Lincoln Highway History
Articles from the Chicago Heights Signal -- 1913 -- September
through December
September 17, 1913 -- page one
Lincoln Highway from Gotham to Frisco---
Roadway will Touch Chicago Heights.
Sauk Trail Part of National Highway.
(Page one article includes cross-country map)
Perhaps the most important news for Chicago Heights in recent years
is contained
in the official announcement . . .
September 24, 1913 -- page one
CONTRIBUTING FOR LINCOLN HIGHWAY
------
Numerous People Take Certificates Promptly--Much Interest Shown
in Big Highway
Which Will Bring Our City Into World Notice
------
. . . .
The following is an alphabetical list of those who, at going
to press, had signified willingness to
co-operate in the quick campaign to raise $1,000,000. The road,
as planned, will traverse the
Sauk Trail Road, from Joliet to Dyer, on its way to Valparaiso, . .
.
. . .
October 8, 1913 -- page one
LINCOLN HIGHWAY FUND GROWING LARGER EACH DAY
------
Plans Under Way for Holding Dedication Ceremonies October 31
------
PROJECT WELL UNDER WAY
------
Governors to Issue Proclamations for Celebrations All Along Line
------
Directors of the Lincoln Highway Association have been meeting
in Detroit this week,
coincident with the sessions of the Third American Good Roads Congress
and with the arrival
of delegations from several hundred points along the route, . . .
October 15, 1913 -- page one
CITIES ALONG ROUTE OF LINCOLN HIGHWAY TO CELEBRATE OCT. 31
------
Joliet Preparing a Great Rousing Demonstration
------
WILL CHICAGO HEIGHTS JOIN?
------
What the Preachers and Others Think of the Movement
------
Nation wide interest is expressed . . .
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Rev. Frank G. Brainnerd . . .in the
First Congregational church, is
enthusiastic over what the highway will mean to his community.
“It is a name to conjure by,” he said in the pulpit. “It
calls to the heroic. It unrolls a mighty
panorama of fields and woodlands; of humble cabins and triumphant farm
homes and cattle
on a thousand hills; burrowing mines and smoking factories; winding
brooks, commerce-laden
rivers and horizon lost oceans.
“And because it binds together all these wonders and sweeps
forward till it touches the end
of earth and the beginning of sea it is to be named the ‘Lincoln Highway.’
It brings back to us
the lank figure of the growing boy walking the country roadway with
borrowed books; the
reaming out, surveying and building of his highway of the soul, that
should stretch from that
mysterious ocean of the past, whence he came, to the mysterious ocean
of the eternal,
to which he would go; a highway long whose every day travel he had
a gentle word for the
sorrowing, and for the one in trouble, a sharp prod for the indifferent,
a word of council [sic]
for the perplexed, an inspiration for the doubtful,
and love for all; the highway of the soul of the ‘great American.’”
November 12, 1913 -- page one
STATE AID ROAD WILL BE FEEDER FOR LINCOLN HIGHWAY
-------
Chicago Traffic Will Have Short Route to the Big Road
-------
WILL COME VIA BLUE ISLAND
------
Fourteenth and Chicago Rd. Will Be the Point of Meeting
------
Recent developments since the official marking of the Lincoln
Highway, lead us to foresee
a prominent place for Chicago Heights in the motor vehicle world, .
. .
November 20, 1913 -- page one
On the Highway --
What It Means
-------
Lincoln Memorial Assures Chicago Heights New Hotel
The securing of the change in the route of the Lincoln Highway
. . .
November 27, 1913 -- page one
LINCOLN HIGHWAY OFFICIAL HERE
--------
Automobile Club Supported in Its Routing -- Selection Gets Approval
--
Objectors from Crete and Frankfort Have Hearing.
--------
The Elks Club was the setting of a most interesting meeting
Friday afternoon,
attended by a large number of local people, together with a scattering
from Crete and Frankfort Station.
The subject of discussion was one of considerable local interest,
being the routing of the Lincoln Highway
thro Bloom and Rich townships.
The presence of Mr. A. R. Pardington, vice president and secretary
of the Lincoln Highway Association,
in his official capacity, brought to conclusion what has to the present
been in some minds speculation as to
the route which the Highway will traverse in this vicinity. All
lines of business and many of the professions
were represented from our city and presented a united front in favor
of the marking and routing via Chicago
Road and Fourteenth Street.
Mr. Pardington, the guest of honor, arrived on the 3:45 train,
and was escorted to the club parlors, where
after a short reception, the gathering was called to order by the secretary
of the local Motor Club, who stated
the object of the gathering and extended an invitation to all present
to take part in the discussion.
Mr. Pardington was then introduced and made clear to those present
that there had not been any particular
route selected in this section, but that same was left to the discretion
of organizations of the character of the
Chicago Heights Automobile Association, although a preference is invariably
shown to roads designated for
state aid. At this junction, a copy of the latest road map of
Cook County was submitted, showing state aid roads,
and an outline was given of the route selected by the local association
in behalf of the Lincoln Highway Association.
After a careful inspection of these maps and a general discussion
in which a number of visiting people took part,
the speaker resumed and stated that wherever possible it had been the
policy of the association to conform to state
aid selection, and as this apparently was in accord with the local
clubs [sic] action, he saw no reason to make any
change.
Not a little informal discussion followed, taken part in by
those present, the opposition gradually subsiding.
Fred B. Rohe, of Crete, who, with a few of his townspeople,
spoke favoring other routing than that made. His
subject was along patriotic lines and got a hand.
Charles H. Balchowsky, of Frankfort Station, regretted that
his place of business was not on the route, but admitted
the practicability of the selected routing.
Others who spoke favoring the present routing were: Mayor
L. H. Hook, Charles H. Thomas, A. L. Spindler,
Wm. Waddington, George H. Munn, J. H. Votel, Joseph Orr, A. C. Beebe,
W. H. Donovan, Wilbur H. Johnson,
W. A. Foley, E. H. Pahnke, Wm. Gillman, F. Hessler.
After the adjournment Mr. Pardington was entertained at a dinner,
given at Hansen’s, by President Wm.
Waddington, of the local club.
December 18, 1913 -- page one
LINCOLN HIGHWAY TO START
MAY IMPROVE ROAD AT ONCE
FROM HERE TO JOLIET
Counsel-at-Large, H. C. Osterman, of the Lincoln Highway Association,
was in Chicago Heights on
Tuesday afternoon and with Wm. Waddington, A. L. Spindler, and Ralph
E. MeElcowney, , made a tour
of inspection of the route from Dyer to Matteson.
Mr. Osterman was highly pleased with the progress made by the
local enthusiasts and while in Matteson
held a conference with Moses B. Elliott, who has volunteered to carry
forward the work across Rich Township.
Much satisfaction was felt when Mr. Osterman stated that this
section from Dyer across Illinois had every
reason to be among the first sections of the route to be built and
urged his hearers to bend every effort to that end.
Mr. Osterman suggested the apportioning of territories to those
most at interest and assured the local people that
every dollar raised locally would be turned to the highway in this
section and not put into a general fund to be
distributed over the length of the entire highway. He suggested
that in view of the help offered by Mr. Elliott that
our local organization center its efforts on the immediate improvement
of Fourteenth street from Chicago Road to
the township line, a distance of less than two miles. Help would
be forthcoming from Governor Dunne and the
fullest co-operation of the Lincoln Highway association, was assured.
That part of the highway between 26th
street and Brown’s corner should naturally be taken care of by the
citizens of South Chicago Heights, and by
Mrs. Hattie H. Keeney, who has shown a deep interest and maintains
large holdings which would be greatly
benefited by early improvement.
A pleasant incident of the trip was a visit to the fard [sic]
of Edward Cull, between Chicago Heights and Dyer.
Mr. Cull was busily engaged in grading what was formerly a barn yard
and transforming it into a beautiful lawn,
sloping down to the great highway, which passes. Mr. Cull was
one of the first buyers of a Lincoln Highway
certificate and has backed up his contribution with enthusiasm and
work. Mr. Osterman expressed pleasure at
the sight of the improvement which, he said, was only one of the many
manifestations of the “Lincoln Highway
Spirit.”
A short stop was made at Dyer and Banker Stommel was interviewed.
Later the visitor reviewed the activities in other Lincoln Highway
cities and told of the growth of the movement.
Mr. Osterman promised to revisit Chicago Heights after the first of
the year and assist the local association in its
campaign.