Another piece of the Lincoln Highway has been found, in an unlikely place, reports Sue Jacobson (Illinois Chapter secretary). It began when Marcy Hall purchased a home three miles south of the Lincoln Highway, in the village of Steward. In the garage of this home lay a concrete post that was, to Hall, just a big piece of clutter. She had asked her son, Mike, to break up the concrete and put the pieces in the garbage. Fortunately, that wasn't high on the teenager's list of priorities. Five years later, Hall was preparing to sell the house -- there laid that worthless concrete post, that was too heavy to move and always seemed to be in the way.

Just then, Mike happened upon a good reason to avoid breaking up this chunk of concrete. While lying on the sofa watching television, Mike saw a documentary about the Lincoln Highway. He noticed the Lincoln Highway emblem, identical to the one on their "worthless" concrete post -- his ticket to getting out of the demolition project!

Mrs. Hall had read newspaper reports about the efforts to place signs along the Highway, and the announcement that Franklin Grove would be the National Headquarters of the Lincoln Highway Association. Through the Rochelle Historical Society, she contacted a board member of Farming Heritage, the group restoring the building planned for the National Headquarters.

The post has an arrow pointing straight ahead, which would be an appropriate marker in front of National Headquarters. It is temporarily housed in the Franklin Grove Bank -- both the post and its inlaid "Lincoln head" emblem are in perfect shape. Although we do not (yet) know how the marker got to Steward, being stored in that garage certainly helped preserve it.

On 19 July, 50 Illinois LH Chapter members and guests met at the Frankfort Municipal parking lot, for a bus tour and other Highway festivities. While waiting for the bus tour to begin, attendees enjoyed visiting the Farmers' Market and shops in the vicinity. Our hosts for the day in Frankfort, John and Lenore Weiss, welcomed the group onto the tour bus, donated by the Frankfort Area Historical Society. Dr. Larry McClellan served as tour narrator for a two hour trip which included views of the old Lincoln Highway alongside Route 30 west of Frankfort, where a LHA banner (donated by the Frankfort Historical Society) was dedicated.

Continuing west, the group saw a few remaining roadside motels, and then viewed three cement markers (one at the Lincolnway High School, and two erected on IDOT grounds in New Lenox). The group also enjoyed a walk through the Bird Haven Greenhouse and grounds.

The group returned to Frankfort for an authentic German lunch at Chef Klaus Die Bier Stube. From there, they assembled at the Glen Warning Building, courtesy of the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, where President Barb Winandy called the Chapter meeting to order.

Dorothy Seratt spoke to our group about the Route 66 club in Illinois working to get Route 66 listed on the National Historical Register. The Route 66 club will present their request to the Illinois National Register Commission in Galesburg, on September 18th. Dorothy invited Illinois LH Chapter officers to attend that meeting, to better learn what might be necessary if we decide to seek a similar designation for the Lincoln Highway.

Vice President Jean Babb reported on the Illinois Chapter's plans to host the LH National Conference in 1999. Jean has been designated the coordinator of the conference and asked the group for suggestions for possible sites, and volunteers to serve on various committees.

Art Schwietzer (Indiana) had graciously brought a large display of photos covering the Lincoln Highway, and spoke to the group about the destruction of the Ideal Section in Indiana. He also presented commemorative plaques which he made from materials used in constructing the Ideal Section -- one to the Illinois Chapter, one to our Frankfort hosts, one to the Historical Society, and one (through a raffle) to a family from Indiana, whose property is on the Lincoln Highway.

After our Chapter meeting was adjourned, the group attended ceremonies dedicating the old Plank Road as a bike trail, and visited the Frankfort Area Historical Society. Again, a special thanks to John and Lenore Weiss, Judy Herder, the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, and the Historical Society -- for one of our Chapter's most interesting and successful events!

Ruth Frantz (National director for Illinois) reports on a tour of old Oldsmobiles traveling to the Oldsmobile Club's annual meeting in Lansing, Michigan. This year, Oldsmobile celebrated its 100th anniversary. Greg Childs, a LH charter member from Utah, organized and led the tour. Cars from all over the west joined him in traveling over parts of the Pony Express and Oregon Trails, as well as the Lincoln Highway.

On August 19, Clare and Ruth Frantz rode with Delbert Schafer in his 1950 red Olds convertible as he joined and led 70 cars across Illinois on the Lincoln Highway. In Morrison, many American flags, Lincoln Highway banners and residents waved a welcome from the side of the road as the tour drove through town.

After a lovely drive over back roads (which had been the original Lincoln Highway), the caravan was escorted by the Sterling police, who did a "sterling" job of clearing the way through that city. On the county road to Dixon, the tour passed Everett Kraft waving beside his 1931 Model A. The Dixon police then led the tour past the statue of a young Lincoln on the site of Fort Dixon, where he served in the Blackhawk war. Following a drive by the boyhood home of President Reagan, the Olds caravan drove on to Chaplin Creek Historic Village in Franklin Grove, where the Historical Society served a picnic lunch.

After lunch, the Oldsmobiles passed the H.I. Lincoln building, viewed the four LH markers on the road to Rochelle, then drove through that town with its many banners.

Clare and Ruth had a pleasant surprise, discovering that one of the Oldsmobiles was driven by friends with whom they have visited and traveled in old cars for many years. These old friends live only a block from the Lincoln Highway in Tracy, California. Therefore, Clare and Ruth gave them a bundle of LH brochures to take to the Tracy Historical Society, located on the highway.

Greg Childs subsequently sent Clare and Ruth a note, saying that the tour group felt the welcome they received in Illinois was the highlight of their 2700 mile trip. Many thanks to all for your great showing of Illinois hospitality!

The Utah Chapter newsletter is expanding through the Internet mail service where anyone can receive copies of "The Other Heritage" via e-mail. Anyone with an e-mail address can receive a text copy of the Newsletter. Plans are to include more material of national interest and copies of the local chapter newsletters. If you are getting this newsletter, forward it to someone. If it's forwarded and you would like to be placed on the List, e-mail a request to Rollin.Southwell@pgrimes.com and your name will be added.

Print copies and distribute them at the next chapter meeting. E-mail is a good and inexpensive method of communication between chapters. Past issues of "The Other Heritage" are available on the web at Http://www.xmission.com/~pgrimes/lincoln.htm. Check this web page for the latest information about the 1998 Conference being held in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are links to other chapter's web pages that have local chapter information. There are additional links to pages that have Lincoln Highway material.

The Sixth Annual Conference will be held at the Salt Lake Hilton, Salt Lake City, Utah on June 17-20, 1998. Three main tours covering the Lincoln Highway across the state of Utah are planned. They are the Dugway tour, the Salt Lake Valley tour, and the (EEE) East Echo Evanston tour.

Bob Lichty, Ohio's new state director, is planning a classic auto tour to the Sixth National Conference in Salt Lake City on June 17-20, 1998. The tentative plans are to start in Clinton, Ohio and travel the Lincoln Highway to Salt Lake City. If you are interested in this tour, please e-mail Bob at rrubin@neo.irvn.com. This is a big project and needs support along the way.

Our next LH-Illinois chapter newsletter will include coverage of the Illinois Chapter's Fall meeting in Batavia, and scattered loose ends which didn't fit into this newsletter. Please send your thoughts, news, comments and questions to Land of Lincolnway, c/o Howard Stovall, 2131 North Racine, Chicago, 60614. Please, no requests for advice on fashion, romantic or information technology matters.