Old Highway Notes: Lincoln Highway Notes 1914-1940

It was 1914. Cars had been around for a few years. Lately they had become a national craze. Henry Ford began producing the Model T in 1908. This made car ownership a reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

People loved the new cars, but there was a problem. The roads were awful. Larger cities had paved sections. A few early paved connector roads between cities existed. People wanted to use there cars to explore the country outside of the cities. That became difficult when the pavement ended.

Motorists in those early days in rural areas had to contend with muddy roads and deep wagon ruts. Railroad bridges were sometimes the only available river crossings. Horses still using the old dirt roads would get spooked by the automobiles. It was a difficult and often dangerous situation. Something needed to change.

1909 New York to Seattle Road Race Britannica

Groups of early automotive boosters organized themselves. Their goal: establishing a paved road linking the east and west coast of the United States. They urged Congress to oppropriate funding for a national highway. They argued benefits to shipping. More important, the mobility of US troops within the nation would improve. The benefits to the average citizen were also stressed. Congress approved the Lincoln Highway. Construction began.

Opening in 1914, the highway was not one paved route throughout the country. It was a network of existing paved roads. New paving now connected these pre-existing roads. Together they would form one long, paved Lincoln Highway.

Lincoln Highway near Pennsylvania Tunnel-September 1922 Wikipedia

The Lincoln Highway was America's first national highway. The road was legendary long before Route 66 gained its infamy. This highway was at the birth of our modern road trip culture. It saw the rise of motor touring and the development of the car camp. Those old car camps sometimes added cabins and the motel was born.

Old Highway Notes asks you to join us. We will explore the Lincoln Highway in our usual style. A handpicked blend of YouTube video clips and music with a touch of history and tourism.

Flickr (Lydia Darnell)

Before we hit the road here are some songs about cars from the Golden age of the highway 1914-1940.

1 In My Merry Oldsmobile Billy Murray 3:01
2 He'd Have To Get Out And Get Under (To Fix Up His Automobile) Billy Murray 3:19
3 The Little Ford Rambled Right Along Billy Murray 2:21
4 Uncle Josh Buys An Automobile Cal Stewart 3:17
5 I'm Wild About Horns On Automobiles Jack Dalton and The 7 Blue Babies 5:09
6 Steppin' On The Gas Sam Morgan's Jazz Band 3:23
7 Get 'Em In A Rumble Seat Billy Jones & Ernest Hare 3:28
8 Henry's Made A Lady Out Of Lizzie Clicquot Club Eskimos 2:40
9 The Chevrolet Six Frank Hutchison 3:10
10 A Race Between a Ford and a Chevrolet Oscar Ford 3:20
11 Henry Ford Blues Roosevelt Sykes 3:11
12 Chevrolet Car Sam McGee 3:11
13 Car Song Woody Guthrie 1:53
14 Hard Travelin' Woody Guthrie 2:40
15 This Land Is Your Land Woody Guthrie 4:31
16 Lost Highway Hank Williams 3:13
17 Terraplane Blues Robert Johnson 3:02
18 My Little Machine Sonny Boy Williamson I 3:03
19 Mean Old Highway Sonny Boy Williamson I 3:25
20 Hard Driving Blues Amos Milburn 2:43

Here is a bonus I found.

An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway
Cecelia Otto

1 It's a Long Way to California 3:49
2 Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life 1:22
3 Second Hand Rose 0:42
4 Beautiful Ohio 2:30
5 [Preparing for The] Lincoln Way 5:40
6 Along the Way 6:34
7 Goin' Home 5:03
8 In My Merry Oldsmobile 3:10
9 Let Me Stray 3:02
10 I Always Wear My Amber Shades (Even On a Cloudy Day) 3:23
11 Out Where the West Begins 1:49
12 I'm Always Chasing Rainbows 3:13
13 Land Of Lincoln 2:53

Mileage Stats

Route 66: 1/4 Mile/1 State/1097 Tracks/394 Videos/43 Posts

Highway 101: 25 Miles/2 Countries/1 State/702 Tracks/418 Videos/33 Posts

Interstate 95: 219 Miles/1 State/149 Tracks/201 Videos/20 Posts

Pan American Highway: 184 Miles/1 Nation/1 State/21 Videos/1 Post

Trans-Canadian Highway: 14 Miles/1 Province/1 District/35 Videos/1 Post

Lincoln Highway: 0 Miles/0 States/0 Counties/33 Videos/1 Post

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