Lincoln Highway
Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The country's first coast-to-coast highway was established in 1913 by the Lincoln Highway Association, largely by improving and linking existing roads between New York and San Francisco. The highway changed the way people traveled and the landscape of nearby towns. Industries such as filling stations, tourist cabins, and restaurants sprang up along the highway. In 1925, much of the route through Pennsylvania became Route 30.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1913 the Lincoln Highway Association stitched together existing roads into the nation's first coast-to-coast route, running from New York to San Francisco. The highway transformed American travel, and towns along it sprouted filling stations, tourist cabins, and roadside restaurants to serve the new motorists. In 1925 much of its Pennsylvania path was folded into Route 30.
Why it matters
The Lincoln Highway launched the age of the American road trip, reshaping how the country traveled and giving rise to the roadside economy that defined twentieth-century travel.
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Related events
- · Lincoln Highway
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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