Near West Lincoln Highway (Illinois Route 38) east of West Locust Street, on the left when traveling east.
This house, built in 1861, was the home of Joseph Glidden, who in 1873 invented barbed wire fencing. With Phineas W. Vaughn he perfected a machine to manufacture it. DeKalb was the home of Isaac L. Ellwood and Jacob Haish, also manufacturers of . . . — — Map (db m230891) HM
On Crego Road, 1 mile south of Perry Road (County Road 7), on the left when traveling north.
These trees were planted by the citizens of DeKalb County in honor of our country's bicentennial. This horizons project affirms our faith and pride in the United States and our hope and love for it. May future citizens enjoy this area and remember . . . — — Map (db m203047) HM
Near Sycamore Road (Illinois Route 23) 0.1 miles north of Gateway Drive, on the right when traveling north.
DeKalb's roots date to 1912 when a group of farmers and bankers formed the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association to improve area farming. In 1917, an offshoot was formed, the DeKalb County Agricultural Association, with a focus on quality seed. . . . — — Map (db m230905) HM
On Roberts Lane south of Roberts Circle, on the right when traveling south.
Success in developing and commercializing hybrid seed corn in the 1930s and early 1940s prompted DeKalb Agricultural Association in 1944 to see if the principles of hybridization could be applied to the breeding of poultry. Association President Tom . . . — — Map (db m230904) HM
On Oak Street west of North 4th Street, on the right when traveling west.
Known for his inventive genius, eccentric personality, and generous philanthropy, Jacob Haish is perhaps most remembered as an inventor of barbed wire. Born in Germany, he immigrated to this country in 1832 and came to DeKalb County in the 1840s.
. . . — — Map (db m230903) HM
On West Lincoln Highway (Illinois Route 38) east of Castle Drive, on the right when traveling west.
On May 22, 1895, Governor John Peter Altgeld signed an act establishing the Northern Illinois State Normal School. The first building, "The Castle on the Hill", was constructed here on what was once the site of the DeKalb County Fairgrounds. . . . — — Map (db m213756) HM
On North 4th Street north of Lincoln Highway (Illinois Route 38), on the right when traveling north.
The DeKalb® brand winged ear logo is perhaps one of the most widely-recognized agricultural trademarks in the world. Over the years it has undergone many design enhancements from the original concept. But the same iconic image of a flying ear of . . . — — Map (db m230901) HM
On West Roosevelt Street just west of Hickory Street, on the left when traveling west.
In the early 20th century William George Eckhardt (1879-1959) was a pioneer in DeKalb County's leading role in agricultural innovation. Eckhardt, an agronomy professor at the University of Illinois, was an expert in the blossoming field of soil . . . — — Map (db m198012) HM
Near Bethany Road east of Sycamore Street (Illinois Route 23), on the right when traveling east.
Hybrid corn results from the cross of two inbred parents, each of which is developed by selfing (in-breeding) a corn line for 6-8 generations until it is mostly homozygous.
Corn plants are diploid with one set of chromosomes coming from the . . . — — Map (db m230907) HM
Near Malta Road (County Highway 31) 0.1 miles north of Lincoln Highway (State Route 38), on the left when traveling north.
Work commenced in September of 1914 on the “First Seedling Mile” in Malta, Illinois. This construction was key to the Lincoln Highway, which runs from Times Square in New York City, to Lincoln Park in San Francisco.
Planned in 1913 by the . . . — — Map (db m230825) HM
Near Malta Road (County Highway 31) 0.1 miles north of Lincoln Highway (State Route 38), on the left when traveling north.
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 . . . — — Map (db m230864) HM
Near Malta Road (County Highway 31) 0.1 miles north of Lincoln Highway (State Route 38), on the left when traveling north.
Malta is proud to be the home to the “First Seedling Mile”
on the Lincoln Highway. This first strip of paved road was
made to use as a “show and tell” demonstration of the
advantages of travel on concrete verses mud, in an effort
to obtain . . . — — Map (db m230865) HM
Near Malta Road (County Highway 31) 0.1 miles north of Lincoln Highway (State Route 38), on the left when traveling north.
The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental, hard surface roadway in the United States. The Highway traversed 3,384 miles and twelve states - beginning in New York City and ending in San Francisco. Planned in 1913 by the Lincoln Highway . . . — — Map (db m230868) HM
On Jefferson Street at North 3rd Street, on the left when traveling west on Jefferson Street.
The Lincoln Highway’s first Seedling Mile of paved highway was built in Malta. This strategically chosen location demonstrated the need for better roads, showing the stark contrast between travel on concrete versus mud. From concept to completion, . . . — — Map (db m233236) HM
Near Malta Road (County Highway 31) 0.1 miles north of Lincoln Highway (State Route 38), on the left when traveling north.
In 1913, Carl Fisher proposed the “Coast to Coast Rock Highway”. Eager to put America on wheels, executives from automobile and tire manufacturers quickly joined in the effort. At the inaugural meeting on July 1, 1913, the newly elected President, . . . — — Map (db m230819) HM
Near Chief Shabbona County Forest Preserve, 0.5 miles south of Preserve Road.
It was 1775, one year before the American Revolution that an Indian boy was born near the banks of the Kankakee River. A boy who would grow up to befriend the new nation's people. His Ottawa parents named him “Shab-eh-nay” (Shabbona), which means . . . — — Map (db m78301) HM
On East Comanche Avenue (Illinois Route 30) at Indian Road, on the right when traveling east on East Comanche Avenue.
In the early 1800's Shabbona was a principal chief of the Ottowa, Potawatomi, and Chippewa group of tribes which banded together to form "The Three Fires." Shabbona camped briefly in a large grove one-half mile south of here. He fought with the . . . — — Map (db m31672) HM
Near West Prairie Drive east of Peace Road, on the right when traveling east.
In 1912, an enterprising and forward-thinking group of farmers, businessmen, and bankers joined together to form the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association. This grassroots coalition became the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, the first Farm Bureau . . . — — Map (db m230909) HM
Near Aberdeen Court, 0.1 miles south of Bethany Road, on the right when traveling south.
DeKalb Swine Breeders grew from the shared vision of two companies, Lubbock Swine Breeders Inc. (LSB) of Lubbock, Texas, and DeKalb AgResearch, Inc. (DeKalb) of DeKalb, Illinois, that synergistically combined to transform agriculture. LSB began . . . — — Map (db m230908) HM
