2010 Lincoln Highway Association Conference-- Day 1-- Part 2

A FORTUNATE "LOSS"

I almost had a really big problem when I left the room. I have both an outdoor and indoor opening door. We left from the outdoor one which I was sure I had shut. Once in Denny's Corvette, he couldn't find his flash drive and looked all over. He had come into my room to throw some stuff away from the car and remembered having it in his hand. I suggested perhaps he had accidentally thrown it out with the other stuff, so went back and checked. The door wasn't closed (it sticks so you have to pull extra hard). Good thing Denny had "lost" that flash drive. And, the drive was in the garbage.


DILLON HOUSE

Actually, the conference materials called for a visit to the Manahan House in Sterling (where Abraham Lincoln once spent a night in 1856), but we weren't paying much attention and ended up at the Dillon House which was built in 1858 and at one time owned by Washington Dillon, co-owner of the Northwestern Barb Wire Company which eventually became the city's biggest employer, the Northwestern Steel & Wire Company.

After some difficulty parking, we walked through the grounds which have a huge old steam locomotive No. 73, one of the last of its kind.

The house is on five landscaped acres and is of the Italianate architecture which was so popular throughout the country back in that era. It costs $2.50 for a one hour tour, but we were able to hold onto our money as the last tour had already been given (even though the docent would have given us a tour. Like old Arnold likes to say, I'll be back).


MANY, MANY WORKERS

Drove back east along the old Lincoln Highway to the new BW3 (Buffalo Wild Wings) and went in to play good 'ol NTN. All BW3s have the game. I have never seen so many people working there. We were at shift change and in addition, they had "seasoned" employees from other BW3s showing the ropes. Our bartender was a girl from Macomb, Illinois (probably a hundred miles away and home of Western Illinois University).

Played a couple games and then had to get back for the banquet and opening events of the conference.

Never Seen That Many BW3 Workers. --RoadDog