600 West College Ave.

State College, PA 16801

June 2, 2010

Mrs. Jeanette Novakovich

Professor, English 202C

Burrows Room 256

State College, PA 16801

Dear Mrs. Novakovich,

Today I write to you with excitement about an article which I would love to write for the PA Center for the Book regarding the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway was the first road to span the entire United States from New York to California upon its completion in 1913. This highway holds historical significance for the state of Pennsylvania because it included a very scenic route through the state; which many old-time travelers argued was the most beautiful segment of their cross-country road trip. I cordially request your approval to write an article on the Lincoln Highway by briefly telling you about my qualifications and the research I have done on the subject, as well as a brief description of the highway itself.

Qualifications and Research

My research of Lincoln Highway was of particular interest to me because I have a personal interest in transportation. So much so, that I am currently pursuing my bachelors degree in civil engineering with a focus on transportation. As my current classes teach me how modern day engineers design and construct roads, I think it would be interesting to take a step back in time, and analyze how the early engineers designed and built to the first major road across the United States. I have researched the Lincoln Highway quite extensively by taking advantage of Penn State’s amazing online databases and Library. Throughout this research I have accumulated 25 fantastic sources regarding Pennsylvania’s segment of the Lincoln Highway. After reading through online magazine articles, Lincoln Highway traveler’s guides, and several old and rare books contained in a private section of the Penn State Library, I want to share with you my findings and illustrate why the Lincoln Highway was an innovative and prideful part in Pennsylvania’s history.

Technical Description

Source: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003653845

The idea of a road that spanned across the entire United States was conceived by a man named Carl Fisher. He was a successful entrepreneur who had the creativity and financial ability to suggest building such a road, even back when this idea seemed overwhelming. If a person in 1912 wanted to travel completely across the United States, it would have taken them between sixty and ninety days to travel the 3,400 plus mile trip. Carl Fisher wanted to shorten this traveling time and make it simpler. He included this goal among his variety of other innovative transportation goals. (You probably have heard about the popular Indianapolis Speedway, well this was also conceived by Carl Fisher.) This cross-continental highway was completed in 1913 and dedicated to former President Abraham Lincoln, thus the Lincoln Highway. Now a cross country road trip could be comfortably made in only 30 days.

In the 1920’s book, The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway 3rd Edition, supporting author H.C. Ostermann advised many excited Americans about what it would take to make a cross country journey on the Lincoln Highway. Ostermann mentioned that travelers would have to spend no more than $5.00 per day. This price wasn’t just gas; it included oil, and everything you would eat for the day too! The Lincoln Highway snaked its way 292.2 miles though Pennsylvania from Pittsburg to Philadelphia with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour. It passed close by several tourist attractions that travelers may be interested in taking a break from driving to visit. Such attractions include Valley Forge or Gettysburg. Today the highway is more commonly known as Route 30. (Following pictures source: http://roadsidephotos.sabr.org/LH/centpenn03.htm)

Source: www.lincolnhighway.com/2005%20Conference.htm

Before the Lincoln Highway was finished, a cross-continental journey followed mostly dirt paths in the less traveled areas of the country. In fact, according to F.H. Trego in The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway 3rd Edition there used to be seven “trails” which could be taken across the United States. Such a trail, known as the Old Salt Lake Trail, is what became known as the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway also inspired several smaller trails throughout the country to begin improving their road quality. Brian Butko in Pennsylvania Traveler’s Guide: The Lincoln Highway, mentioned that several other Pennsylvanian roads began to form once they saw the popularity and economic benefits of the Lincoln Highway. These roads such as the Yellowstone Trail, the William Penn, the Lakes-to-Sea, the Horseshoe Trail, and the Pikes Peak Ocean-to-Ocean Highway were quickly formed in hopes of reaping similar business as the Lincoln Highway. Instantaneously, the

Source: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

Lincoln Highway was sparking an American road revolution, inspiring the construction of roads across the country, not just in Pennsylvania. Brian Butko further explained about Pennsylvania, “State maps from the early 1920’s show almost 50 named highways”. With support from the State Highway Department, donations, and an American sense of adventure, Pennsylvania’s road system started booming.

Source: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

Conclusion

The Lincoln Highway is a beautiful and important part of Pennsylvania’s history. It represents Pennsylvania’s inclusion in America’s first cross country highway, which was a huge step in mobilizing the country. The highway’s early visionaries display an American vision of dreaming big and accomplishing great things, and the highway’s travelers display a true American spirit of adventure. The Lincoln Highway would be a great article for the PA Center for the Book.

Sincerely,

Craig J. Ricketts, Jr.

PA Lincoln Highway: An Annotated Bibliography

1. Butko, Brian. The Lincoln Highway: Pennsylvania Traveler's Guide 2nd Edition. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2002. Print.

Quality is great for this book! It will definitely be a useful source for writing about the Lincoln Highway.

This book describes some of the history of the Lincoln Highway, and its content is exclusive to Pennsylvania. It also has information about sights along the highway that travelers may have been interested in back in the early 1900’s all the way to present day.

This book is very relevant because it talks specifically about the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania. It will be very useful because of its abundant historical content.

2. Butko, Brian. Lincoln Highway Companion: A Guide to Americas First Coast-to-Coast Road. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2009. Print.

Quality is pretty good for this book. It should provide some useful information. This book talks about the Lincoln Highway across the entire United States, but it has a

section dedicated to Pennsylvania. This section lists the attractions found along the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania and talks a little about the highway’s history in Pennsylvania.

Relevant because it talks about attractions of the Lincoln Highway and has many full color maps and photographs displaying historical content. This source will be most useful for discussing attractions found along the Lincoln highway, present day.

3. Butko, Brian. The Lincoln Highway: Pennsylvania Traveler's Guide 1st Edition. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 1996. Print.

Quality is great for this book! It will be a great source for writing about the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania.

This book includes postcards, memorabilia, and old photos of Lincoln Highway. It also describes the history of the Lincoln Highway, and its content is exclusive to Pennsylvania. It also has information about sights along the highway that travelers may have been interested in back in the early 1900’s all the way to present day.

Relevant because of the valuable historical information and photographs which are specifically related to Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania. It will be very useful because of its abundant historical content.

4. Lincoln Highway Special Resource Study Environmental Assessment. United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. 2004. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps54621/lihisrsea.pdf> or

<http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS54621>.

Quality is good for this source. This online source talks about the history of the Lincoln highway, about its National

significance, and about the environmental assessment of the highway on the land. Relevant because compiles an abundance of information of the Lincoln highway in

general, but including a section on Pennsylvania. The highway’s historical significance and environmental sections will be useful for my essay.

5. Young. Lincoln Highway Study Act of 1999 [microform] : report (to accompany H.R. 2570) (including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office) United States. Congress. House. Committee on Resources. U.S. G.P.O. 2000. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS7384>.

Quality is decent for this source. This source talks about preservation options for the Lincoln Highway and provides a very

brief historical analysis. Relevant because it provides evidence that the Lincoln Highway is a valued and historical

national highway and efforts are being made to preserve it.

6. Bruce, Robert. The Lincoln highway in Pennsylvania. American Automobile Association, 1920. Print. (((Waiting on Pattee Library for pickup)))

Quality is average for this source.

This book talks about traversing the Lincoln Highway from a driver’s perspective and the hardships that are faced.

Relevant because the quality of the highway was improved throughout the years as people identified the road as a valuable thing to have and fund for improvement.

7. The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway 3rd Edition. Michigan: Lincoln Highway Association, 1920. Print.

Quality is good for this source. This book talks about how the Lincoln Highway has made cross-country travel so much

quicker, safer, and easier. It also mentions some old tourist attractions and sights that existed back in the early 1920’s.

Relevant because this is such an old and rare book source. It is interesting because it shows the excitement of people and captures the enthusiasm of Americans as the nation became more mobile.

8. The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway 4thEdition. Michigan: Lincoln Highway Association, 1921. Print.

Quality is good for this source. This book talks about how the Lincoln Highway has made cross-country travel so much

quicker, safer, and easier. It also mentions some old tourist attractions and sights that existed back in the early 1920’s.

Relevant because this is such an old and rare book source. It is interesting because it shows the excitement of people and captures the enthusiasm of Americans as the nation became more mobile.

9. The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway 5th Edition. Michigan: Lincoln Highway Association, 1924. Print.

Quality is good for this source. This book talks about how the Lincoln Highway has made cross-country travel so much

quicker, safer, and easier. It also mentions some old tourist attractions and sights that existed back in the early 1920’s.

Relevant because this is such an old and rare book source. It is interesting because it shows the excitement of people and captures the enthusiasm of Americans as the nation became more mobile.

10. Dodd, Mead & company. The Lincoln highway: the story of a crusade that made transportation history. Lincoln Highway Association. Vail-Ballou Press, Inc. New York, 1935. Print.

Quality is great for this source! This old, historical book printed in 1935 talks about the national enthusiasm over the

Lincoln Highway, how the road was organized, how and why the highway was built, as well as developments and improvements made to the highway.

Relevant because all of this information will be very useful in writing my article so that readers will be interested.

11. Wallis, Michael. The Lincoln Highway : coast to coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate. W.W. Norton & Company. Print.

Quality is average for this source. (((Waiting on Pattee Library for pickup))) This book talks about roadside attractions along the Lincoln Highway and has rare and

interesting photographs of the highway’s history. Relevant because readers may be interested in the roadside attractions and historical

content of the Lincoln Highway.

12. Butko, Brian. Greetings from the Lincoln Highway : America's first coast-to-coast road. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2005. Print.

Quality is average for this source. (((Waiting on Pattee Library for pickup))) This book talks about Carl Fisher and his vision of creating America’s first highway

across the United States. Relevant because Carl Fisher will undoubtedly be a topic I will want to discuss in my

article.

13. Hokanson, Drake. The Lincoln Highway: main street across America. Iowa: University of Iowa Press, 1999. e-book. <http://www.netlibrary.com/Reader/>. (*copy and paste title in website to view eBook)

Quality is good for this source. This book talks about the quality of the early Lincoln Highway and the solutions to

paving a highway around the American geography. Relevant because the geography plays a large role in highway construction and I think

this is a subject I would like to include when developing my article because it shows the hardships involved in building such a road.

14. Kutz, Kevin, Brian Butko, and Mary Thomas. Kevin Kutz's Lincoln highway. Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books, 2006. Print.

Quality is great for this picture source. This book is a compilation of Kevin Kutz’s paintings and drawings of the Lincoln

Highway. Relevant because Kevin Kutz’s paintings and drawings provide interesting images that

could be used in my article.

15. The Lincoln Highway Association. Celebrating the First Road across America. 2010. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/>.

Quality is good for this source. This website talks about particular highlights of the Lincoln Highway and includes state

maps and street maps as well as artist and photographer photographs. Relevant because the maps and photographs could be used in my article.

16. Lincoln Highway Home Page. 1998. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://lincolnhighway.jameslin.name/by_state/pa.html>.

Quality is average for this source. This website gives maps of the 1924 Lincoln Highway across Pennsylvania. Relevant because it contains detailed map images of the Lincoln Highway through

Pennsylvania.

17. The Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.lhhc.org/>. Quality is average for this source. This website advertises bus trips along the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania as a tour

from Schellsburg to Gettysburg. It also has information about the Highway including current tour pamphlets and gift shop items.

Relevant because the readers may be interested in tours so they can see the Lincoln Highway as it is today.

18. Funk, Richard. Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway. California: Arcadia Publishing, 2006. e-book. <http://books.google.com/books?id=Q_3h0VTVcsIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Along+Pennsylvania's+Lincoln+Highway&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Quality is good for this source. This e-book talks about the primitive conditions of the road surface and the roads design,

which was never designed as a whole.

Relevant because discussing the poor conditions of the road initially can show how the road has improved throughout the years and how road design has been improved to incorporate the entire project.

19. Faris, John. Seeing Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania: J. B. Lippincott Company at the Washington Square Press, 1919. e-book. <http://books.google.com/books?id=PlYMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA22&dq=Along+Pennsylvania's+Lincoln+Highway&cd=2#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Quality is average for this source. This book talks briefly about the Lincoln Highway’s beautiful scenery and road quality. Relevant because it identifies areas of particular interest for people who enjoyed scenic

views in Pennsylvania along the highway.

20. Mandak, Joe. “Pa. unveils roadside museum for nation's first transcontinental highway.” The Associated Press. 6 August 2004. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 20 May 2010.

Quality is good for this online source. This source talks about all sorts of historical markers and exhibits dedicated to the

Lincoln Highway. Subjects discussed include the first woman to make a cross-country car trip and Carl Fisher’s bicycle selling career before becoming the visionary of the Lincoln Highway.

Relevant because it can provide readers information about where they can find Lincoln Highway displays.

21. Carl G. Fisher. Library of Congress. 1909. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003653845/?sid=0bb4529381782bd6e0e528e343a65522>.

Quality is great for this photograph. This is a photograph of Carl G. Fisher. Relevant because he was the primary visionary of the Lincoln Highway.

22. McCarthy, Joe. “The Lincoln Highway.” American Heritage Magazine. Volume 25, Issue 4. June. 1974. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1974/4/1974_4_32.shtml>.

Quality is good for this online magazine source. This source talks about Carl Fisher who was the primary visionary of the Lincoln

Highway. Fisher wanted to dedicate the Highway to Abraham Lincoln. It also talks about problems that arose during the highway’s construction.

Relevant because Carl Fisher’s name is very closely associated with the Lincoln Highway. The information given about him will be useful for explaining how the Lincoln Highway was originally conceived.

23. The Lincoln Highway Tuscarora Summit to Rays Hill. Lincoln Highway Home Page. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://roadsidephotos.sabr.org/LH/centpenn03.htm>.

Quality is good for this online photo resource. This website has several historical photographs of the Lincoln Highway. Relevant because the historical photographs may fit into my article for visual support.

24. The Library of Congress American Memory. Lincoln Highway. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query>.

Quality is good for this online photo resource. This website has tons of historical photographs of the Lincoln Highway. Relevant because the historical photographs may fit into my article for visual support.

25. Chan, Sewell. “A Lincoln Highway Marker in Times Square.” The New York Times, 12 February 2009. Web. 20 May 2010. <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/a-lincoln-highway-marker-in-times-square/>.

Quality is average for this online newspaper source. This source talks about the highway as a memorial to Lincoln and how even on the 200th

anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday, the Lincoln Highway is still honoring his name with a marker in Times Square, New York.

Relevant because the Lincoln Highway is still being recognized today as a significant part of our nation’s history.