Program

Dedication Ceremony of the 
Lincoln Highway Marker Commemorating
the 1930 Route of the Lincoln Highway

Friday, September 1, 2006    4:30 p.m.
Stemmerman Park  10th & Jackson Streets

Welcome ..............................................  Mr. Mark Gutschow
                                                                Master of Ceremonies

• Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen  (Mark Gutschow)

  • Dedication Ceremony of the Lincoln Highway Marker Commemorating the 1930 Route of the Lincoln Highway

  • My name is Mark Gutschow, Assistant Principal at Otte Middle School

  • special tie to Blair and the Lincoln Highway

    • Gutschow Store at 16th and Washington  (Old Walker Ave.)

      • Before the Blue Goose Store, the Eagles Club and Fernando's

• Lincoln Highway through Blair has an interesting (and checkered) past.

  • As far back as 1857 when the first Railroad tracks were laid in Iowa up to the Missouri River, people were crossing the river here at Blair.

  • Blair was platted in 1869 and in 1886 the Railroad Bridge was built.

  • Through these early years, the steam ferry carried wagons, carriages, automobiles across the Missouri

  • The link between Missouri Valley, Iowa and Fremont, Nebraska via Blair became known as the B-Line.

  • When the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Bridge was construction in 1929, the route became an efficient and popular car route.

  • Soon after in 1930, the Lincoln Highway Association (even after the organization formally disbanded) the association officially designated the B-Line route as "The Lincoln Highway."

  • As the favorite coffee shop story relays, "The Lincoln Highway Markers were moved from the Omaha/Elkhorn route to the Blair cut-off in the middle of the night."

  • One such marker stood very close to this spot we mark today.

• Even though the Lincoln Highway was no-more in 1930, people around the country still thought of Highway 30 through Blair as part of the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway.

• We continue to recognizes the original Lincoln Highway from  Missouri Valley, south to Council Bluffs, through Omaha and Elkhorn and out to Fremont.

• But today, we celebrate a bit of change, when that route came down THIS road, turned at THIS corner and on through THIS city.

  • The route headed west down Nebraska Street, turning south on Old Walker Ave. (today 16th Street), down the main businesses district on Washington Street and turned south on to 19th Street on it's way to Fremont.

  • Today, we mark this spot --- we mark this spot with a monument that is somewhat reminiscent to the Lincoln Highway Markers that once stood here in Blair.

  • The monument was designed and constructed by long time Blair resident and business man, Edwin T. Jipp.

  • The marker is a 3-foot obelisk cast of concrete. Set into opposing sides are two bronze reproduction medallions with the image of President Abraham Lincoln.

  • On the rear of the marker is a small plaque stating that "This marks the 1930 route of the Lincoln Highway  -- erected by the Blair History Preservation Alliance."

• At this time, I would like to introduce the President of the Blair Historic Preservation Alliance, Mr. Tom Kranda, who will present the marker.

Presentation of Marker  (Tom Kranda)

• The Blair History Preservation Alliance is pleased to present this Marker to the Citizens of Blair to mark a chapter in the history of this city.

• Through a grant from the Blair Area Community Foundation and other monies generated though sponsorship in the annual historic picture calendars, the Alliance has sponsored this monument to be places here.

  • Introduce Foundation members  (Mary Jean Rahlfs, Secretary and Grant Committee Chairperson & Bob Coffey, President)

• This date, September 1 is an appropriate date to dedicate this marker.  It was September 1, 1928 when Boy Scouts through the country, placed 3400 concrete Markers along the Original Lincoln Highway "as a Living and Perpetual Memorial to the Great Abraham Lincoln."

• Today, we are pleased that the Boy Scout Troup # 232 is here to help us unveil the monument.

• We also recognize the 2005 Horticulture class and agriculture teacher Matt Kreifels, for planning, designing and installing the landscape of this spot.  (using brick removed from the streets of Blair.)

• Most of all we thank one of the leaders in Historic Preservation in this community for making this monument happen.  This monument was conceived and constructed by Ed Jipp, a past president of the Blair Historic Preservation Alliance.

• Ed, on behalf of the Alliance, we thank you for your drive and efforts.

Introduce the Mayor (Mark Gutschow)

• Introduce the Mayor  -- Jim Realph

The Mayor Reads a Proclamation to Dedicate the Monument.

Unveil  (Mark Gutschow)

• We now ask that Mr. Jipp and the members of Boy Scout Troup #232, to cross the street and unveil the marker.

• The UNVEILING

Conclude  (Mark Gutschow)

• This concludes our program.

• Thank you for joining us this afternoon.

Procession of Vintage Automobiles

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