News From Along the Lincoln Highway--Preserving Omaha's Brick Road-- Part 2

Continued from October 24th.

The brick stretch of road by Omaha was laid just 49 years after the Union Pacific Railroad pounded the Golden Spike at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869 for the first transcontinental railroad.

Lincoln Highway advocate and automobile executive Carl Fisher, who made his money with auto headlamps, and Henry B. Joy, founder of the Packard Automobile Company spearheaded the move to have the first transcontinental road, the Lincoln Highway, built.

They didn't ask the government for money or engineering help.  Instead, they marketed it.  The Lincoln Highway was built by whatever means were available--  volunteers and donations.  Originally, about 90% of it was little more than graded pasture.  Only a few sections had gravel, asphalt, concrete.

And, of course, there were brick sections, including the one by Omaha.

--RoadDog