Good morning, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY One of the best books of the year is called The Lincoln Highway. Its name is that of the first overland auto road built in the United States. The story of the Lincoln Highway is pretty interesting. Originally the concept was championed by an association of automobile enthusiasts, with a route that was to begin at Times Square in New York and run all the way to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. It was to be a toll-free highway (a “free” way). Originally proposed in 1913, construction began but World War I delayed construction in earnest until 1921. The Lincoln Highway was conceived and begun in the same time period as the approval of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was a time when many places and monuments were named for Lincoln and other Union leaders, as the Civil War was 50 years in the past and beginning to fade in memory. At the same time, this also was the period when many Southern military bases were named for Confederate figures, as the South developed the “lost cause” myth, the KKK was on the rise and Jim Crow was in full bloom.
#308 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday March 25)
#308 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday March…
#308 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday March 25)
Good morning, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY One of the best books of the year is called The Lincoln Highway. Its name is that of the first overland auto road built in the United States. The story of the Lincoln Highway is pretty interesting. Originally the concept was championed by an association of automobile enthusiasts, with a route that was to begin at Times Square in New York and run all the way to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. It was to be a toll-free highway (a “free” way). Originally proposed in 1913, construction began but World War I delayed construction in earnest until 1921. The Lincoln Highway was conceived and begun in the same time period as the approval of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was a time when many places and monuments were named for Lincoln and other Union leaders, as the Civil War was 50 years in the past and beginning to fade in memory. At the same time, this also was the period when many Southern military bases were named for Confederate figures, as the South developed the “lost cause” myth, the KKK was on the rise and Jim Crow was in full bloom.