Blog: Byway Buzz

The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Historic Lincoln Highway Bridge Is In Danger!

The Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, IA, once again needs your help to survive. Due to severe deterioration, engineers say it should be replaced if it’s going to continue serving as a truck route. The Tama City Council is holding a public hearing Monday, August 21, at 5:30 pm, at the Tama City Auditorium to hear comments on whether to repair or replace the bridge.

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Significant Black History Along the Lincoln Highway

Significant Black History Along the Lincoln Highway

During Black History Month we pay tribute to a sometimes overlooked, yet highly significant, piece of African American history that took place along the Lincoln Highway in Ames, Iowa.

From the start, Iowa State College founded in 1858 (now Iowa State University) allowed students of color to attend, but without on-campus housing unless they roomed together up until the 1940’s. This “unofficial” policy made student housing nearly impossible due the low number of students of color enrolled during this time. Meanwhile two caring individuals, Archie and Nancy Martin, opened their home in Ames as a place for male students of color to reside and grow while pursuing their education.

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Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway Sign Inventory Completed

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway Sign Inventory Completed

Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway Coordinator Jonathan Sherwood recently had the privilege of seeing every corner of the Byway from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River — crossing every river in between. The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) asked byway coordinators to inventory every byway sign on their respective byways across Iowa. For me, that meant 1100 miles, including both sides of the road, and the loops through downtowns.

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The National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places, or NRHP, is a federal program administered by the US National Parks Service (NPS). It was created in 1966 as part of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) to recognize cultural resources that, whether intentionally or accidentally, had withstood the tests of time and human action. No legal obligations – for owners – are imposed by being listed on the NRHP. For them it is an honorific program.

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