The Lincoln Highway, formally dedicated in 1913, was the first formal transcontinental autoroute in the United States, going from New York City to San Francisco along the shortest, mostdirect route practical. The route helped to galvanize the Good Roads Movement and spur theevolution of a culture in the United States centered around the automobile. The LincolnHighway Association, formed to gather support for the highway through fundraising, publicity,and construction activities, played a significant role in generating public enthusiasm forimproved highways by leading an active propaganda machine, constructing many miles ofimproved roads, and being a leader in the establishment of design standards and traffic laws.The Lincoln Highway itself saw many firsts in American transportation, which will be discussedin this paper, and thus holds an important place in history. This paper will describe the history ofthe establishment and construction of the Lincoln Highway and discuss its contribution towardthe promotion of improved highways, the development of a national system of improvedhighways, and general impact the route had on the nation.
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