The Fifth Annual National Conference and Tours of the Lincoln Highway Association will be held on 25-28 June, in Mansfield, Ohio. "Early bird" activities actually begin on Tuesday, 24 June. On Wednesday, 25 June, presentations and work-shops will be held throughout the day, and the book-room will open with sales of merchandise from the various LHA state chapters. On Thursday, 26 June, a bus tour will head east of Mansfield on the Lincoln Highway, and on Friday, 27 June, a bus tour will head west. On Saturday, 28 June, additional reports and presentations will be made, and the LHA's annual banquet and awards ceremony will cap off the Conference that evening.

It is not too late to make plans to attend this year's Conference! For more information, please contact any LH-Illinois board member; Esther Oyster (419-289-2075); or Mary Lou Taylor (419-589-5277).

Ruth and Clare Frantz plan on leading an LH-Illinois chapter car caravan to the national conference in Mansfield. (As you know, Ruth is Illinois director on the national LHA board.) The caravan will depart from Sugar Grove early Tuesday morning, 24 June, and will travel along as much of the old Highway as time allows. Some of you may wish to meet us along the way. Please contact Ruth to coordinate logistics, and/or for more details -- (630) 466-4382.

LH-Illinois president Barb Winandy has issued a call to all chapter members: What is your passion for the Lincoln Highway? LH-Illinois has offered to host the 1999 National LHA Conference. The chapter must begin coordinating research done on the Highway in Illinois, to develop programs for that Conference. Have you explored the LH and/or its effects in your local area? Has anyone looked at how gas stations developed in our state? What were the politics of the Highway coming through your community?

Your information need not be a "professional" study, but perhaps something simply of interest on the LH that you can share with us. In Barb's view, enthusiasm and ideas are the most important contribution which members make to our association. Even if you have not yet studied any part of the LH in Illinois but would like to do so -- there is still time to start! A conference program committee will soon be formed, and we would love to have speakers from Illinois. Please contact any LH-Illinois board member, or bring your ideas to our July meeting in Frankfort. Barb may be reached at (815) 772-3454, 600 West Lincolnway, Morrison, IL, 61270, or at hillend@clinton.net.

LH-Illinois secretary Sue Jacobson reports that our chapter met for lunch and business on 5 April at the First Presbyterian Church in Morrison. Many of the group walked to the meeting from the Morrison Historical Society's museum, where the docents gave an informative account of the museum. Barb Winandy called the meeting to order, and thanked the ladies of the church for their preparation of a delicious meal, as well as the lovely table decorations (road maps featuring the LH, miniature cars and pretty red geraniums). Sue Jacobson read minutes of the prior meeting in Geneva, and treasurer Carl Jacobson reported on current financials.

Attendees had the opportunity to view a display on the Lincoln Highway which Kyle Fisher, a Sterling junior high school student, prepared for a class project. Dr. Vivian Wright (Indian Valley Vocational School, Sandwich) then up-dated the group on her efforts to publicize the Lincoln Highway through education -- Dr. Wright was the only high school teacher selected to present her teaching program to the National Association of English Teachers' Conference in California, in early April.

After these presentations, the group boarded a tour bus (provided by the Whiteside County Tourism Bureau) for a trip along the Highway east of Morrison. Tour narrators Norm Bruins and Mike Winandy (both of Morrison) gave interesting accounts of the Highway, and pointed out historical sites along the way. The bus returned to First Presbyterian Church, where some participants disembarked. The eager remaining passengers continued their tour west of Morrison to the Iowa border, crossing the Mississippi River on the north (Fulton) bridge and returning to Illinois on the south (Clinton) bridge. Mike and Barb then invited the group to tour their bed and breakfast on the Lincolnway in Morrison, and join them for an afternoon snack of fondue, fruit and cookies.

A special thanks to Barb, Mike, Norm and all the others responsible for planning and executing such a delightful, informative day on the Lincoln Highway!

Lenore and John Weiss are planning the chapter's next meeting -- scheduled for Frankfort on 19 July. Frankfort local merchants are looking forward to greeting LHA members and guests, for a full day of fun, food and activities. Frankfort will also be dedicating its LHA banner that same day. We will include more information in the next Land of Lincolnway newsletter.

Sue Jacobson and Roger Taylor report that, on 19 April, an enthusiastic three score of LHA members, friends and volunteers met at Franklin Grove for the unveiling of the newly-restored facade of the H.I. Lincoln building -- future headquarters of the national LHA. LHA members in attendance included Clare and Ruth Frantz, Carl and Sue Jacobson, and Bruno Bartoszek. Farming Heritage members in attendance, who were in charge of the restoration work, were Duane Paulsen, Ken Wise, Steve Saathoff, Delbert Schafer, Max Baumgardener, Jack Kelley, Ron Colson, John Nickolson and Roger Taylor, who was also moderator for the event.

Roger welcomed the group and introduced Ivan and Maxine Hullah, donors of the lintel above the doorway, bearing the inscription "H.I. Lincoln, 1860". Then Abe Lincoln emerged from the building, lending some authenticity to the event. (Abe was portrayed by Richard Pumprey of Ashton.)

LHA members Lenore and John Weiss (Frankfort) led almost forty Route 66 Road Runner enthusiasts in a vintage car tour to the ceremony. John (board member of the Illinois Route 66 Association) and Frank Lozich (vice-president of that association) urged their members to support the Franklin Grove restoration, by becoming members of the LHA. (Gretchen Staats of the Route 66 Association is also a LHA member.)

Ron Nelson, professional building restorationist and overseer of the project, spoke to the audience; as did Franklin Grove mayor Robert Logan, who emphasized that Franklin Grove was honored by its affiliation with the national LHA. The Farming Heritage group provided refreshments, served by the secretary of the national LHA office, Lynn Asp. To help raise funds for the restoration, building stones were on sale. (Many from the Route 66 group purchased the $20 stones.) Also on sale were memberships in the LHA, and commemorative mugs imprinted with the 1872 Lee County Atlas picture of the H.I. Lincoln building.

Our next LH-Illinois chapter newsletter will include coverage of the Illinois delegation at the National Conference in Mansfield, and our up-coming meeting in Frankfort. Please send your thoughts, news, comments and questions to Land of Lincolnway, c/o Howard Stovall, 2131 North Racine, Chicago, 60614.

LAND OF LINCOLNWAY

2131 North Racine Avenue

Chicago, IL 60614