollars in that year. Today, by the way, it costs an average of 15 million dollars to build one mile of interstate highway.
Blazing the trail for the new route west of the Mississippi River in 1913 involved a caravan of 17 cars and two trucks and took 34 days to reach the west coast.
Travel across the newly constructed “highway” was described in those years as “...somewhat of a sporting proposition.” Motorists were advised to wade through any water encountered to verify its depth.
Advice to travelers near Fish Springs, UT in those days was to build a fire of sagebrush in the event of trouble and, a Mr. Thomas would come to the rescue with his team of horses.
A young army Lt. Col. named Eisenhower was involved in another convoy across the US in 1919—that one took nearly two months to accomplish. It was that effort plus his experience with the German autobahn in the 1940s that ultimately led to today’s interstate highway system which was formed with legislation
adopted in 1956 during Eisenhower’s presidency.
If you hop on the Mansfield Expressway today, turn east and follow US 30 you will wind up in Atlantic City, NJ. Head west and stop just before your feet get wet and you will be in Astoria, OR.
That coast-to-coast ride will take a good deal longer that a similar zip on the interstate highways.
If you follow the original Lincoln Highway you will travel on many, many routes in addition to US 30.
It was dedicated in 1913. Its first official length was 3,389 miles from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco and it soon became known as “The Main Street Across America”.
It also was the country’s first major memorial dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, pre-dating Lincoln’s Memorial in Washington, DC by nine years.
Its entire route through Ohio was located on US Route 30 from East Liverpool to Van Wert and on into Indiana. That highway used to pass through downtown Mansfield. Now, of course, we know US Route 30 locally as the Mansfield Expressway.
US 30 originally came into Richland County from the east near Mifflin on what is now known as Ohio Route 430 and it exits our county to the west on Ohio Route 309. Notice the number “30” is contained in those new route numbers; a clue to the route’s original designation.
That is why you will see those familiar, red, white and blue Lincoln Highway markers on those roads today and not along the current four-lane version.
In 1912 railroads dominated our interstate transportation and only 8.6 percent of the network of mostly local roads was “improved” surfaces of gravel, or bricks for example. That era was long before asphalt or concrete paving were common.
The cost of constructing the highway was estimated at 10 million dollars in that year. Today, by the way, it costs an average of 15 million dollars to build one mile of interstate highway.
Blazing the trail for the new route west of the Mississippi River in 1913 involved a caravan of 17 cars and two trucks and took 34 days to reach the west coast.
Travel across the newly constructed “highway” was described in those years as “...somewhat of a sporting proposition.” Motorists were advised to wade through any water encountered to verify its depth.
Advice to travelers near Fish Springs, UT in those days was to build a fire of sagebrush in the event of trouble and, a Mr. Thomas would come to the rescue with his team of horses.
A young army Lt. Col. named Eisenhower was involved in another convoy across the US in 1919—that one took nearly two months to accomplish. It was that effort plus his experience with the German autobahn in the 1940s that ultimately led to today’s interstate highway system which was formed with legislation
adopted in 1956 during Eisenhower’s presidency.If you hop on the Mansfield Expressway today, turn east and follow US 30 you will wind up in Atlantic City, NJ. Head west and stop just before your feet get wet and you will be in Astoria, OR.
That coast-to-coast ride will take a good deal longer that a similar zip on the interstate highways.
If you follow the original Lincoln Highway you will travel on many, many routes in addition to US 30.
Hmmm.
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