History of Lincoln Highway
Paving a Place in History
The idea of a road to connect the coasts was conceived in 1913 by Carl Fisher, the man also responsible for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Miami Beach. With help from fellow industrialists, Fisher developed a plan for an improved, hard-surfaced road that would stretch almost 3,400 miles from New York to San Francisco.
Once it was completed, the Lincoln Highway was one of the most traveled routes across the United States.
Historic reminders of the highway can still be found throughout Nebraska. Original brick pavers make up a section of the road near Elkhorn. Many red, white, and blue cement markers remain as guides along the path. And childhood memories of the Lincoln Highway in its glory days are relived by a generation of Nebraskans.
Today many people travel this route for something that can’t be found along the interstate—that genuine small-town Americana. And they come from all over the country, making the road trip from one coast to the other to recapture the good ol’ days. Travelers veer off the main thoroughfare onto the Lincoln Highway to slow down and truly experience the quality of life that has been a mainstay in Nebraska as long as the road itself.
