The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway. Schererville — Crossroads of the Nation. , Early History , Schererville can trace its history to the days of Native Americans and their trails across Northern Indiana. , . Much of the region was marsh and wetlands north of the Kankakee River and south of Lake Michigan. , . The best known trail was the Sauk Trail from Detroit to Rock Island, IL, and might well have been the forerunner of Joliet Street., European Settlement , Indiana became the 19th state in the US in 1816 but was sparsely settled up to the 1850s. , . John Hack was one of the first settlers here in the late 1830s while Nicholas Scherer and his family arrived in the mid-1840s. , . Scherer was a community leader in draining the wetlands and platted the town in 1866. , . Between 1851 and 1903 sixteen railroad lines passed through Schererville and Lake County, connecting the area to Chicago and points east and west. , . St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church was founded in 1874 on land donated by Scherer and the Church became the center of community life., The Lincoln Highway (LH) , As automobiles became more prevalent, the need for improved roads grew. , . In 1912, the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA) named the official route for its "Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway" through 13 states and over 700 towns, including Schererville. , . In Indiana the new route passed through 28 towns over 170 miles. , . There were no Rand McNally maps or routing signs, so the LHA created Control Stations and published road guides to help travelers identify sleeping, car repair and dining opportunities. In Schererville the Control Station was the original Post Office located in the Gard Store., Lincoln Highway Milestones , Over the next 50 years many important events along the Lincoln Highway contributed to the growth and recognition for Schererville. , . In July 1919, a US Army Convoy of 80+ vehicles passed through Schererville. The convoy was a coast-to-coast inspection of road conditions along the LH. One of the officers for the convoy was future President Dwight Eisenhower, often called the Father of the US Interstate System of the 1950s. , . In the 1920s the LHA created what have been called Seedling Miles in a number of states, generally one-mile sections of paved road to encourage more local investment. One of the finest was created between Schererville and Dyer. Today there remains a wonderful monument to this Ideal Section, the Sauk Trail and one of the Lincoln Highway Association founders (Henry Ostermann) near the Schererville / Dyer town line. , . By 1928 the state and federal governments had taken over road building and road naming, so the LHA disbanded ... for 56 years! Their last project involved partnering with the Boy Scouts of America to place 2,400 concrete markers along the route to help travelers follow the LH across the US. About 20 of them are still visible in Indiana, one stands in front of the Town Hall here in Schererville., The Lincoln Highway Around Town , As one travels through Schererville today we can see historical sites of yesteryear and hear stories that relate to the Lincoln Highway. , . Teibel's Family Restaurant opened in 1929 as a 12-seat diner at the corner of US 30 and US 41. For many years they also had a number of overnight cabins. The intersection became nationally known and one of the most heavily traveled in the US. This crossroads naturally became the definition of the "Crossroads of the Nation". Teibel's remains well known nationally for their fried chicken and fresh lake perch. , . At this same intersection stood Sauzer's Waffle Shop from 1941 to 1990 and a bit west was Sauzer's Kiddieland from 1949 to 1993, attracting more interest and visitors to the area for nearly 50 years. The Schererville annual Corn Roast celebration (since 1962) was first held at Kiddieland. , . St. John Township School #2 is a refurbished 1853 one-room schoolhouse brought to Schererville in 1993 and now standing behind the St. John Township Community Center. For many years David Andrews taught a history class in the classroom and everyone dressed in period costume., Art Schweitzer , After 60 years, the Lincoln Highway Association was reformed nationally and Schererville native Art Schweitzer became the driving force for Indiana. , . Art led the effort to place LH lettering on two bridges in Dyer and one in Schererville. , . He placed a plaque at the local Walgreens highlighting the first paving in Schererville ... with macadam. , . He led the effort to mark the Ideal Section's actual beginning and ending points. , . He always seemed to have a camera in hand and his records will become the foundation for the Schererville Historical Society Museum in the 1867 Scherer residence at 33 Wilhelm Street., [Captions:] , 1. Sauk Trail , 2. Nicholas and Frances Scherer , 3. St. Michael the Archangel , 4. Gard Store housed Post Office Control Station , 5. The US Army Convoy in 1919 , 6. Ideal Section Plaque , 7. Indiana's Lincoln Highway in 1913 , 8. Teibel's Restaurant and Tourist Court , 9. Sauzer's Waffle Shop , 10. Sauzer's Kiddieland , 11. St. John Township District School #2