Illinois Lincoln Highway

Illinois Lincoln Highway. Art Along the Highway. , The Lincoln Highway is an example of the 1900s American cultural awakening. The end of the Victorian era brought progress and independence as people set out in their automobiles to venture across the country. The vision of the first transcontinental highway becoming a reality defined a new freedom for Americans. Reflective of the time period and community are various styles of art and architecture found on the highway. , [Captions:] , One well known work of art in Illinois, created at that time by Lorado Taft was a 50-foot statue called The Eternal Indian, better known as Blackhawk Statue. Taft began the project in 1908 as a tribute to Native Americans and dedication of the statue was in 1911. Blackhawk stands prominently on Eagle's Nest Bluff in Lowden State Park, 125 feet above the Rock River. The statue is said to be one of the world's largest monolithic concrete statues., The Ogle County Board commissioned Lorado Taft and architects Pond and Pond, to create The Soldiers' Monument, in honor of Ogle County veterans. A year's work went into the creation of the memorial that was dedicated in 1916. It is an exhibit of three sculptures and an architecturally designed exedra wrapping around the installation. This unique structure contains elements of marble and bronze which today remains on the courthouse grounds. , Bridges along the Lincoln Highway reflected the culture with artwork and design incorporated into their construction. This is evident in the New York Street Memorial Bridge located in Aurora, Illinois. The bridge spans the entire channel of the Fox River, dedicated as a memorial to World War I veterans. Sculptor Emory Seidel designed the bridge with several sculpted figures integrated into the concrete structure. The sculptures are located in the bridge pylons and in the niches at the center of the bridge, using concrete, bronze and limestone. The memorial bridge has been noted as "remarkable in its beauty and unique in its design.", In Chicago Heights, at the "Crossroads of the Nation" you will find the transcontinental intersection of Lincoln Highway and the Dixie Highway. Standing at this location is the Arche Fountain, built in 1916 by the Conservation Committee of the Arche Club of Chicago, one of the largest women's clubs in the area. The club commissioned George Gainer to design the fountain as a memorial honoring the famous intersection and was used as a place of rest for cross-country travelers.