Tama in Tama County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

1. The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge Marker

Inscription.
This bridge, constructed in 1915, was an early advertisement for the Lincoln Highway, which was the first successful effort to mark, promote, and build an automobile highway spanning the United States. Initiated in 1913 as a memorial to the martyred president, the Lincoln Highway linked Iowa to both coasts and crossed the state by way of Tama.

Motorists today can travel the original route through the city by following signs that begin at the bridge and continue west on 5th Street. Guard rails spelling the name on both sides make this a unique bridge on the Lincoln Highway.

On March 30, 1978, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and community donations paid for its restoration in 1987. It stands as a dramatic reminder of a time when few roads were paved and the campaign to “get out of the mud” had just begun.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Lincoln Highway series list.

Location. 41° 57.843′ N, 92° 33.73′ W. Marker is in Tama, Iowa, in Tama County. Marker is at the intersection of Lincoln Highway (Business U.S. 30) and East 5th Street, on the right when

The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

2. The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge Marker (wide view)

traveling east on Lincoln Highway. Marker is beside the parking lot, on the west side of the small, unnamed, triangular-shaped roadside park at this location. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Tama IA 52339, United States of America. Touch for directions.

More about this marker. This marker is a large metal plaque, mounted at eye-level on an attractive, 6-foot tall brick kiosk.

Regarding The Historic "Lincoln Highway" Bridge. The 1915 Lincoln Highway bridge is about 20 yards south of the marker, and is still in service carrying East 5th street across Tama Mud Creek.

Also see . . .
1. Lincoln Highway Orphaned Bridge. The Lincoln Highway was announced to the world on Oct. 31, 1913, America's first national memorial to President Lincoln. Unfortunately, proclaiming a coast to coast highway is far easier than actually building one, and the Lincoln Highway remained a series of wildly mismatched roads for years. One of the hundreds of towns it went through was Tama, Iowa. In 1915 the town showed its pride in its good fortune by building a concrete bridge for the highway across Mud Creek with the words "Lincoln Highway" cut out of its guard rails. (Submitted on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Tama Lincoln Highway Bridge. The bridge is representative of efforts by local officials in order to promote automobile travel to encourage economic development. When the route was first plotted in 1913, the citizens of Tama and the surrounding area immediately recognized its importance.

1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (<i>north side; wide view from near marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

3. 1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (north side; wide view from near marker)

The highway was routed through the small town of Tama, along Fifth Street at the town's eastern edge. When in 1915 the county planned a small bridge to carry the Lincoln Highway over Mud Creek in Tama, the county supervisors opted to add architectural expression to the otherwise typical concrete slab structure, as a means to distinguish the bridge from the hundreds of others. (Submitted on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (<i>north rail view from 5th Street; roadside park in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

4. 1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (north rail view from 5th Street; roadside park in background)

1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (<i>south side; East 5th Street passes over bridge</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

5. 1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (south side; East 5th Street passes over bridge)

1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (<i>south rail view from East 5th Street</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

6. 1915 Lincoln Highway Bridge (south rail view from East 5th Street)

Lincoln Highway Bridge National Register of Historic Places plaque (<i>mounted on north rail</i>) image. Click for full size.

By Cosmos Mariner, August 7, 2013

7. Lincoln Highway Bridge National Register of Historic Places plaque (mounted on north rail)

Iowa Historic Site
Lincoln Highway
Bridge
1915
This property is listed in
the National Register of Historic Places
Iowa State Historical Department
Division of Historic Preservation

Credits. This page was last revised on August 31, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 21, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7. submitted on December 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.