BUCKEYE RAMBLINGS
The Official Newsletter of the Ohio Lincoln Highway League
Number 57                                                                                                                            November, 2008

“A RIDE ALONG THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY”

If you were fortunate to get some advance notice from a fellow LHA member, or if you just happened to notice its mention in your local viewing schedule, chances are that many of you were glued to the television at 8 p.m. on the night of October 29. That was the time when many PBS stations across America scheduled the premiere broadcast of “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway,” a much anticipated one-hour documentary produced and narrated by Rick Sebak in conjunction with WQED-TV in Pittsburgh. Rick and his production team had previously put together several PBS favorites, including “A Hot Dog Program” and “A Flea Market Documentary.” A second viewing of the Lincoln Highway program was supposedly set for 10 p.m. on October 31, but my local affiliate failed to have that showing.

Thankfully, the editor—being also the state director for Ohio—was privileged to receive a “promotional DVD screener” just days before the event, so it mattered not that he missed the first few minutes of the initial broadcast. He just waited a couple days to sit back and watch the whole thing with remote control in hand—a nice tool to have to rewind and review something that was especially interesting.

Those of you who have regularly attended the national conferences of the LHA would recognize many familiar faces throughout the video, which was a genuine first-class production. Each of the Lincoln Highway states got their fair portion of time during the documentary, with LHA Past-President Esther Queneau proudly wearing her Ohio colors while sharing her part of the national story—including her diligent research in finding a surviving Boy Scout from the 1928 Lincoln Highway Cross-Country trip which came in advance of the placement of the 2500-plus concrete posts. The story was cleverly worked so that folks not familiar with the romantic element were very likely surprised to learn that Esther would not only find the 1928 Boy Scout named Bernie Queneau, but would also become his bride. In a nice coincidence, the couple makes their home in Pittsburgh, where Bernie has resided for many years.

Personally, the editor would have liked to seen more video along the road in Ohio, but he remains thrilled with the final product anyway. The documentary was just too well done to spoil it by tossing about some minor negatives. In the Ohio part of the tour, there was a brief glimpse of a photogenic stretch of brick roadway in Stark County, and also a quick drive-by of a brown Historic Byway sign near Minerva. Certainly, it would have been nice to show the Hopley Memorial, or some brick pillars (both old and new), or even the splendid bridge at Beaverdam—with the latter matters showcasing some of the activities of the modern-day version of the Lincoln Highway Association. Perhaps an Ohio affiliate of PBS can be challenged to put together a similar video which focuses on Ohio, and fill in the spaces that the WQED video left open. Does anybody out there have a contact that could successfully run with that idea? How much fun would it be to see some footage from Balyeat’s in Van Wert, Cooper’s Cider Mill in Bucyrus, Shisler’s Cheese House near Wooster, or the Steel Trolley Diner in Lisbon?

It is interesting to note that the day after the video premiered, the DVD product was already on back order. Thus, I will have to wait a while for a second copy to distribute to friends and family. Hopefully, the television presentation will spark new interest in the Lincoln Highway and its affiliated organizations. For the first time in a long time, I had orders for the hard copy version of my research work entitled A History and Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway in Ohio. Likely, the Lincoln Highway Trading Post also had a significant increase in action.

The liner notes of the DVD screener packaging correctly states that “[a ride along the Lincoln Highway] was an adventure then, and it still is.” Let us do our part to encourage the adventurers. For more information, photos and press materials, go to http://www.wqed.org/lincolnhighway or to pbs.org/pressroom.

Click to enlarge
NOTE: The above six images all appear as part of the cover or as inserts for the packaging of the Promotional DVD Screener of “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway.” Brian Butko, LHA State Director for Pennsylvania, and author of Greetings from the Lincoln Highway, played a big part in the making of this video. That’s Brian entering the diner at the middle left, and again at bottom left with his book. I believe that LHA members Jay Banta (membership chairman) and Lynn Asp (Franklin Grove, Illinois) are among those pictured in the montage at the bottom left. Rick Sebak is pictured at the bottom right.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Thank you to LHA/OLHL member Jim Cassler and The Klingstedt Brothers Company, who have donated the envelopes that were used to mail the newsletter. Jim and his associates are the official suppliers 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.


Buckeye Ramblings is the 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 at his home address, or by contacting his office via e-mail at mgbuettner@kohlikaliher.com or by phone at 419-227-1135. Other officers through April 2009 are Mike McNaull, Vice-President; Tammy Buettner, Secretary; and Michael Lester, Treasurer. For texts of back issues, plus photography and other Ohio information, visit the web site created and maintained by Jim Ross 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.

MID-OHIO CHAPTER MAKES ROAD TRIP TO FORT MEIGS
By Mike Hocker
 

Our November Mid-Ohio Chapter meeting consisted of a “road trip” to Fort Meigs, at Perrysburg, Ohio. The trip’s kick-off was at the Buehler’s parking lot in Ashland, where we then proceeded north on US 250. This stretch of US 250 follows the Indian “Great Trail,” which ran from Pittsburgh to Detroit. Portions of our Lincoln Highway follow this trail in Wayne County and Ashland County. A few miles south of Fitchville, we all marveled at the size of the construction to relocate the road and build two new bridges at the crossing of the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks and the Vermilion River.

Upon reaching our lunch destination at Berry’s Restaurant in downtown Norwalk, we linked up with four additional members. There we all enjoyed a great meal in a wonderful classic old building that was decorated with many old photographs.
From Norwalk, in the spirit of old roads, we traveled west on US 20. This stretch of road partially follows a ridge that was an ancient shoreline of Lake Erie, and the entire terrain is rather flat. Our route took us through Monroeville, where we passed the building that John D. Rockefeller and Henry Flagler met in to create the Standard Oil Company.

Upon arriving at Fort Meigs, we first watched a video that gave an overview of the War of 1812, plus all the activities in the Maumee River Valley and the various battles at and around the fort. Contained in the museum was an amazing quantity of artifacts which had been recovered from the area. The defenders of the fort were victorious against numerous British and Indian attacks, and later in the war, the fort served as the launching point for campaigns to re-take Detroit and to push the fight into Canada. The treaty that ended this war effectively opened up the middle and western parts of Ohio for settlement.
The “roving” National Road display from the Ohio Historical Society was very interesting. It detailed the history of the National Road, and showed old photos from various periods. Some of the badly rutted mud roads looked just like old photos of the Lincoln Highway!

So, what does the War of 1812 have to do with the Lincoln Highway? Well, one century before the official September 1913 proclamation of the route of the Lincoln Highway, portions of this very same trail in Stark, Wayne, and Ashland County were used for military activity:

September 1812—General Beall traveled west out of Canton with about 1700 troops, built a blockhouse at Jeromesville, and winter-camped on the western frontier, about seven miles beyond Ashland.

October 1812—General Crook, with 2000 men and heavy wagons also came to Jeromesville along our 1928 Lincoln Highway, but then went southwest down “Portage Trail” to Greentown, and then on to help defend Mansfield.

November 1812—Colonel Anderson, with 150 men, fifty covered wagons drawn by six horses each, and twenty-five cannons (four and six-pounders) traveled through on their way to Fort Meigs, which they reached in early 1813.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the day, even though the weather was less than ideal! Pictured from left to right, are Joe Everly, Nancy Everly, Harold Zager, Jane Zager, Mary Berringer, Don Berringer, Tom Mykrantz, Elsie Mykrantz, Mike McNaull, Jean Stauffer, Mike Hocker, and Nancy Hocker.

TIDBIT: Mike McNaull has finally found a concrete Lincoln Highway post that had been rumored to exist in Savannah, Ohio “in someone’s flower bed, behind their house.” It is right along an alley, two blocks west of “downtown” Savannah. Although the medallion is long gone, the post is in pretty good condition.

PHOTO ALBUM FROM MANSFIELD, OHIO 200TH YEAR PARADE (event took place June 28, 2008) (Photos courtesy of Mary Ann McNaull, click to enlarge)
Mid-Ohio Chapter members Bud Trash, Wanda Trash, and Mary Ann McNaull are pictured here in the Lincoln Highway display tent, which was adjacent to the 1928 concrete post replica in the median of Park Avenue	Mary Ann McNaull poses with Gerald Payn, a chapter member who regularly does impersonations of Abraham Lincoln
Richard and Mary Lou Taylor pose with their 1941 Ford truck, which is towing a 1905 National car that was manufactured in Mansfield during the early 1900s;	Don Berringer is driving a 1955 GMC truck with Abraham Lincoln riding in the back.

UPDATE: Since the PBS program “A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway” aired in late October, twenty-five new members have joined the Lincoln Highway Association as of this writing (November 19). Activity at the Lincoln Highway Trading Post has also increased significantly.

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THE FUTURE OF BUCKEYE RAMBLINGS
Because costs to publish and mail this newsletter are no longer being balanced by our income from LHA state dues, we have now reached a point in time when Buckeye Ramblings must now be distributed in an electronic format. However, some members may not have a computer for viewing electronic versions of this newsletter, so it will still be necessary to produce some hard copies for ground mailing. With that thought in mind, please complete the questionnaire below so your personal needs can best be met, and return your responses to the editor either by ground mail or by electronic mail to the editor by using one of the following addresses:

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Lima, Ohio 45805


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