Four-lane Highway 30 finally connects Ames, Cedar Rapids by Jeff Morrison

Four-lane Highway 30 finally connects Ames, Cedar Rapids by Jeff Morrison

Hwy 30 road construction photo by Jeff Morrison

A vehicle passes a construction crew picking up traffic cones on eastbound U.S. Highway 30 near the Iowa Highway 21 exit north of Belle Plaine, Iowa, Tuesday, October 15, 2024. The segment of U.S. 30 between Iowa 21 and County Road V44 was the last in a nearly 150-mile-long span to open to four lanes. Photo by author.

Now that Thanksgiving, the traditional end to Iowa’s construction season, is here and gone, it’s time to reflect on a big highway milestone that passed with zero fanfare. In fact, its exact date could have gone unknown had the author not been driving to Des Moines at the right moment.

On Oct. 15, the final restrictions were lifted on U.S. Highway 30 in western Benton County. A 142-mile-long segment between Ogden and Lisbon is now an uninterrupted four-lane road. It’s been a long, long time coming — six decades, as a matter of fact.

Let’s switch off the lights and show an educational filmstrip.

The 16-minute movie from the Iowa State Highway Commission in 1960 was a key component in the state’s public relations strategy for a critical section of U.S. 30. From Ogden east to Iowa Highway 330, the rural highway had not been changed since original 18-foot-wide paving in the Lincoln Highway days. A concrete railroad overpass just east of Nevada dated back to 1923. (It would not be replaced until 1973. A narrow underpass a couple hundred yards away remains to this day.) While we now can appreciate the wide array of car makes and colors in the film, the volume of traffic was an important visual aid to pushing for an all-new road that skirted Ogden, Boone, Ames, Nevada, Colo, and State Center. At the time, the proposed relocation was mostly two lanes.

The campaign worked. By the end of 1964, an all-new road existed along the 55-mile corridor except, ironically, for the highest-traveled segment: Lincoln Way through most of Ames. This segment got bogged down in an argument among the Highway Commission, the city, and Iowa State University on whether, and where, to build an exit south of the university. At one point the plan for the U.S. 30 freeway did not include the single most important entry/exit point for Iowa State events. Although by 1966 the kernel of the idea of the Iowa State Center had been planted, Elwood Drive was “presently a gravel road” (Ames Tribune), Hilton Coliseum would not open for another five years, and the football stadium for another four years after that.

Hwy 30 Ogden to Lisbon
Iowa Highway Ends/Between Two Rivers

The Ames bypass would not be finished until nearly a decade after the rest of the new road had opened — fall 1972. Wrapping up the connection on the west end was prolonged after weather delays including the blizzard of April 8-10, 1973.

Through the turn of the century, only about a third of the 100 miles between I-35 and I-380 were upgraded, mostly south and west of Cedar Rapids.

A photograph of a page from a May 1968 plan shows a proposed four-lane U.S. Highway 30 in Benton County

A photograph of a page from a May 1968 plan shows a proposed four-lane U.S. Highway 30 in Benton County that, in the eastern half of the county, would have dipped half a mile south of the existing road. When U.S. 30 was upgraded to four lanes east of the U.S. Highway 218 junction in 1992 and 1999, it followed the existing road instead. To the west, in the segments that opened in 2024, the four-lane is just a few hundred feet south of the original.

The Highway Commission laid out a comprehensive plan in 1968 envisioning a full statewide network of freeways and expressways — and then the 1970s happened. A substantial percentage of the 1968 network would not be built until between 1994 and 2008 — and then the Great Recession happened.

Midway through that latter time span, a projected funding shortfall put U.S. 30 on the back burner. Other long-awaited corridors received priority instead.

If the state’s plan from 1999 had been carried out, the gap from Marshalltown to U.S. 218 would have been closed by 2005 and finished in eastern Linn County shortly thereafter. Instead, it took until 2024.

A very small ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the U.S. Highway 30 Tama-Toledo bypass at the west end of that bypass August 13, 2011, in Toledo, Iowa. The four-lane road is the fourth alignment of the highway here since 1926. Photo by author.

A very small ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the U.S. Highway 30 Tama-Toledo bypass at the west end of that bypass August 13, 2011, in Toledo, Iowa. The four-lane road is the fourth alignment of the highway here since 1926. Photo by author.

It’s been more than 10 years in coming, but the Iowa Department of Transportation has marked the beginning of the Highway 30 Mount Vernon/Lisbon bypass project. … Many project specifics — such as cost and the exact bypass route — won’t be determined for some time. Construction is at least five years away.
— Cedar Rapids Gazette, Aug. 27, 1999

The U.S. 30 bypass of Mount Vernon/Lisbon from west of Wilcox Road in Linn County to Charles Avenue in Cedar County will be open to traffic late Friday afternoon, Nov. 22, weather permitting … .
— Iowa DOT press release, Nov. 18, 2019

The "Bohemian Alps" of Iowa near Tama and Belle Plaine

Tama County’s “Bohemian Alps” before 4-land Hwy 30.  Photo by Prairie Rivers of Iowa

The final section had to cut through Tama County’s Bohemian Alps. These rolling hills are why the Lincoln Highway originally dipped southward to Belle Plaine. It made for a scenic drive whenever you weren’t trailing a semi, but that wasn’t often.

This segment of U.S. 30 has a relative rarity for Iowa travelers: 45 miles and no gas stations (or restrooms). The route had once been peppered with them, including the historic Youngville station, which was at risk of being demolished in the 1990s but has been preserved. Cedar Rapids Gazette columnist Dave Rasdal wrote about the lack of stops in 1994. The gas station at the Luzerne corner (County Road V44) closed a few years after a manager was shot and killed there. Today, for a fill-up visible from the highway, there’s nothing between Toledo and southwest Cedar Rapids. 

Youngville Station Before photo
Youngeville Station after restoration

Youngville Station when the Lincoln Highway/Highway 30 was the main east-west route across Iowa and after restoration and now accessed by exiting the 4-lane Highway 30 at Highway 218 west of Cedar Rapids.

The dream of a full four-lane U.S. 30 across Iowa refuses to die. In the last legislative session, there was a bill that took a non-nuanced approach to make the Iowa Transportation Commission “prioritize” the road and “expand all portions of the highway … until the entire length of the highway is made up of four-lane divided roadways.”

The new U.S. 30 can serve as a relief route for I-80 and provide a smooth ride from Cedar Rapids to Ames or Des Moines. The entire corridor provides drivers with a hassle-free trip…

…until the Iowa DOT puts at least one and maybe up to three roundabouts on the south side of Boone.

My other work can be found on my website, Iowa Highway Ends, and its blog.

–Jeff Morrison

Between Two Rivers

 

Books for the byways

Books for the byways

Hello byway readers!

Books about the byways Lincoln Highway

The theme for the Iowa Byways newsletter last month (be sure to sign up if you haven’t already) was “Books on the Byway.” I definitely did not have room to list all of the books that I found on the topic of The Lincoln Highway! I also realized that I don’t even have a complete “list” for either the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway or the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway.  We were also given the option to list where to buy books on the byways or where to enjoy reading books while on the byways. With approximately 43+ communities on the Lincoln Highway in Iowa, that would be a task for our tiny newsletter and even this tiny blog!

What I will do is tell you about some of the newer books that are on my reading list. I will give you the local bookstores that I found and let you find your own favorite café or park to read in!

Check out our Lincoln Highway Activity Guide, our Lincoln Highway Recreation and Camping Guide, and our Iowa Valley Resources Map for ideas of places to enjoy a byway book.

Lincoln Highway Recreation Guide
Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Map and Resource Guide

The best recently published book about the Lincoln Highway is After Ike: On the Trail of the Century-Old Journey that Changed America.  Author, Michael Owens provides a narrative for the First Transcontinental Convoy of 1919, as he crosses the same route in modern times (2022).  Everyone should grab this book and read it before the documentary comes out in 2025.  I have seen an early viewing of the documentary at the Lincoln Highway Association’s Annual Conference. The documentary does a wonderful job of portraying the historic highway and includes a favorite cast of characters from the Lincoln Highway Association.

The book that I am most excited about reading is Eric Steven Zimmer’s Red Earth Nation: A History of the Meskwaki Settlement (2024).  Located in Tama County, Iowa, the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, is known as the Meskwaki Nation, or the “People of the Red Earth.”  The Meskwaki Nation purchased an 80-acre parcel of land along the Iowa River in 1857. That parcel has grown to more than 8,000 acres. Zimmer spent ten years writing this book  to be certain that he got it right for the Meskwaki Nation.  Through the Iowa Meskwaki Nation’s story, he explores the #Landback movement of Native nations. 

Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy by Francis S. Barry (2024)

Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy by  Francis S. Barry (2024) focuses on a man and his wife who take the ultimate RV trip across America along the Lincoln Highway. Barry uses Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War as a guide to gain insight on Americans today amidst recent political divisions. I am hoping that this book is inspirational to a point that it can propel me through the 560 pages. 

The Worldly Game: The Story of Baseball in the Amana Colonies by Monys A. Hagen edited by Peter Hoehnle

The newest book to be published about the Amana Colonies that I am looking forward to reading is The Worldly Game: The Story of Baseball in the Amana Colonies by Monys A Hagen, edited by Peter Hoehnle, published by Penfield Books (2024). When baseball was first introduced to the Colonies, the elders deemed the sport forbidden (verboten). With little else to do in their free time, the game quickly became the most popular sport of the seven Amana Colonies. Then the automobile was introduced to the colonies and the communities were suddenly introduced to the world.  Baseball’s popularity dwindled. 

The Iowa Baseball Museum of Norway  located north of the Amana Colonies would be a great stop to get the full experience of this book.

The Lincoln Highway in Iowa: A History by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby (2023).

The Lincoln Highway in Iowa: A History is a recent book by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby (2023).  I must admit that I have this book but that I haven’t read it all the way through yet. It has functioned more as a source book for me to find an interesting place or story. Which makes it a great glove compartment book for a trip on the byway.

Brian Butko has written several books on the Lincoln Highway and kept an awesome Lincoln Highway blog from 2007-2022.  I recently purchased his, The Lincoln Highway ~Photos Through Time (2013).  The book I (and every  byway traveler) is looking forward to most by Brian is, Scouting the Lincoln Highway: Adventures on the 1928 Safety Tour in an REO Speed Wagon.  And honestly, I am full of anticipation for his first novel, The Quarry, described as “a haunted historical mystery.” Will a certain historic highway be mentioned?…

 

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles German

Speaking of fiction, there is one little book that has brought much attention to the Lincoln Highway. That is a not-so-little book by Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway (2021). And… there is a movie in the works! Towles is an expert storyteller and although I haven’t read this one yet, I am a huge fan of his style.  His story twists can change the view of what a story is really about. Talking about exposure, I just found out that the book has been printed in Spanish, Swedish, Italian, German, and Chinese.

The Lincoln Highway Amor Towles Chinese
Niland Corner by Paul Berger

Another fiction book that I found with a setting of the Lincoln Highway is, Niland Corner, by Paul Berge (2021).  Berge is an aviation writer and this quick little story is sure to put a smile on your face as the story weaves around the Niland Corner.

is An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway by Cecelia K Otto, 2015

The last book I will talk about here is An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway by Cecelia K Otto (2015). What a concept this book is based on! Cece traveled the Lincoln Highway (all of it) and gave concerts of vaudeville-era music in every state she passed through. The book follows her journey bringing music and history together. Oh yes, and there is a CD of the music you’ll need also!

Here are the locally owned book venues that I was able to find on the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway . Send me the ones that I missed!

Dog-Eared Books in Ames

The Book Shoppe, Inc. in Boone

Swamp Fox Bookstore in uptown Marion

Next Page Books  in Historic New Bohemia in Cedar Rapids

 

Next Page Books New Bohemia Cedar Rapids Iowa
Dog Eared Books Ames Iowa

Along the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway I was able to find:

Amana Heritage Society Museum is the go-to place for books on the history of the Amanas.

Bumble Books in downtown Amana is taking on the environment by specializing in Print-On-Demand books by independent authors, they also sell new and used books.

Fireside Winery, just outside of Marengo, has a novel new Storyteller book club at the winery! They order their books from Dog-Eared Books in Ames!

Storyteller Book Club Fireside Winery
Bumble Books Amana Iowa

Let me know what books you are reading for the byways.

Let me know where you get your books on the byways.

And let me know where your favorite place to read your byway book is.

A little piece of useless information about me:

Drake Hokanson’s 1988 book was a book I picked up back in 1989,

I didn’t know then what propelled me to do so….

 

See you on the byways!

Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway A National Scenic Byway

Add to my book lists below!

Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway: This list includes Iowa specific books but does not include other state specific books that exist. Available at Lincoln Highway Trading Post:  Buy here first to support the Lincoln Highway Association. If they do not have your book check your local bookstore as they can order and ship to you if the book is still in publication. Thrift sites may have a book that is out of publication.

Scouting the Lincoln Highway: Adventures on the 1928 Safety Tour in an REO Speed Wagon by Brian Butko, Not published yet

Red Earth Nation: A History of the Meskwaki Settlement by Eric Steven Zimmer, 2024, 358 pages

Back Roads and Better Angels: A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy by Francis S. Barry, 2024

Lincoln Highway: Discover America’s Forgotten Main Street by Publications International Ltd., 2023; 144 pages

The Lincoln Highway in Iowa: A History by Darcy Dougherty Maulsby, 2023; Iowa

 After Ike: On the Trail of the Century-Old Journey that Changed America, Michael S. Owen, 2022; 224 pages; available at Trading Post 

Greetings from the Lincoln Highway: A Road Trip Celebration of America’s First Coast-to-Coast Highway by Brian Butko (Centennial edition w/revised text and new images 2013, 2019) (3 total editions)

Ford Model T Coast to Coast: A Slow Drive across a Fast Country by Tom Cotter, 2018; 224 pages; available at Trading Post

An American Songline; The Book: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway by Cecelia Otto, 2015; 309 pages; available at Trading Post

Across the Continent by the Lincoln Highway by Effie Price Gladding, 2015; 120 pages

The Lincoln Highway: Photos Through Time, Brian Butko, 2013; 136 pages; available at Trading Post

Lincoln Highway Companion: A Guide to America’s First Coast-To-Coast Road, by Brian Butko, 2009; 193 pages

America’s First Highway by Greg Roza, 2009; ages 9-12; 32 pages

 The Lincoln Highway: Coast to Coast from Times Square to the Golden Gate by Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson, 2007; 304 pages

Lincoln Highway: The Road My Father Traveled by D. Lowell Nissley, 2006; 212 pages

American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age by Pete Davies, 2002; 274 pages

All the Way to Lincoln Way: A Coast to Coast Bicycle Odyssey by Bill Roe, 2000; 192 pages

The Pacesetter: The Untold Story of Carl G. Fisher by Jerry M. Fisher, 1998; 440 pages

Link Across America: A Story of the Historic Lincoln Highway by Mary Elizabeth Anderson and Randall F Ray, 1997; ages 7-13; 52 pages; available at Trading Post

The Lincoln Highway: Iowa by Gregory M. Franzwa, 1995; 187 pages Iowa

The Lincoln Highway: Main Street Across America by Drake Hokanson, 1988; 256 pages

The Lincoln Highway: The Story of a Crusade That Made Transportation History by Lincoln Highway Association, reprint of 1935 edition (reprints: 1995, 2018, 2022); 396-204 pages

The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway, reprint of 1924 edition (5th Edition); 566 pages; available at Trading Post

The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway, reprint of 1916 edition (2nd Edition)- print on demand with a leather cover through Walmart

The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway, reprint of 1915 edition (1st edition of 5 editions); 160 pages

Pan-Pacific International Exposition Miniature View Book by Robert E. Reid, 1915; 66 pages; available at Trading Post

Hints to Transcontinental Tourists Traveling on the Lincoln Highway by FH Trego, reprint of 1914 edition; 12 pages; available at Trading Post

Lincoln Highway: Route Road Conditions and Directions by FH Trego, reprint of 1913 edition; 32 pages; available at Trading Post

Fiction: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, 2021

Fiction: Niland Corner by Paul Berge, 2021 Iowa

Iowa Valley Scenic Byway Iowa Prairie Rivers of Iowa

Iowa Valley Scenic Byway:

Red Earth Nation: A History of the Meskwaki Settlement by Eric Steven Zimmer, 2024

The Worldly Game: The Story of Baseball in the Amana Colonies by Monys A. Hagen, published by Penfield Books, 2024.

A Change and A Parting: My Story of Amana by Barbara Selzer Yambura and Eunice W. Bodine, 2022; 264 pages

A Century of Amana Life: Echoes of Elise by Jeremy H. Berger, 2020; 297 pages

Amana Colonies, Iowa, Images of America, 1932-1945 by Peter Hoehnle, 2016; 130 pages

The Inspirationists, 1714-1932 by Peter Hoehnle, 2015; 374 pages

The Amanas Yesterday by Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret, John Zug, 2013, 48 pages

German Recipes Old World Specialties and Photography from the Amana Colonies by Sue Roemig Goree and Joanne Asala, 2013; 128 pages

The Amana People: The History of a Religious Community by Peter Hoehnle, 2003; 96 pages

Village Voices, Stories from the Amana Colonies by Various Authors published by Free River Press, 1996

Ghost of the Amana Colonies by Lori Erickson, 1988; 172 pages

Amana Colonies by Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret and John Zug, 1985 (2nd Edition)

Amana Today: A History of the Amana Colonies from 1932 to the Present by Lawrence L. Rettig, 1975; 249 pages

Historical Fiction by Melanie Dobson: Legacy of Love Series books 6 & 7: The Society, 2020; 320 pages and The Stranger, 2020; 299 pages

Historical Fiction by Judith McCoy Miller Home to Amana Series and Daughters of Amana Series, 2010-2014

‘Big Boy’ visits Belle Plaine by Jeff Morrison

‘Big Boy’ visits Belle Plaine by Jeff Morrison

The Union Pacific’s No. 4014 “Big Boy” steam locomotive stops in downtown Belle Plaine, Iowa, on Thursday, September 5, 2024. The train’s trip across Iowa closely followed the Lincoln Highway. Photo by author.

BELLE PLAINE — Little boys love Big Boy. Big boys love Big Boy. On Thursday, hundreds of people turned out to see Big Boy.

“Big Boy” is the nickname of the 25 huge trains built in 1941 for the Union Pacific Railroad. The Omaha World-Herald introduced it as a “mastiff among puny terrier locomotives.” There are seven remaining in museums. That number used to be eight, but No. 4014 was pulled out of a California museum and restored in the 2010s. Five years after its initial excursion in 2019, the last Big Boy returned to Iowa as part of an eight-week, 10-state “Heartland of America Tour.”

John Sutherland, 75, of North Liberty was seeing Big Boy for the first time. “Railroading runs in my family’s blood. My grandfather worked for the Pullman-Standard Steel Car Co. and my great-grandfather was the line superintendent for the Michigan Central Railroad.” He’s not much of a train spotter, but the opportunity to see Big Boy was too good to pass up.

Belle Plaine, Iowa

The Iowa-Illinois portion of Big Boy’s 2024 trip followed trackage that was originally part of the Chicago & North Western Railroad and closely parallels U.S. Highway 30 and the Lincoln Highway. Its public stops were in Carroll, Belle Plaine and Grand Mound. Those stops doubled as service periods, since the world’s largest operating steam locomotive requires a high degree of maintenance.

George Kornstead of Iowa City was wearing a Hawkeye Model Railroad Club shirt. He grew up around the rail hub in Duluth and Superior. “Steam is incredible, it really is, to watch how back in the day when people were working on railroad, how hard it was and how intensive it was to keep steam available on the locomotive. Lot of work. The fireman really makes his money.”

Big Boy pulls into Belle Plaine with Lincoln Highway Mural in background

The World-Herald in 1941 said at the first Big Boy’s launch, “A single tender loading of coal would heat a six-room home for three years.” This Big Boy has been converted from using coal to using oil.

Steven Ritchie, 6, wore a “Big Boy” T-shirt. His father, Roger, said Steven has seen a lot of train videos and sings “the Big Boy song.” Andrew Schamberger of Hudson wore a C&NW T-shirt. His sister, Becca Scott of West Branch, loves the old steam engines.

According to the UP’s website, No. 4014 racked up a million miles of travel in its 20 years of original service in Wyoming and Utah. It’s nearly twice as long as a standard diesel locomotive and more than half the length of a Boeing 747 jet. The Big Boys “had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of ‘pilot’ wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive,” the website says.

The Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” glistens during a light rain shower in downtown Belle Plaine, Iowa, on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Engine No. 4014 was built in 1941, decommissioned in 1961, and restored in time for the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad in 2019. Photo by author.

Big Boy’s visit was a way to connect with railroad history. Paul Duffy, 85, is from “Tama, really,” but now lives nearer Belle Plaine. He worked for the C&NW and then with UP after the two railroads merged. He had been stationed at multiple points along the railroad in Iowa through his career. His oldest of five daughters, Laurie Duffy, remembers going to the station in Tama with her children to wave at Paul as his train went by.

As Big Boy finally pulled into Belle Plaine 55 minutes after its scheduled arrival, the only rain in a week’s worth of weather showed up with it. It did not dampen the spirits of those who waited, although busloads of elementary school students were only able to get a short glimpse of the train before leaving.

On the other track, a modern UP train with a long line of double-stacked shipping containers prepared to resume its trip west. Freight trains have been going through Belle Plaine for more than a century and a half, and Thursday was no exception.

After the wheels had been greased up and spectators got their fill of pictures, Big Boy’s engineer pulled the whistle and rang the bell. The 83-year-old engine began to chug its way toward Cedar Rapids for the night.

Roll on, Big Boy, roll on.

My other work can be found on my website, Iowa Highway Ends, and its blog.

I am proud to be part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.

Jeff Morrison

Freedom Rock Tour and a Liberty Rock on the Lincoln Highway and the Iowa Valley Byways

Freedom Rock Tour and a Liberty Rock on the Lincoln Highway and the Iowa Valley Byways

Freedom Rock in Boone along the Lincoln Highway

Hello byway travelers!

I am writing today from the National Lincoln Highway Association’s Annual Conference in Elkhart, Indiana! Since I am here all week I thought that I would share with you the feature that I submitted for the Iowa Byways monthly newsletter. If you would like to learn more about Iowa’s other byways be sure to sign up for the newsletter at: https://iowadot.gov/iowasbyways

It seems fitting that as we get ready to celebrate America’s Independence Day that we should celebrate the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway. The Iowa byway gained National Scenic Byway status in 2021 for the historical significance to our country as the first planned transcontinental highway across the United States.

On July 1, 1913 Carl Fisher’s coast-to-coast rock highway was officially named the Lincoln Highway after the 16th President of the United  States, Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Highway Association was officially incorporated and tasked with promoting the Lincoln Highway to local governments and the public. It was no coincidence that Lincoln, a martyr for freedom, was chosen by Henry Joy (the association’s first president) to represent the roadway. Lincoln was a martyr of freedom and the idea of having an improved road across the country that anyone could use to move about freely was the goal. The road soon became known as the “Main Street Across America” and an avenue to a new life for many. 

The Lincoln Highway has another significant date in July and that is July 7, 1919 when the first of its kind Transcontinental Motor Convoy left Washington DC to meet up with the Lincoln Highway in Gettysburg and traverse the route. There were 81 military vehicles, 37 officers, and 258 enlisted men who began the trip. Not all of them made it the distance. The Convoy traveled through a muddy Iowa from July 22- July 28th. Read more on the Transcontinental Motor Convoy

Many of the 43 communities across Iowa’s Lincoln Highway choose the fourth of July as their community’s annual town celebration. Belle Plaine has held a July 4th celebration for many years and good ol’ George Preston would even pull his two-headed pig in the parade. Mount Vernon’s Lincoln Highway Nitty Gritty has about the best name out there and highlights history through antique displays and shopping in the streets and local businesses. The larger towns of Clinton, Council Bluffs (at the historic General Dodge House), and Ames have annual celebrations as do some of the smaller towns like Logan. But the town that wants to really own the fourth of July is Marshalltown, the location of Iowa’s Veteran’s Home which also happens to be one of the largest Veteran’s Homes in the country. 

All this talk of freedom and veterans brings us to the topic of this month’s newsletter, Iowa’s Freedom Rocks. The first Iowa Freedom Rock was painted in Adair County in 1999. Artist, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II wanted to give veterans unique recognition on Memorial Day.  Eventually Bubba began a Freedom Rock Tour, where his goal was to paint a Freedom Rock in every county honoring the history and veterans who had connections to the county. Bubba has even started a 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. There is now a Freedom Rock in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties, a 100th one in Altoona, and a Liberty Rock in the Lincoln Highway community of Glidden.  Read more about this special rock, Freedom Rocks along the byways and other byway events in the July newsletter!

Safe Travels!

Iowa’s Scenic Byway Coordinators

Greene County Freedom Rock
Carroll County Freedom Rock
Boone County Freedom Rock

The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway traverses through 13 Iowa counties.  Of those 13 counties, five of the communities are home to their counties’ Freedom Rock but there is another rock that is on the Lincoln Highway that is not a Freedom Rock. It is the Glidden Liberty Rock. The Carroll County Freedom Rock was complete when the community of Glidden approached Bubba wanting their own rock. The fact that Glidden has ties to the beginning of WWI and the end of WWII inspired the artist to say yes. The Glidden Liberty Rock portrays Merle Hay, the first Iowan and one of the first three Americans killed in WWI, the “Enola Gay” plane that dropped the bomb to end WWII, injured veteran Ralph Neppel, and a Vietnam Vet Donald Sparks, MIA.

Liberty Rock in Glidden on the Lincoln Highway
Glidden Liberty Rock

The Lincoln Highway Freedom Rock Tour also includes: Clinton County (Clinton), Cedar CountyLinn County (the 99th rock completed), Benton County, Tama County (features Meskwaki Code Talkers), Marshall County (Marshalltown), Story County, Boone County (Boone) , Greene County (Jefferson), Crawford County , Harrison County (Lincoln Highway/Loess Hills Interpretive Center), and Pottawattamie County (Lewis & Clark Trail).

 

Story County Freedom Rock
Story County Freedom Rock
Tama County Freedom Rock
Tama County Freedom Rock from road
Linn County Freedom Rock

Located in the Gateway Park & Preserve in Marengo, the Iowa County Freedom Rock is protected beneath a lighted pavilion.  One side of the rock features Marengo born Marine Sgt. Major Bradley Kasal. Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic action during a firefight in which he was severely injured during Operation Phantom Fury in the Gulf War. Williamsburg native, Eugene Ely, an aviation pioneer who was credited with the first shipboard aircraft take-off and landing is featured beneath the American flag. Army Air Force veteran Dr Burns Byram is also featured on the rock. Byram would fly his restored military plane, “Tangerine” low over the town of Marengo to announce that the doctor had arrived. Other Iowa Valley Scenic Byway counties include the Benton County Freedom Rock which features Army, Navy, and Air Corps heroes and the Tama County Freedom Rock which features the Meskwaki Code Talkers.

Benton County Freedom Rock
Benton County Freedom Rock
Cedar County Freedom Rock
Cedar County Freedom Rock
Clinton County Freedom Rock
Clinton County Freedom Rock
Clinton County Freedom Rock

I hope you have enjoyed this Lincoln Highway and Iowa Valley Freedom Rock Tour. Have a wonderful July and I will see you on the byway!!

Raccoon River Valley Trailhead in Jefferson Honors History and the Lincoln Highway

Raccoon River Valley Trailhead in Jefferson Honors History and the Lincoln Highway

Coming from the east along the Lincoln Highway through the town of Jefferson, there is a location where the car seems to be drawn to a stop and the traveler is compelled to get out and explore. On the north side of the road is a beautiful, landscaped area with plants and sculptures while on the south side there is the restored and welcoming Milwaukee Railroad Depot (along with the county Freedom Rock!). Both sides of the road are part of the Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) trailhead.

north trailhead park

The Railroad Years

The Chicago & North Western Railroad brought the railroad tracks to town in 1866, and by 1906 the Milwaukee and St Paul routes ran through Jefferson as well connecting Des Moines and the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Replacing smaller versions of a depot, the current depot was built from a standard Milwaukee plan between 1906 and 1909. There was once a cast iron horse trough that was attached to the building. Because Jefferson was the county seat of Greene County, the depot here was larger than most with two waiting rooms, indoor plumbing, and an express and baggage room. Greater ornamentation was also given to the structure.Jefferson Milwaukee depot historical photo

Milwaukee depot now 2023 Jefferson2023 Milwaukee depot JeffersonThe Lincoln Highway Cruises In

By 1913, the Lincoln Highway was proposed and its paving across Greene County came soon afterward from local and city funding. The city square was just a few blocks west of the Milwaukee Depot, and in 1918 a grand Classical Revival style building made of limestone was built to replace the brick county courthouse. In that same year, resident E.B. Wilson donated a statue of Abraham Lincoln to honor the Lincoln Highway and the new courthouse. This new ease and popularity of automobile travel became the preferred way to get from place to place. By 1952 the passenger service on the Milwaukee RR was discontinued. By the middle of the 1980s freight service ceased operation as well.

A New Use

It was time for a new use for the old railroad right-of-way. Through a vision of the Iowa Trails Council and the Conservation Boards from Dallas and Guthrie counties, the Raccoon River Valley multi-use Trail (RRVT) was born in 1987, with the first paved trail in 1989. The 12-mile addition from Jefferson to the south was completed in 1997 after Greene County joined the group. Today, the trail is an 89-mile paved surface running from Jefferson to Waukee, with plans to connect to the High Trestle Trail by the end of 2024.

One of the goals of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association was to keep the history alive in the towns along the trail and to give new life to the communities. There are signs noting historical points of significance along the entire route, several restored or remaining train depots, and signs that remain from the railroad days.

The Jefferson Trailhead

The addition of the Milwaukee Depot Trailhead in Jefferson has been significant to telling the story of the Lincoln Highway. Thousands of bicyclists, joggers, walkers, skaters, campers, cross-country skiers, birdwatchers, hunters, fishermen and naturalists from all across the state are drawn to the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  The Lincoln Highway interpretive signs at the trailhead are only the beginning to how Jefferson tells the Lincoln Highway history.

Freedom Rock Greene County

Jefferson and the Lincoln Highway

Adjacent to the Raccoon River Valley Trail is the Greene County Freedom Rock, the 53rd in the state, and completed in 2016.  The Lincoln Highway is one of four subjects painted on the rock. In the Greene County News, October 28, 2016, artist Bubba Sorensen states that the rocks are to thank veterans for their service and to tell the unique stories of each county. The Lincoln Highway scene depicts the 1919 U.S. Army motor transport corps convoy across the Lincoln Highway and then LTC Dwight D. Eisenhower looking toward the convoy.

Approximately one block to the west of the RRVT is the Deep Rock Gas Station.  Built in 1923, the building was in use until the 1990s. The site was given to the city in 2007. Using federal EPA “brownfield” funds, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources removed the station’s seven underground tanks. Using other grants and fund sources the station was restored and rededicated in 2014. An interpretive sign is located at the station to provide more insight on the historic Lincoln Highway.

A few blocks farther to the west is the Greene County Museum and Historical Center housing Lincoln Highway memorabilia. A sidewalk painting of the Lincoln Highway roadway leads from the museum to the Thomas Jefferson Gardens and ends at the town square. An interpretive sign along the sidewalks speaks of the Lincoln Highway.

Mahanay carillion TowerAt the center of the town square is the Greene County Courthouse, the Abraham Lincoln Statue, a 1928 Lincoln Highway Marker, and the Mahanay Memorial Carillion Tower. The tower allows for elevator rides to a 128-foot-high observation deck with views to rooftop art, to the surrounding counties and to… the Lincoln Highway.interpretive signs Lincoln Highway

The Raccoon River Valley Trail is nationally recognized as an exceptional rails-to-trails conversion and was a 2021 inductee into the rail-trail Hall of Fame. It has the longest paved loop trail in the nation and connects 14 Iowa communities with a unique outdoor recreational experience. Visit their website to plan your next railroad biking adventure and to support the communities built along railroad and Lincoln Highway history!Lincoln Highway National Heritage Byway in Iowa