News about the Lincoln Highway.
Continued from December 23, 2020.
The statue was placed at that intersection in 1916 because of the completion of the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway. Wilkinsburg's Penn Avenue is a segment of that famed highway.
But, the Lincoln statue's ensuing misadventures are legendary and include the 1981 incident in which an intoxicated couple stole the statue by braking it off at the ankles. They took it to a Westmoreland farm near Greensburg where, fearful that they might be discovered, they proceeded to bury the statue in a shallow grave before turning themselves in to authorities.
Old Abe was returned to his spot in 1984, but his weakened ankles couldn't withstand a 1992 wind storm that knocked him off his pedestal once again. Though he was repaired and rededicated in 2001, it became obvious after the 2018 car incident that a whole new structure was needed.
Artists from around the world contacted the Wilkinsburg Historical Society to express interest in creating a new statue, but a Pittsburgh area artist was chosen for the job. His identity is being kept secret until closer to the dedication.
--RoadLincoln
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