“Travel along the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road. In 1913 there were virtually no paved roads outside a city limit, and automobiles were only good for a short drive in town. There were no gas stations or repair shops. Auto manufacturers soon recognized that a network of good roads was needed. They reasoned that if a paved road were to be built connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific, other communities would connect, and soon a national network would be built, making automobile travel practical.

The road dedicated to Abraham Lincoln began September 14, 1913 as Henry B. Joy of Packard Motor Company; Frank A. Seiberling of Goodyear Rubber; and Carl Fisher, founder of Prest-O-Lite Company, maker of carbide car headlamps, announced this route to begin at Times Square in New York, and end 3,389 miles westward in Lincoln Park, San Francisco, passing along a corridor similar to today’s Interstate Route 80. The Lincoln Highway route in Ohio passed through Northern Ohio from East Liverpool to Van Wert.

The success of the Lincoln Highway inspired connecting roads, and these were typically marked with symbols or colored stripes, sometimes painted on utility poles.

By the 1920s, the federal government and states were building roads, and a new system was established for marking routes. Much of the Lincoln Highway across the country was designated U.S. Route 30.

The Lincoln Highway Association ceased its operations in 1928. At that time 2,500 concrete directional posts were set by the Boy Scouts of America along the highway. Of these, some can be found yet today. This era of automotive history changed America. It helped create the modern auto age, the middle class, and changed how and where we live.

Enjoy learning the history of this road. Discover buildings that were once thriving businesses and look for remnants of old-style motor hotels, drive-in restaurants, or filling stations. We hope you enjoy visiting this great part of America’s past!”