New Plaque Recognizes Coast-to-coast Highway

The Lincoln Highway - the nation's first direct transcontinental highway, running from New York City to San Francisco - was completed in 1913. Its story is now contained on a new plaque installed at Lincoln Park last month.

The Lincoln Highway started at Times Square in New York City and traversed 12 states. It ended at Lincoln Park in the plaza opposite the City's California Palace of the Legion of Honor near 34th Avenue and Clement Street. Parts of Lake Street, California Street and Geary Boulevard were once part of the Lincoln Highway route.

In June 2002, a replica concrete marker was positioned to replace the original 1928 marker placed by San Francisco Boy Scouts. That marker disappeared sometime after 1947 and considerable research hours have been spent attempting to determine its fate, without success.

On Feb. 11, members of the California Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association positioned an interpretive plaque near the replica marker. The new plaque is located adjacent to the bus stop near the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park. It depicts the story of the historic auto trail, which went on to become much of today's Interstate 80.

Early automobile travelers on the Lincoln Highway often experienced a two-month trip if they wanted to make the cross-country journey. Transcontinental speed and endurance runs first became popular with the first successful run in 1903, which took 63 days. In 1906, a four-driver relay team made it in 15 days.

In 1919, a US Army transportation convoy with 81 vehicles (including some civilian vehicles) and carrying 37 officers (including Colonel Dwight Eisenhower) and 258 enlisted men, crossed the United States via the Lincoln Highway in 62 days.

In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act, creating today's interstate highway system.

By 1922, three noted transcontinental highways would terminate in San Francisco. The Lincoln Highway (1913), Midland Trail (1915) and the Victory Highway (1922). The latter two highways terminated at Ocean Boulevard (now known as the Great Highway), at Ocean Beach at the western end of Golden Gate Park.

For more information, go to the Lincoln Highway Association's Web site at www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org.