THE GOOD OLD DAYS????

Some people have been asking when I might write some more "Good Old Days" stories. Well, actually, it was only two people: a fellow I didn't know that I ran into on the street and my wife, who wants me to do some research and get out of the house. So, I will try a couple more to see how it goes until someone else might take over.

As you probably have read, the Morrison Historical Society has a new exhibit on display at Morrison’s Heritage Museum. It is a traveling exhibit sponsored by the Lincoln Highway Association, and it tells the story in pictures and words of what was once called "The Main Street of America," the Lincoln Highway.

In addition to this very interesting and informative display, Morrison’s Heritage Museum has a permanent Lincoln Highway display that includes pictures, a piece of concrete from the old highway, and one of the original concrete road markers.

There are many stories that go with the building of this famous highway. One was that every town in the center of the country wanted it to go through their town, preferably down their main street.

Morrison was lucky to be on the chosen route, and the Morrison city fathers did try to get them to route it through Main Street. Fortunately, they didn't win. Each town was encouraged to change the name of the street where the highway ran to Lincoln Way. In 1912 the Morrison City Council voted to officially change the name of Grove Street to Lincoln Way. Morrison was not alone: DeKalb, Sterling, and Fulton did likewise. As always, there was a little bribery involved in such happenings.

Mr. Carl Parker, a successful business man from Los Angeles, offered a free Lincoln Highway drinking fountain to any city that would change the name of the street that the highway would be built on to Lincoln Way. Mr. Parker had a local connection. He was born in 1877 in Garden Plain Township, and he gave the fountains in memory of his mother, Mrs. Charles Sutherland Parker. If you know more about Mr. Parker and his family give me a call.

Probably a lot of you "old timers" drank out of that little fountain! It stood by the old Municipal Building or, as it was later known, the Coliseum. I don't believe many of us were aware of its historic importance. No one seems to know what happened to it. It was probably bulldozed along with the Coliseum.

The May 6, 1914, issue of the Sentinel published a rather stern warning, put out by the Lincoln Highway Association, concerning the use of this 3400 mile road that would soon be completed from New York to San Francisco. They said, "The fallacy which has in some sections taken a stronghold upon people's minds is that the Lincoln Highway is being built for the so-called joy riders and upon which it will be possible to "hit" it up to fifty or sixty miles per hour along long stretches without interference." It went on to say that they weren't spending all of that money to build a road for a few "speed demons," and the thought was ridiculous. They reminded drivers that much of the traffic was still horses and that the road was built for the use of everyone. They reminded everyone that the highway was built to bring more business, more advantages, and more pleasure to the communities that it passed through. As we look back, I GUESS IT DID ITS JOB!

Be sure and visit Morrison’s Heritage Museum to see this informative display. It will be there until October. While you are there, take time to explore our many items that tell the story of Morrison’s history. Morrison’s Heritage Museum is open from 1:00 to 4:00 every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and other times by appointment.

Next time, we will explore how the highway brought the world to our door.

(by Orville Goodenough, Guest Columnist)