Marker to
honor Lincoln Highway route through Blair
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Pilot-Tribune By Joe Burns Reporter
Stemmerman Park will draw local history buffs as well as
football fans this Friday, Sept. 1. Friday evening, Blair will
host Ralston in its football season opener at nearby Krantz
Field.
Earlier in the afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., the Blair Historic
Preservation Alliance will dedicate a Lincoln Highway marker
commemorating the 1930 route of the Lincoln Highway through
Blair.
Ed Jipp, who has served as the project coordinator, will
unveil the marker, which is located on the traffic island at the
corner of 10th and Jackson Streets, near Blair High School.
The ceremony will end with an antique car run that will begin
at Optimist Park and follow the original B-line highway on
Jackson Street and then turn south at 10th and Jackson where the
marker is located.
While the original Lincoln Highway designation passed through
Omaha, it was re-routed following the construction of the
Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge - better known as the Blair
Bridge - in 1929.
The new marker is a replica of one of the original marker
designs. The project is partially funded by a grant from the
Blair Area Community Foundation. Maps, diagrams and Lincoln
Highway history can be found at www.blairhistory.com.
In addition to the dedication activities, Lincoln Highway memorabilia
will be on display in the front lobby of the Blair Area Chamber
of Commerce office at 1646 Washington Street.
The display will include an original 1928 "barber
pole" Lincoln Highway marker on loan from Ardie Pounds of
Blair. The display at the chamber will be open from 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1. |
