LINCOLN HIGHWAY, a continuous connecting improved road, the backbone of a national highway system, crossing the conti nent through the heart of the most densely populated regions between New York and San Francisco. The highway was laid out by the Lincoln Highway Association, a Michigan cor poration with headquarters at Detroit, in 1913, as the first inter-State highway connecting the two coasts and as a memorial to Abraham Lin coln. The route was determined upon entirely from the national standpoint and with no local interests in view. It is the shortest and most direct road consistent with the topography of the country between the two coasts; due to the efforts of the Lincoln Highway Association and the co-operation of the various States and coun ties traversed, the original distance of 3,389 miles having been cut to 3,324 miles, by the elimination of unnecessary detours and by nu merous instances of shortening and straighten ing. A total of over $15,000,000 was expended upon Lincoln Highway improvement and main tenance from the laying out and dedication of the road until 1 Jan. 1919. Plans for 1919 con struction indicated the expenditure of about $10,000,000 on the highway. With the co-opera tion of the State Highway department of Utah, the Great American Desert between Salt Lake City and Ely, Nev., was bridged and 50 miles cut from the transcontinental route. This im portant keystone section of the highway was completed in July 1919.
The Lincoln Highway starts at Times Square, 42d street and Broadway, New York city and passes through the following principal cities in 11 States: Jersey City, Newark and Trenton, N. J.; Philadelphia, Lancaster, York,
Gettysburg, Chambersburg, Bedford, Ligonier, Pittsburgh and Beaver, Pa.; East Liverpool, Canton, Ashland, Mansfield, Bucyrus and Lima, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ligonier, Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend and Valparaiso, Ind.• Chicago Heights, Aurora, Geneva, Rochelle, Dixon and Fulton, Ill.; Clinton, Cedar Rapids, Marshall town, Jefferson and Council Bluffs, Iowa; Omaha, Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, North Platte and Big Springs, Neb. • Cheyenne, Laramie, Medicine Bow, Rawlins, Rock Springs and Evanston, Wyo.; Salt Lake City, Garfield, Tooele, Clover and Ibapah, Utah; Ely, Eureka, Austin, Fallon, Reno and Carson City, Nev.; Truckee, Placerville, Sacramento, Stockton, Oakland and San Francisco, Cal. The terminus is at Lincoln Park overlooking the Golden Gate. The Lincoln highway is free to traffic of all descriptions between the two coasts. The route is marked with a distinctive red, white and blue marker, bearing a blue 'V' on the central white field. The Lincoln Highway As sociation has been largely financed through yearly contributions made by of the organization, men arid companies interested in highway improvement. For every mile of improvement secured on the Lincoln highway, 10 miles have followed as a direct result upon other routes connecting important centres north and south with the main line. Along its entire length the highest type of highway construc tion is represented in this modern American Appian Way.