The Lincoln Highway Bridge is our First Stop on the America 250 Stops in 250 days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway!
The Lincoln Highway Bridge was built in 1915 by architect Paul N. Kingsley, from a slab bridge design by the Iowa Highway Commission. Instead of balusters, the decorative railing spells out the words “LINCOLN HIGHWAY.” It was paid for by local boosters as a means of advertising the newly designated Lincoln Highway and Tama’s location on the route. This bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March of 1978.
Today, Lincoln Highway bridge supporters are waiting for the Tama City Council to have an inspection done so that grants can be applied for to create a pedestrian bridge. The fate of the bridge lies in the city council’s hands. Here is to hoping that the new year will bring new hope and new action!
See you on the byway!
Stop #2 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is Preston’s Station Historic District in Belle Plaine, IA. Preston’s is getting very close to making new progress on the station–visit their site for more information!!!
What Stop are they on the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Audio Tour & App? https://seeyouonthebyway.stqry.app
See you on the byway! 
Stop # 3 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway in Iowa is the Reed-Niland Corner. This is one of the very last original “one-stops” left on any historic Highway. The Colo Motel and Niland’s Cafe are both still open for business, and the Reed Station is a Museum. The Corner is at the intersection of America and the north-south transcontinental route, the Jefferson Highway, which is also an Iowa Historic Byway!
See you on the byway! And don’t forget the pie!
Stop #4 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is the Mahanay Bell Tower in Jefferson, IA. The Mahanay Bell Tower was built in 1966, 19 years after Floyd Mahanay passed away. Floyd left plans and money to build the tower and even the quote to place on a plaque. The Tower was located on the SW corner of the Courthouse grounds, directly on the Lincoln Highway curb (old Hwy 30 by then). Today, when you take the elevator to the Observation Deck, 120′ above the highway, you can see rooftop murals and, of course, the Lincoln Highway for miles!
See you on the byway! 
Stop #5 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is the lookout at the Harrison County, Iowa Welcome Center. The welcome center is all the things! It is a museum, a gift shop, a welcome center, an interpretive center for the Lincoln Highway and the Loess Hills, a Freedom Rock stop, and a hiking route through the prairie to a lookout! And don’t forget about the Thursday Farmer’s Market in the summer!
See you on the byway!
Stop #6 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is the Moss Markers in Greene County, IA. A unique monument to Abraham Lincoln and twins! We will stop by later to take a look at the interpretive sign, and we will visit the Lincoln Highway Museum, where one of the original busts is!
See you on the byway @ Stop #6!
Stop #7 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is the Lincoln Hotel in Lowden, IA. On the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel now boasts 4 “boutique-style” suites. This Hotel is a special place to stay with plenty of activities within a few hours’ distance. We will be back to visit the Hoover Highway at this intersection later in our tour. Stop #7, Lincoln Hotel Lowden Iowa
See you on the byway!
Stop #8 is in Vail, IA at the Standard Station. Restored by Mark Crampton in 2015, this station was run by two generations of the Roy Abbott family from an estimated 1929 to the 1960s.
See you on the byway! 
Stop #9 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is a personal favorite. There is something about a Marsh Rainbow Bridge. Built in 1919, this bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
See you on the byway!
Stop #10 on America 250 Stops in 250 Days along the Iowa Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is the Youngville Cafe at the intersection of the Lincoln Highway (Hwy 30 at this point) and Hwy 218.
Youngville is a Tudor Revival building constructed in 1931 by Joe Young for his daughter, Lizzie Wheeler. The one-stop roadside business included a cafe, Skelly gas, residential space for the owners, and three cabins, and did business until 1967. The Youngville Highway History Association restored the building in the late 1990s and, run by volunteers, is open on Tuesdays in the summer. And the line for pie gets long!
See you on the byway!
See you on the byway!
