Award-winning Interpretation Along the Lincoln Highway
by Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway Coordinator Jan Gammon
In 2020, in this their inaugural year, the National Scenic Byway Foundation selected one award winner from across the nation in 8 categories: Marketing and Communication, Interpretation, Public-Private Partnership, Innovation, Viewshed Improvement, Visitor Experience, Expanding Knowledge, and Leveraging Resources. The winner of the Interpretation Award was our Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway!
These awards will be given in even-numbered years. Our interpretive signs created in 2018-19 were featured in our award application which included panels in Westside, Tama, Lions Club Tree Park east of Grand Junction, Montour, and Nevada. We were elated to receive the news of this award and looked forward to the Heartland Byway Conference in April 2020 to receive our award. The conference was postponed to October and then canceled altogether. This framed award was shipped to our office in early November and unpacking it was just as exciting as walking across the stage to receive it!
These awards will be given in even-numbered years. Our interpretive signs created in 2018-19 were featured in our award application which included panels in Westside, Tama, Lions Club Tree Park east of Grand Junction, Montour, and Nevada. We were elated to receive the news of this award and looked forward to the Heartland Byway Conference in April 2020 to receive our award. The conference was postponed to October and then canceled altogether. This framed award was shipped to our office in early November and unpacking it was just as exciting as walking across the state to receive it!
We are expanding our interpretive program this year through a $10,000 grant from Union Pacific Community Ties Giving Program and a $3,000 Humanities Iowa Grant, through the National Endowment for the Humanities, and using local cash match. The ten-panel project locations are east of Arcadia at the M and M Divide, Yellow Smoke Park outside Denison, west of Jefferson at the Eureka Bridge, Marshall County Courthouse, Woodbine (brick street), Preston’s in Belle Plaine, and 4 panels in the Lyon’s District of Clinton. We have completed two of these so far and are working on funds and designs for the rest.
This year we also redesigned a 4’ x 8’ panel for the Harrison County Historical Village and Welcome Center north of Missouri Valley. We are considering adding panels in Ames and Vail as well. Our interpretive trail offers visitors to the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway the opportunity to expand their knowledge while utilizing zero touchpoints and social distancing.
