'Lincoln' the road to discovery
You never know what you might find when you take a trip down the Lincoln Highway. Stretching from Times Square to the Golden Gate, its crooked path winds in and out of 20th-century American history and geography, emerging in the heart of cities across the nation, then disappearing again into the brush — sometimes miles from our modern interstates.
Anyone who follows the Lincoln Highway's meandering route will find themselves on the road to discovery.
"The Lincoln Highway is a route for travelers, not for tourists," writes Michael Wallis in his introduction. A traveler, he says, steers clear of the "banal and humdrum," while tourists "flock to the franchise eateries and chain motels because they know what to expect."
In contrast to the expected and predictable, the Lincoln offers a chance to meet America at its roots both past and present, at it stretches more than 3,300 miles through four time zones and 13 states — New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada and California.
Several segments follow historic routes, such as the 1796 Lancaster Turnpike in Pennsylvania; the Chambersburg Turnpike, over which the Army of Northern Virginia traveled to Gettysburg; the Mormon Trail; the Overland Stage Line; the Pony Express; and the Donner Pass crossing of the Sierra Nevada.
Michael Wallis and Michael S. Williamson uncover the Lincoln Highway's divergent route like explorers, revealing ancient treasure. Each chapter introduces the westbound traveler to the 13 states traversed by the highway. Leaving from Times Square, one can almost smell the grilled shish kabobs and car exhaust mixing in the bustling metropolis.
Those who choose to travel down the venerable highway with the authors will see history as it survives along the roadside, and some of those who preserved it for future generations to enjoy. Take for example Dennis and Shirley Andrus who run Orr's Ranch in Skull Valley, Utah. Shirley is the daughter of William and Pearl Orr, who, with other members of the Orr Family, owned the ranch beginning in the late 1800s.
When the Lincoln Highway was established in 1913, Orr's Ranch became a major stopping place for travelers before they ventured across the barren wastes of western Utah. Dennis and Shirley continue to operate the ranch today preserving with the memory of a once well-traveled road.
Such people and places bring new life to the old Lincoln way in a book that will take its time getting you there but is well worth the journey.
If, however, you consider yourself a "tourist," you may not appreciate the nostalgia.
If you go
What: Michael Wallis, author of "The Lincoln Highway," will make two stops in Utah to sign copies of his book. (He is also author of "Route 66.")
Where: Park City Historical Society and The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East
When: Thursday, noon, Park City; Thursday, 6 p.m. in Salt Lake City
How much: free
E-mail: johnc@desnews.com
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