Lincoln Highway

A fake Holland Dutch windmill on a building full of Pennsylvania Dutch souvenirs in the heart of Amish County, along the Lincoln Highway (Route 30), Ronks, Pa.

The Haines Shoe House mailbox and building, Hellam, York County, Pennsylvania. The building is visible from a nearby highway (Route 30) and is located not far from the Lincoln Highway (Route 462). Mahlon Haines, the self-proclaimed "Shoe Wizard" and owner of a string of shoe stores, invited newlyweds and others to vacation at the house after it was built in 1949.

An ice cream sundae-shaped building (with a cherry on top!) along the Lincoln Highway (Route 30) in Everett, Bedford County, Pa.

Caption: "S. S. Grand View Point. A Steamer in the Allegany Mts. Elv. 2624 ft. 17 m. W. of Bedford, Pa. U.S. 30. 4-CEG-32." Signs and banners: "Grand View Point Hotel. Post Cards. Souvenirs. See 3 States and 7 Counties. Visitors Welcome. Free Telescope." "Restaurant. Rooms." "S.S. Grand View Point....Open for Business." This image of the famous Ship Hotel , which was a popular roadside attraction along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in western Pennsylvania until it burned to the ground in 2001, is a real photo postcard by Charles Elmer Gerkins (indicated by the initials "CEG" in the caption) that's dated April 1932 ("4-32"). In The Ship Hotel: A Grand View along the Lincoln Highway (Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 2010), author Brian Butko quotes a 1930s WPA guide to explain the reason that the building was shaped like a ship: "The S.S. Grand View Point Hotel was remodeled in 1931 to give the impression of an ocean liner, because the owner saw a resemblance between early morning mists rising from the valley and billowing ocean waves." After enlarging the image, I discovered that two of the banners on the building (including the one hanging on the railing just above "3 States") indicate that the "S.S. Grand View Point" is "Open for Business." Since the building was remodeled to look like a ship sometime in 1931 (the smokestacks, deck, and bow-shaped front of the building were added at that time), I wonder if this photo from April 1932 shows the building just after it reopened. See also two linen postcards that illustrate the 63-Mile View from the hotel and the Approach to the Hotel :

"Grand View Point Hotel. See 3 states and 7 counties. Pa., Md., W. Va, 63 mile view from Grand View--Ship Hotel on Lincoln Highway, U.S. 30, 17 miles west of Bedford, Pa., looking into 3 states and 7 counties, 80 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pa. 4A-H1905." Printed on back: "Distributed by H. Paulson, Grand View-Ship Hotel, Central City, Pa."

"Grand View Point Hotel. Approaching S.S. Grand View Point Hotel on the Lincoln Highway, 17 miles west of Bedford, Pa. Elevation 2,464 feet. 3A-H421." Printed on back: "Grand View Point Hotel at the most beautiful spot in U.S. Summit of Allegheny Mts., 17 miles west of Bedford, Pa., on Historic Lincoln Highway, overlooking 3 states and 7 counties. Elevation 2,464 feet. Distributed by H. Paulson, Grand View-Ship Hotel, Central City, Pa."

"Hotel Lincoln, Chambersburg, Pa. On the Lincoln Highway, U.S. 30." Printed on back: "MWM Color-Litho 'Bursheen' Finished, made only by MWM, Aurora, Mo."

Gilbert's Guide. Along the Lincoln Highway in Pennsylvania from the Ohio line to Philadelphia. To find the distance between two places, move the slide to the name of place at top of card. The number in the first row opposite the name on slide is the distance in miles. Daniel Gilbert, Chambersburg, Pa. Eddie Herr. Quality auto insurance. Service that satisfies. -------- Ohio Line, Beaver Falls, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Ligonier, Jennerstown, Bedford, Everett, McConnellsburg, Chambersburg, Caledonia, Gettysburg, Abbotstown, York, Wrightsville, Lancaster, Coatesville, Paoli, Philadelphia.

"Lincoln-Lee Legion. Love, sacrifice, service. Abstinence Department of the the Anti-Saloon League. I hereby enroll with the Lincoln-Lee Legion and promise with God's help to keep the following pledge." "Whereas the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage is productive of pauperism. degradation, and crime, and believing it is our duty to discourage that which produces more evil than good, we therefore pledge ourselves to abstain from the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage." "A sober nation and a safe highway."

"Sycamore Meadows, E. J. O'Brien, prop., cabins. 3½ miles west of Chambersburg at Back Creek. Lincoln Highway--U.S. Route 30. P.O. address R.D. 4, Chambersburg, Pa. Tourist cabins. Modern rest rooms. Running water in cabins. Free parking and tables."

"You'll like our prompt cleaning. Phone us for convenient, careful service. Keemer Cleaner, Lincoln Highway East, phone 4-3721."

"Visit Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, Pa. New . . . ride the fantastic overhead monorail. For youngsters of all ages from one to ninety-one. 34 acres of enchanted adventure for every member of the family." Cover of a brochure advertising Dutch Wonderland , an amusement park located along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in the "Amish Country" tourist area of eastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Dutch Wonderland (the name refers to " Pennsylvania Dutch " rather than Holland Dutch) opened in 1963 and observed its fiftieth year of operation in 2013. See also Amish Folks at Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster. Pa.

"Sky-Vue Drive-In Theatre, 3 miles east of Lancaster on Rt. 30. Complimentary Pass. Admit one. Not good on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays. No. 9919. Management reserves all rights. Reason: ________ Signature: ________." The Sky-Vue Drive-In Theatre was located along the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, before it closed sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s. The drive-in was relaced by an outlet shopping center, which--after a change or two in ownership--is now the Tanger Outlets Lancaster . (If you ever visit the outlets, you can drop the kiddies off at Dutch Wonderland , a children's amusement park that's located less than a mile away).

"Maple Grove, Route 30, Lincoln Highway, one mile west of Lancaster, Pa." A roller skating rink label (or sticker, as they were usually called, although there's no adhesive on the other side) from the Maple Grove Roll Arena, which was part of Maple Grove Park, a now-defunct amusement park that was located along the Lincoln Highway just west of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

"The Columbia Diner, Route 30, Columbia, Pa. Open 24 hours. Private parties. Home made cheesecake. Take out." The Columbia Diner was located along the Lincoln Highway (Route 462 today but formerly Route 30) in Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Snapshot of an oversized covered wagon (or prairie schooner) and concrete oxen located along the Lincoln Highway in Kearney, Nebraska. For more recent images, see the Giant Vehicles page (scroll down to the "Covered Wagon, Kearney, NE" section) on RoadsideArchitecture.com and a Google Maps Street View of the location.

"Lyndhurst Electric Farm, Geo. J. Hoopes, owner." The Lyndhurst Electric Farm was located along the Lincoln Highway in Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, somewhere between the towns of Coatesville and Downingtown. The "Electric Farm" name came about in an obvious way sometime in the early twentieth century: "Township manager Sam Moore, a lifelong resident, remembers the excitement when one farm had its barn wired for electricity. Local residents immediately christened it 'The Electric Farm'" (see Jeff Gammage, " Caln Highway: Extension of History's Path ," philly.com, Nov. 1, 1987). Brian Butko, in his book, The Lincoln Highway: Pennsylvania Traveler's Guide , 2nd ed. (Stackpole Books, 2002), p. 76, mentions that "Lyndhurst was a farm and tourist home operated by George J. Hoopes," but I haven't been able to uncover any additional information regarding the Lyndhurst Electric Farm or its owner.

"The Guernsey Cow. Farm made ice cream. World's Largest Cow. Located on Lincoln Highway, U.S. 30, at Exton, Pa." Printed on the other side: "Meet you at the Guernsey Cow, Exton, Pa. Serving tasty luncheons. Internationally famous for our cream caramels, ice cream, and Golden Guernsey milk. Landmarked by the World's Largest Cow. Mellinger Studios, Lancaster, Penna." For more information, see Sean McGlinchey's site about The Guernsey Cow, Exton, Pennsylvania and his album about The Guernsey Cow on Flickr.