BUCKEYE RAMBLINGS
The Official Newsletter of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League
Number 32                                                                                                                             May 2002

ASHLAND HOSTS 8th ANNUAL O.L.H.L. MEETING

A nice group of 27 kind folks made the journey to "Celebrations By Sallie" in Ashland, Ohio, for the 8th Annual State Meeting of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League. Our special guest was Gerald Payn of West Salem, Ohio, who portrayed Abraham Lincoln and shared biographical information on both the president and his family. After a recital of the Gettysburg Address which closed the morning part of the program, our hosts served a fine lunch featuring a tasty pasta buffet.

Following the meal, State Director Bob Lichty gave updates on the activities of both the Lincoln Highway Association and the Ohio Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, including a preview of the 2003 coast-to-coast antique automobile tour. Mike Buettner then showed slide photographs from his most recent explorations on the Lincoln Highway in Ohio, which was followed by Mike McNaull showing similar images from his collection of Ashland County slides.

An hour-long business meeting concluded the day's events, and featured chapter reports from both the long-established Mid-Ohio Chapter and the recently-formed Eastern Ohio Chapter. Spokespersons for these groups were Mike McNaull and Rosemary Rubin, respectively. Larry Webb reported on activities in Western Ohio which may lead to the formation of a chapter in that part of the state. Copies of both the treasurer's report and secretary's report (minutes of business meeting) are available upon request.

The key item on the business agenda was the ratification of new bylaws for the Ohio Lincoln Highway League. A copy of these new bylaws is enclosed with this newsletter. It was agreed by all that the bylaws, as they now read, are an accurate representation of how the regular business of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League is performed. All four officers from the previous business year will be retained for another term (names are listed below).

Several Lincoln Highway Association members were introduced as first-time attendees of a state meeting. These members included Sandor Gulyas (Marengo), Lee and Mary Jo Wyeth (Minerva), and Charlotte Hellinger (Ontario). Eileen Smith, Vivian Stitzel, and Hanni Talpas were commended for their fine work in crafting table decorations. All in attendance had safe journeys returning home, and many will be pursuing several interesting projects at the chapter level. Watch for reviews in upcoming issues of Buckeye Ramblings.

Buckeye Ramblings is the quarterly newsletter of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League, our state affiliate of the Lincoln Highway Association. Editor of this newsletter and president of the OLHL is Mike Buettner (1618 Chandler Drive/ Lima, Ohio/ 45805). Any changes of address should be forwarded to Mike. Other officers through April 2002 are Mike McNaull, Vice-President; Jim Ross, Secretary; and Mike Lester, Treasurer. State Director for the Lincoln Highway Association is Bob Lichty. For texts of back issues, plus photography and other Ohio information, visit our website at www.lincolnhighwayoh.com.

SECOND OHIO BICENTENNIAL BARN PAINTED ALONG LINCOLN HIGHWAY

The Ohio Bicentennial Commission's award-winning program of painting their logo on one barn in each of Ohio's 88 counties will be drawing to a close this summer, and for the second time, a barn has been painted along one of Ohio's Lincoln Highway routes. The newest barn faces east along the north side of the Lincoln Highway, just east of the U.S. 30 interchange on the east side of Van Wert (6500 Ashland Road). The first barn is along the pre-1928 route that is now part of U.S. 250 in Wayne County (16115 Lincoln Highway six miles west of Wooster) . To learn more about these and other barns, plus other activities relating to the Bicentennial, visit the OBC's impressive and official web site at www.Ohio200.com

UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS

COMING SOON TO THE O.L.H.L WEB SITE:  New images taken across Ohio on the National Road/U.S. 40, plus strip maps of the route in Licking, Muskingum, Guernsey, and Belmont Counties.

COMING SOONER TO THE O.L.H.L WEB SITE:  Images taken across Indiana on the 1924 and 1928 routes of the Lincoln Highway, plus strip maps of both routes. Ohio members are encouraged to plan to be in attendance for the 11th Annual National Conference of the Lincoln Highway Association, to be held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in June 2003.

Thank you to Jim Ross for presenting us with a web site that is second to none. (Webmaster note: It has been a pleasure)

Thank you to LHA/OLHL member Jim Cassler and his employer The Klingstedt Brothers Company, who have donated the return envelopes that were used to mail this newsletter.

LHA MEMBERSHIP ON INCREASE IN SEVERAL STATES

Several states on the Lincoln Highway have shown significant increases in Lincoln Highway Association memberships, including Ohio. Many of the new members in Ohio have come aboard as a result of activities in Eastern Ohio, and as a result of the Ohio Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor. Information in the chart below are correct as of September 1, 2002, membership roster.

QUIZ QUESTION:  Of the 38 states not listed below, which one has the most Lincoln Highway Association memberships? Answer

                                        LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS
                                                                (BY STATE AND YEAR)

'94          '95          '96          '97          '98          '99          '00          '01

New York              9              10           9              15           17           19           19           19

New Jersey           8              10           8              8              14           18           17           16

Pennsylvania        58           72           60           71           76           70           77           78

Ohio                       39           61           85           115         110         103         105         122

Indiana                   28           46           41           45           48           45           48           52

Illinois                   57           76           85           96           106         120         129         165

Iowa                        153         182         159         179         186         172         176         197

Nebraska              28           36           30           29           33           50           57           75

Wyoming              27           43           40           33           41           43           43           40

Utah                        26           21           32           37           53           49           45           67

Nevada                   17           19           25           20           22           23           25           25

California             62           81           81           79           104         99           101         101

ANSWER: Michigan, which was home to the Lincoln Highway Association, has 26 memberships. Colorado, which was on a controversial alternate route early in Lincoln Highway history, has 21 memberships. Maryland (17), Wisconsin (14), and Arizona (12) are the only other states with double digit memberships as of September 1, 2002.  Back