Lincoln Highway Museum Exhibit Opens

by Leanna Lehman --  The Churchill County Museum proudly announced its new Lincoln Highway exhibit. If you are unfamiliar with the Lincoln Highway, this is the perfect time to learn its rich history and its unique connection to Fallon. The 1913 monumental project became the first transcontinental highway. Connecting numerous market roads, state highways, and “improved surfaces” that were used for travel, The Lincoln Highway measured 3,389 miles when it was completed in 1928. Spanning from Time Square in New York to Lincoln Park, San Francisco, the coast to coast highway traverses14 states, 128 cities, and 700 counties. from. Nevada's 317-mile portion of the highway stretches from the Utah border to west of Reno and is aptly nicknamed "The Loneliest Road in America."  Churchill County Museum curators, Rae Sottile and Marilyn Goble, spent 11 hours touring Highway 50 and researching the exhibit. With a quick stop in The pair discovered that East Gate still looks very much like it did when the highway made its way west in the early 20th century. After a quick stop in Austin and sneak peek at the Eureka County Opera House, Sottile and Goble experienced firsthand a bit of Nevada history and culture, which they are bringing it the exhibit. The exhibit showcases some of the history surrounding the construction of the Lincoln Highway and includes interactive and 3-D activities for museum-goers to enjoy. The first family trip from coast to coast was made J.M. Murdock and family in between 1905 and 1908. Dirt roads, fences, gates, rivers, and streams were just a few of the obstacles that the family would have faced on their 32-day journey. One of the activities explores the dynamics of such a trip. Visitors might be surprised by what they learn. In 1919, the first Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy headed west from Washington D.C. on a training exercise to test the vehicles, equipment, and men. Starting out with about 70 trucks and 163 soldiers, the trek lead the men through various terrains and rapidly deteriorating conditions as they left the smoother road conditions of the eastern U.S. During the many days on the road, some vehicles had to be sent back East by train after running into mechanical breakdowns according to the museum curators.  At times, the strain of the convey placed so much structural stress on bridges they crossed, they would collapse and the Army troops had to stay and repair the bridges before moving on. The Convoy began on July 7th and ended on September 7th. By the time the convoy they made their way west from Ely to Fallon, they were blasted by the arid desert August heat. According to Sottile and Goble, Fallon residents donated "a couple hundred pounds of frozen watermelons and cantaloupes to help keep the men cool."  An interesting fact about the convoy was that Dwight D. Eisenhower was on the convoy. His experiences as a young soldier on the Lincoln Highway were integral to his role in passing the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956 during his presidency. On September 1, 1928, Boy Scout troops from across the country executed one final task on the project. Boy Scout troops, in a single day, set all the Lincoln Highway markers that span from California to New York. Many markers are still standing today. Fallon's Boy Scout troop set markers on 175 miles of road from Austin to Sparks. Even more impressive, they set most markers of every troop in the nation. The museum exhibit is set to open the first week of August. Come and enjoy the games, interactive displays, and the rich history that makes Nevada’s past so unique and interesting. The exhibit will open in time for the centennial celebration of the 1919 convoy with the 2019 Military Convoy Centennial Tour which is tentatively scheduled to land in Fallon on Saturday, September, 14th. Information on the centennial tour can be found at https://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/tour/2019/.     Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.