The historic Lincoln Highway was the first automobile road across the United States and the first national memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, predating Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial dedicated in 1922. The Lincoln Highway is a historic Nebraska road trip.
This transcontinental national road was conceived in 1912 and formally dedicated in 1913. The original road extended 3,389 miles from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, passing through 13 states including Nebraska.
By the mid-20s there were about 250 national auto trails including major routes like Lincoln Highway, Dixie Highway, and the Old Spanish Trail.
On my motorcycle, I scooted across the Lincoln Highway in Nebraska between Gothenburg and North Platte.
There were more than 20 right-angle turns, part of the original Lincoln Highway. The right angles were due to the alignment following existing property lines.
In the section I rode were nine of these turns. We also passed a Pony Express station marker, denoting a former original location in the 1990s by the Pony Express Association. We also made a memorable stop to honor our U.S. Military Vets at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery.
Born in Iowa, this ride brought back many memories for me as I never knew that Highway 30, which passed through my hometown Missouri Valley, was this historic highway. Growing up, we spent many hours on Highway 30 visiting family and friends — and just “going for a ride.” The scenery is all about the country – acres and acres of farms and grazing cattle border the Lincoln Highway, and it truly is a breath of fresh air to be out in the open. This is a much more interesting ride than blasting down Interstate 80!
