Subject: Re: Lincoln Highway
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2004 20:35:22 -0600
From: Tom Lutzi <lutziville@alltel.net>

Hello Ed and friends of the Lincoln Highway,

I am still learning about the Lincoln Highway and its many loops, cutoffs, and changes in its route during the years. I had hoped to author a story about the Blair cutoff for publication in the Lincoln Highway Forum that is published by the National Lincoln Highway Association. I have been gathering information for several years and even brought my 1913 Model "T" Ford to Blair for a photo shoot in August, 2002. The more I learn the more I realize what I don't know about the route through Blair.

I will share with you what I have learned so far. The Blair route was not mentioned in The Complete Official Road Guides of the Lincoln Highway published by the National LHY Association in Detroit. There were five publications first starting in 1915 and the last being published in 1924. I have recently reprinted the first 1915 Road Guide and will send you a copy.

Now to try to answer your question about the years of use. I'm positive that early transcontinental motorists knew about the shortcut and some used the cutoff and the ferry boat. Locals certainly used it and made it a profitable venture for Charlie Haynes the ferry operator. The opening of the bridge to vehicles on June 29, 1929 began the real start for pushing the route through Blair. The dedication of the bridge on July 26, 1929 gave it the publicity and a proper announcement to the traveling public.

Now for the documentation story. By this date the Federal Government had passed the laws governing the numbering of highways and banning the use of names for the highways. One of the last official items of business for the National Lincoln Highway Association was to purchase and promote the marking of the Lincoln Highway from coast to coast. This was accomplished with the help of the Boy Scouts of America placing the markers and signs on September 1, 1928. Gael Hoag was the Field Secretary for the Lincoln Highway Association and prepared a log book of the placement of these markers. It is a typewritten manuscript of approximately 240 pages in a small accounting type binder. It is currently in the Lincoln Highway Archive located at the University of Michigan Library. It has been researched and reprinted by a friend of mine by the name of Russell Rein. I have a copy of Russell's book that states this about the Blair route. These instructions appear to predate the placement of the markers on Sept. 1, 1928. The exception being Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska. New 1930 instructions direct one over the new Missouri river bridge from Missouri Valley to Blair, Nebraska. The earlier 1928 route through Council Bluffs to Omaha is pencil notated as obsolete.

I know of no original markers in Blair as I have looked at each place where they were supposed to be placed. I do know that several of the porcelain signs were ordered and sent to Reed O'Hanlon in Blair. Several of these signs have recently surfaced and sold on e-bay and some local antique malls. I don't know if any were actually posted on the route. I have two documented routes for the Lincoln Highway through Blair. I tent to trust the one outlined by Gael Hoag of the LHY Association. He has the highway coming up the County Road which is River Road or now Jackson Street. He turned south on 11th street which in now 10th street to turn back west on Nebraska street. He continued on Nebraska street to Walker street which is now 16th street.

A marker at 10th and Jackson would be a welcome addition to the memory of the Lincoln Highway through Blair. I hope that my information is of some help to you for this project.

If you need anything else or additional information I will be most happy to help. I will be entering the hospital on Tuesday the 16th for heart bypass surgery and will be away from my computer for a while. Good luck on your project.

Sincerely, Tom Lutzi

Edwin and Shirley Jipp wrote:

Dear Tom:
Things are suddenly happening here in Blair. At the last meeting of the Blair Historic Preservation Alliance (BHPA) we were informed that the FFA over at the high school had gotten a grant to do some landscaping at the intersection of Jackson and 10th streets.

This is on the route of the old Lincoln Highway through Blair. The teacher in charge of the project, Matt Kreifles was asking one of our members if he could use some of the 40,000 brick we saved during the last street project here in Blair. I don't know if he understood the implication of that request because he may not have known the location or the significance of the Lincoln Highway. We of course wanted some input into this project in the hope that it could be used to commemorate that historic road through Blair.

As to the 40,000 brick, they were given to us by the contractor doing the work on the streets. They are piled on my construction storage lot and we have sorted and palletized about 12,000 at this point. I believe the city has about as many brick over at their yard. They are also palletized so they can be handled quite easily.

Anyway, we need information about the years the highway was in use as the Lincoln Highway and maybe some ideas as to how others have done this.

Thanks,
Ed Jipp

Tom Lutzi wrote:

Dear Ed and friends,

In my haste to send you the information I forgot a couple of things.  There are a couple of examples of the original 1928 cement markers in Fremont. One is in front of the May museum along Nye street and the other one is at the Convention and Visitors center at 6th and Broad street. It would be super to include one of these in your landscape project. Original ones are getting a little pricey but there are reproductions that aren't too bad.

Woodbine Iowa just finished a Lincoln Highway brick street project. I haven't seen it yet but I understand that they did a great job.  I mailed you a copy of a 1915 Road Guide today and I included a picture of a reproduction post in a brochure.

According to Gael Hoag's log book 12 cement posts were sent for use in Blair. Your memory is very good as he located one left turn post on the north side of Jackson street, 200 feet east of 10th street. On the west side of town there was a double post (straight ahead) on the south side in Rhoads Park and a right turn post just east and back of N. C. Nelson mail box. I have all of the exact locations in his log book.

Let me know if you need anything else. My five way bypass heart surgery has been rescheduled for Thursday because of the large number of patients this week.

Cordially, Tom Lutzi

Two springtimes ago there was a flurry of Lincoln Highway activity and gentleman by the name of Tom Lutzi was involved. Below I have pasted two e-mails shedding some light on that activity your/our collective background etc.

Subj: [Fwd: Blair Nebraska Highway Research]
Date: 5/17/2001 9:47:07 PM Central Daylight Time
From: lutziville@alltel.net (Tom Lutzi)
To: tkranda@aol.com

I have finally concluded my field study of the highway route from the Missouri River to Fremont, NE. My two best reference guides were a 1922 Edition of Map of Marked Auto Trails in Nebraska by Standard Oil of Nebraska and Russell S. Rein research guide of Original Log of the Locations of the Markers and Signs of the Lincoln Highway by Gail Hoag Field Secretary of The Lincoln Highway Association dated 1930. It is interesting to note that the George Washington National Highway and the Bee Line also went through Blair, NE. The George Washington and the Lincoln must have coincided for at least three blocks.

There were ferry boats that crossed the Missouri at Blair and Onawa before the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge was built, so it was possible to use this North route before July 26th 1929. The bridge was Dedicated on that day according to the Blair Pilot-Tribune.

Starting at the west end of the bridge the LHY followed a county road to where it turned left to go south to Nebraska street. That would most likely correspond to today's street marking of 10th and Jackson down to 10th and Nebraska. At that corner it turned right on Nebraska and went west to Nebraska and Walker which is the current intersection of 16th and Nebraska. It turned left and continued south to Walker and
Washington which is 16th and Washington today. I did encounter a brick paved intersection on this stretch at 16th and Front street. At 16th and Washington it turned right and went west to 19th and Washington where it turned left and went south. I believe that this three blocks was no doubt shared with the George Washington National Highway. The LHY continued south on 19th passed Rhoads Park on 19th and South street. South of Blair at N.C. Nelsons mail box it turned right to continue up Barry's Hill on to Kennard, Arlington, and coming into Fremont on Military Ave.

I hope to follow up this research with pictures and a possible article for the LHY Forum magazine.
Research by Tom and Judy Lutzi on April 29, 2001

Tkranda@aol.com wrote:
Tom,
The family was at a church dinner that ran a little long. Must have just missed you.
Sounds like you had a good trip to Blair and found the path. I am eager to receive the fruits of your labor and outline of the highway. The State Historical Society calls such things 'linear resources'. In speaking with them they have only fairly recently began looking upon streets as potential 'historical sites' worthy of notation on the National Register of Historic Places. We will be nominating the Lincoln Highway as well
as other streets in Blair as historical sites.
Do you know of a Dan Marriott at the National Trust, in Washington? He is a big road buff. I spoke to him on occasion regarding the Lincoln Highway and brick streets in particular. He seems helpful and knowledgeable. He is the author of a book 'Saving Historic Roads: Design and Policy Guidelines." I  ordered the book but have not received it so can't speak to its contents.
Thanks again for your time, travel, and efforts.
Tom Kranda

Subj: HIGHWAY 30 (Lincoln)
Date: 5/1/2001 3:43:40 PM Central Daylight Time
From: (Ed Jipp)
To: (Tom Kranda)

Dear Tom,

I have just now had time to read carefully the e-mail that piled up while I was gone. I am behind in answering so the following is probably out of date.  My own recollection of the highways in the early thirties before any were paved, is as follows:

I think the Lincoln Highway entered Blair from the east via the cemetery road, turned south on 11th street (10th) and then west on Nebraska Street. At Walker Avenue it turned south again. The route at this
point is somewhat uncertain, but I think it continued on to South Street where it turned west. Continuing on, it turned south at 3rd or what is now 19th. It followed South Creek out to what is now the junction with 133. It then continued up Barry Hill but not in a straight line. There were several curves along the way, the top of the hill is about where it is now.

At the same time, highway 73 came into the town from the south in about the same location as now. But at South Street it turned west and followed South Street up to Walker Avenue where it turned north. At
Washington Street it turned west until it reached West Street (23rd). It turned north there until it came to College Drive where it turned back west again. At what is now 28th Avenue it turned north continuing
out to the present highway 75.

I have an old map of Blair drawn by R.E. Tilden, who was then the City Surveyor. The date is 1942. It shows the highways in their present location, at least approximately. I think the changes took place from
about 1929 to 1934. I can accurately place the paving on 75 (formerly 73) to Ft Calhoun as being done in 1932. 75 north was probably completed a couple of years later but I think 30 south was earlier,
about 1931. Oddly enough the river road to the bridge was left gravel for a long time. I think it was about 1937 when it was finally blacktopped.

The explanation of the street renumbering as provided by Eldora Genseler agrees with the 1942 map which I have.

I would be interested to know what Lutzti’s investigation has turned up. If you are in contact with him, let him know I would like to talk to him about the possibility the Lincoln highway went down South Street
in the early or possibly later 20s.

See you Thursday at the church

Ed