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A real long trip from Langhorne might mean traveling the Lincoln Highway, which came through town from 1915 to 1923, and was the main road from New York to San Francisco. Then it was relocated through South Langhorne and modernized and route numbers replaced the named roads. Route 1 was from N.Y. to Philly and the Lincoln Highway from Philly to Ohio became Route 30.
Our trips always seemed to get us out to Lancaster County or beyond to Gettysburg. On these trips we would stop at real Gas Stations that pumped your gas, checked your oil, and cleaned your windshield. Even fixing your flat tires which happened quite often in those days. As we traveled, we always looked forward to reading the Burma Shave signs posted along the road.
Another treat as we traveled stopping at a Diner, and as kids sitting at the counter like the truckers did, was considered a reward for good behavior. One of our ways of knowing if the diner served good food was counting the trucks that would stop, no trucks the food must not be to good. If you needed to stay over night on these trips, it wasn't a motel you looked for, but cabins that always lined the well traveled roads.
These trips seemed like an adventure with the spectacular views, tourist courts, diners, gift shops, and tourist attractions along the way.
The idea of the Lincoln Highway came from the fertile mind of Carl Fisher, the man also responsible for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Miami Beach. With help from fellow industrialists Frank Seiberling and Henry Joy, an improved, hard-surfaced road was envisioned that would stretch almost 3400 miles from coast to coast, New York to San Francisco, over the shortest practical route.
The Lincoln Highway Association was created in 1913 to promote the road using private and corporate donations. The idea was embraced by an enthusiastic public, and many other named roads across the country followed.
Americans' enthusiasm for good roads led to the involvement of the federal government in building roads and the creation of numbered U.S. routes in the 1920s. The Federal Highway Administration and the Interstate Highway System is the culmination of these efforts. Click on the Lincoln Highway Logo for Pennsylvania's route and additional information.
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