BUCKEYE RAMBLINGS
The Official Newsletter of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League
Number 49                                                                                                                            May, 2006


EASTERN OHIO CHAPTER HOSTS ENJOYABLE STATE MEETING

Fourteen floors above the Lincoln Highway in downtown Canton, thirty-three members and guests attended the 12th Annual State Meeting of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League. Our hosts were the members of the Eastern Ohio Chapter of the OLHL, who made arrangements for us to meet at the historic Canton Club, which occupies one of the top floors of the old First National Bank Building (now Chase Bank). Although attendance was disappointingly down from last year’s meeting, all those who came were treated to a wonderful view of the city, an excellent lunch, and a completely enjoyable day.

OLHL President Mike Buettner conducted a business meeting that lasted about eighty minutes, and praised the group for once again giving him the chance to preside over an efficient meeting. This allowed for more time to do the fun things like games and sightseeing. As per tradition, the Mid-Ohio Chapter and Eastern Ohio Chapter both gave reports of their many activities during the past business year, and State Director Marie Malernee also gave a report highlighting national matters. Mike Hocker and Jim Cassler gave updates on the recent activities of the Ohio Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, and both challenged the group to think of creative ideas to draw in new members to the OLHL, especially during the Buy-Way Yard Sale event in August. The four OLHL officers were all elected to another year of service (the officers are listed on sheet two). The complete minutes for the meeting can be downloaded here.

One of the fun highlights of the day was the inaugural Lincoln Highway Jeopardy game, with Jim Cassler serving as master of ceremonies. Assisting Jim in various roles were Jeff Lotze (scorekeeper), Brian Cassler (electronics), and Ken Flanagan (Vanna White impersonator). Three teams of three members each took turns at providing questions for thirty interesting answers before the Mid-Ohio Chapter finally claimed a hard-fought victory after Final Jeopardy. The team representing the Eastern Ohio Chapter and a team which included OLHL members from the western hinterlands (Allen County and Michigan) both lost all their points on the final answer. The winning Mid-Ohio Chapter team included Mike Hocker, Michael Lester, and Tom Lockard, with each receiving a generous gift.

After events concluded at the Canton Club, the group then had the option of visiting one of three local attractions. All three attractions were within shouting distance of the meeting site, and the pleasant spring weather allowed for an enjoyable walk in the heart of the city. Most of the group chose to visit the First Ladies National Historic Site, but fans of antique automobiles also had the opportunity to visit the Canton Classic Car Museum and Bob Lichty’s Motorcar Portfolio.


WELCOME TO NEW O.L.H.L. MEMBERS

As of September 2005, there were 143 LHA members with Ohio addresses, keeping us in second place on the national roster of states. We are just ahead of Illinois, which had 141 members, but well behind Iowa, which had 184. Unfortunately, more than several members have dropped their memberships since that time, with only a few new members signing on. It is time to kick our recruiting mode into a higher gear.


UPCOMING EVENTS
MID-OHIO CHAPTER:
June 29, 2006—6:30 p.m. meeting at “The Walnut;” 111 N. Walnut Street, Mansfield; order from menu
July 20, 2006—6:30 p.m. meeting at Lowe-Volk Nature Center; State Route 598, just south of Leesville;
meat will be provided; bring covered dish, table service, and drink
For information regarding chapter activities, contact Chapter President Mike McNaull at mmcnaull@hotmail.com or newsletter editor Beverly Looker.

EASTERN OHIO CHAPTER:
July 16, 2006—Road Rally; location to be announced
For information regarding chapter activities, contact Chapter President Jeff Lotze at 330-875-2989

LINCOLN HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION:
June 14-17, 2006CLincoln Highway Association National Conference at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa;
Note: Because Iowa can be reached in a one day drive from Ohio, there will be no group travel itinerary as there was to Nevada in 2005

OHIO LINCOLN HIGHWAY HERITAGE CORRIDOR:
August 10-12, 2006—Second Annual Buy-Way Yard Sale, in Ohio and Indiana


CORRECTION
After several pages of the issue had already been printed, the editor discovered an error on sheet four. At item nine in the list of original brick pillar locations in Ohio, the construction date of the replica pillar in Oceola should read July 2001, not July 2000.


Thank you to LHA/OLHL member Jim Cassler and The Klingstedt Brothers Company, who have donated the return envelopes that were used to mail this newsletter. Congratulations remain in order for Jim and his associates for continuing their fine work with the Lincoln Highway Trading Post, which in 2006 has begun its fifth year as the official supplier of Lincoln Highway Merchandise. Members are encouraged to visit the web site at www.LHTP.com for a look at the impressive inventory of items, which now includes a center-wire binder for your collection of Lincoln Highway Forum.


Buckeye Ramblings is the newsletter of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League, our state affiliate of the Lincoln Highway Association, and is published four times per year. 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, either by mail or by calling his office at 419-227-1135. Other officers re-elected along with the president through April 2007 are Mike McNaull (Ashland), Vice-President; Tammy Buettner (Lima), Secretary; and Michael Lester (Bucyrus), Treasurer. State Director for the Lincoln Highway Association is Marie Malernee (Canton). President of the Lincoln Highway Association is Bob Lichty (Canton)—the second Ohioan to hold that office. Esther Queneau (formerly of Ashland) was the first Ohioan to serve as national president. For texts of back issues, plus photography and other Ohio information, visit the web site created by Jim Ross (North Canton) at www.lincolnhighwayoh.com.

Costs for printing and mailing this newsletter are covered entirely by LHA membership dues. Please renew your membership in the national association so that we can continue to publish news from Ohio on a regular basis.


NEW RESEARCH REVEALS OLD BRICK PILLAR LOCATION AT WILLIAMSTOWN

Surveys and engineering designs have commenced for a new two-lane railroad bridge at Williamstown on the alignment of existing U.S. Route 30. This new bridge will replace an existing four-lane structure that was completed in the late 1950s on a bypass alignment of Williamstown. The existing bridge appears in the background of a photograph by Drake Hokanson in his classic 1988 book The Lincoln Highway: Main Street Across America. Drake’s picture is taken from a 1928 railroad overpass on the traditional alignment which itself was demolished soon after the photograph was taken.

Ironically, the firm for which OLHL President Mike Buettner is employed (Kohli and Kaliher Associates, Inc.) will be working on the bridge replacement project in conjunction with ODOT and the Hancock County Engineer’s Office. By Mike’s count, this will be the thirteenth Lincoln Highway and/or U.S. 30 bridge project in which his firm has participated.

Replacement of the fifty year old structure will take place immediately after a relocated version of U.S. 30 is opened between Ada and Upper Sandusky—probably in late 2007 or early 2008. The new version of U.S. 30 will be the last section of divided four-lane highway to be completed between Fort Wayne and East Canton. Once the new bridge is opened at Williamstown (probably a year or so after the freeway is opened), the state will then turn the maintenance of the bypass alignment over to the county.

While doing research for the project, Mike finally found graphic evidence of a Lincoln Highway brick pillar that had been reported at the northwest corner of the offset intersection in downtown Williamstown. The monument had been fondly remembered by several members of the Eagle Creek Historical Organization (presently an LHA/OLHL member), but no one had any photographic or paper evidence to go along with it. The pillar location appears in two sets of survey records—first for the improvement of U.S. 68 in the late 1940s, and then for the construction of the Williamstown Bypass in the late 1950s. It seems likely that the pillar was removed at the time of this later construction.

With this information, there are now eighteen original brick pillar locations in Ohio that have been confirmed by either photographs or highway department surveys or both. At least three other possible pillar locations are still lacking this hard evidence. Two of these three pillars would complete a string of eight pillars west of Bucyrus that were apparently set as mileposts, based on the diligent research of Esther Oyster Queneau. Only the second and fourth mileposts west of the zero milepost at Bucyrus are missing from the list of original brick pillars on sheet four.

The third brick pillar for which a paper confirmation is lacking would be at the corner of Wyandot Street and Warpole Street in Upper Sandusky. This pillar has been reported by local historian Ray Gottfried, who was able to confirm another pillar location in Upper Sandusky (near Wyandot Street and Eighth Street intersection) by way of a photograph in his collection.

Unfortunately, Ray was never able to find a similar photograph at the Warpole Street intersection before he retired to Florida. It is significant to note that when the Boy Scouts of America “simultaneously” placed concrete posts along the Lincoln Highway on September 1, 1928, no posts were set to denote turns at this intersection, leading this writer to believe that a substantial highway marker of some sort—such as a brick pillar—may already have been in place.

The four surviving original brick pillars in Ohio (numbers 1, 2, 4, and 8 in list below)

Click to enlarge

McMahon Pillar at Crestline

 

Bement Pillar at Crestline

 

Songer Pillar at Stewart Cemetery One mile east of Oceola

ORIGINAL BRICK PILLAR LOCATIONS IN OHIO

1. (J. F.) McMahon Pillar at Crestline, at southeast corner of Clink Boulevard; dedicated in 1922 as gateway to subdivision; McMahon was the first Lincoln Highway consul for Crestline; pillar is still standing
2. (Austin F.) Bement Pillar at Crestline, at southwest corner of Clink Boulevard; dedicated in 1922 as gateway to subdivision; Bement was vice-president and secretary of the Lincoln Highway Association; pillar is still standing
3. (Frank A.) Seiberling Pillar at Holmes Curve, one mile east of Bucyrus on State Route 19; location verified by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection; dedicated in 1918; Seiberling was the president of the Lincoln Highway Association at this time; fate of pillar is unknown
4. (Ed J.) Songer Pillar at Stewart Cemetery, on south side of road just east of today’s Bucyrus Bypass; dedicated in 1918; moved to here circa 1920 from its original location on State Route 19, at east city limits of Bucyrus (near Whetstone Street); Songer was mayor of Crestline and a county consul; pillar is still standing
5. (John E.) Hopley Pillar, at west city limits of Bucyrus (near Mary Street); dedicated in 1917, but demolished by wayward auto in 1922; location verified both by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection and by local newspaper article; Hopley was Ohio state consul for the Lincoln Highway Association; original concrete base discovered by Esther Oyster (now Queneau) in 1990s; “zero milepost” with respect to the five pillars immediately below
6. (Henry C.) Osterman Pillar, at one mile west of Hopley Pillar; dedicated in 1917, but almost immediately destroyed by unhappy landowner; location verified both by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection and by local newspaper articles; Ostermann was national field secretary of LHA
7. Brick pillar, at three miles west of Hopley Pillar; location verified by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection; fate of pillar is unknown
8. Brick pillar, at five miles west of Hopley Pillar (or one mile east of Oceola); dedicated in 1921 when last stretch of brick pavement was opened in western Crawford County; pillar is still standing
9. Brick pillar, at six miles west of Hopley Pillar (at northeast corner of main crossroads in Oceola); demolished by wayward van in 1993; plaque was salvaged by Delphos collector and later used as model for similar plaques in today’s replica pillars; the replica pillar now in Oceola was built in July 2001 by members of the Mid-Ohio Chapter, on a new base farther from the intersection
10. Brick pillar, at seven miles west of Hopley Pillar (at southeast corner of crossroads at the county line); location verified by survey records from highway department (was Ohio Department of Highways, now Ohio Department of Transportation); probably lost when highway was widened after 1948
11. Brick pillar, at southeast corner of crossroads at State Route 231 (north of Nevada); location verified by survey records from highway department; probably lost when highway was widened after 1948
12. Brick pillar, at northwest corner of crossroads at County Road 128 (three miles west of above); location verified by survey records from highway department; probably lost when highway was widened after 1948
13. Brick pillar, about four miles east of Upper Sandusky, at east side of driveway to Kuenzli farmhouse (house #4586); location verified both by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection and by survey records from highway department; probably lost when highway was widened after 1948; paired with a pillar at west side of same driveway, thus:
14. Brick pillar, at west side of driveway to Kuenzli farmhouse; same notes apply as per above
15. Brick pillar, about 2.5 miles east of Upper Sandusky, at north side of road; locations verified both by photograph in University of Michigan’s Lincoln Highway collection and by survey records from highway department; dedicated in 1925 upon completion of brick paving between Bucyrus and Upper Sandusky; probably lost when highway was widened after 1948
16. Brick pillar, near southwest corner of Wyandot Street and Eighth Street in Upper Sandusky; verified by photograph from collection of local historian Ray Gottfried; fate of pillar is unknown
17. Brick pillar, at northwest corner of original main crossroads at Williamstown; locations verified by survey records from highway department; probably lost when highway was improved
18. Brick pillar, at cemetery at east edge of Beaverdam; location verified by photograph in collection of Allen County Historical Society; original concrete base discovered by Mike Buettner in late 1990s; a replica pillar was built on this original base in October 1999 by members of the Mid-Ohio Chapter; fate of the original pillar is unknown

Recommended Reading:
Oyster, Esther M. “The Monuments of Crawford County, Ohio.” The Lincoln Highway Forum. Vol. 2, No. 2 (Winter/Early Spring 1995). pp. 19-26.  A web edition is found on this site.
 

Click photos to enlarge
“Lincoln Highway, Oceola, Ohio”  This original brick pillar in Oceola was probably erected in 1921, but was demolished by a wayward van in 1993. The red, white, and blue Lincoln Highway plaque was salvaged by a Delphos collector and later used as model for similar plaques in today’s replica pillars. In July 2001, the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association erected such a pillar on a new base to the back and to the right of the previous base.

Archives No. 264, Lincoln Highway Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan.

“Two markers of brick at farm of L.A. Kuenzli”  This text accompanies the photo: “The high esteem in which the Lincoln Highway is held by those living along it is shown by the accompanying photograph of the home of L.A. Kuenzli, between Bucyrus and Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

Mr. Kuenzli has always been an advocate of making the highway a real memorial to Abraham Lincoln, which [he] holds would be in keeping with practical nature of the man.

When the Ohio brick markers were erected in Wyandot County, Mr. Kuenzli asked that two be located as entrance posts to his driveway. The photo shows how these markers set off the Kuenzli estate.”

Archives No. 271, Lincoln Highway Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan.

“Keeping the Lincoln Highway Clear of Snow, Near Bucyrus”  This is a photograph showing the original location of the Songer Pillar, along State Route 19 at the east edge of Bucyrus. The pillar was moved to its present location at the Stewart Cemetery circa 1920, or shortly after the Lincoln Highway route was revised between Mansfield and Bucyrus.

Regarding the road grader, local historian Ray Gottfried writes that “the Hadfield-Penfield Company of Bucyrus made hundreds of these Fordson road graders. Henry Ford would only sell them the tractors with all four wheels. H-P did not want rear wheels on them, so they ended up with piles of unwanted Fordson rear wheels…all through the 1920s. The track assemblies [yielded] a 50% increase in power and a 50% decrease in speed, so they would only travel at 2.25 miles per hour [at] full throttle. Many were sold to small towns in the mid-1930s to maintain airplane field runways for small planes that flew the early Air Mail service routes.”

Archives No. 3679, Lincoln Highway Collection, Special Collections Library, University of Michigan.


QUIZ QUESTION
Since 1999, the Mid-Ohio Chapter has erected two brick pillar replicas—one in Beaverdam, and the other in Oceola. Each pillar has a plaque dedicated to the memory of an important Lincoln Highway leader.
QUESTION: Who are the two Lincoln Highway leaders to whom these plaques are dedicated?
ANSWER:


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ANSWER TO QUIZ QUESTION
The replica pillar at Beaverdam—erected in October 1999—is dedicated to Carl Fisher, “Father of the Lincoln Highway.” Although the original pillar at this location did not have a plaque of dedication, the Mid-Ohio Chapter fittingly chose to honor Fisher with such a plaque in the new pillar, because Fisher was also the father of the Dixie Highway, which begins to briefly overlap the Lincoln Highway at this point. The replica pillar was built on the base of the original pillar, and was the first replica pillar to be erected in Ohio.

The replica pillar at Oceola—erected in July 2001—is dedicated to Frank A. Seiberling, who was the first of three Ohioans to be elected as president of the Lincoln Highway Association. Past-president Esther Oyster Queneau (Ashland) and current president Bob Lichty (Canton) have both more recently followed in Seiberling’s distant footsteps. This is not the first brick pillar in Ohio to be dedicated to Seiberling. Previously, a pillar had been dedicated in 1918 along what is now State Route 19 between Bucyrus and Galion, at a place locally known as Holmes Curve. The fate of that original pillar is unknown.      back