Illinois Lincoln Highway

Illinois Lincoln Highway. Mobilizing the Country Changed Society. Illinois, in the heart of the nation, has always been a crossroads state. The country's great transportation arteries – the Great Lakes, the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, the railroads, the interstate highway system – all intersect through Illinois. Therefore, it was fitting that the state should be at the forefront of the development of this transcontinental highway – the Lincoln Highway. , The sticky prairie soil of the Midwest, often referred to as “gumbo”, was the perfect material to demonstrate the contrast between concrete and mud. The first seedling miles served to convince the public to accept the concept that long-distance roads should be built not only for local convenience, but for the benefit of everyone; roads for the nation, not just the community. , [Captions (left to right)] , . With a growing network of paved roads, the country was rapidly mobilizing. By 1927, a majority of families owned an automobile. Short, casual visits replaced all-day travel, with farmers and villagers discovering how easy it was to dash to town for shopping or entertainment; even high school sports became major social events for the community. Image: “Traveling Down the Lincoln Highway.” Lincoln Highway Digital Image Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor , . Farmers profited from those early travelers quagmired in wet stretches of road. “Speeders” traveling 35 mph on concrete sections only to be driven deep into the mud when the pavement ran out were particular favorites! Image taken from the American History magazine, August 1924