The Lincoln Highway, America’s first coast-to-coast automobile route built in 1913, remains a vital part of the nation’s history, connecting people and landmarks as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.Members of the Lincoln Highway Association recently toured the historic route from York to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, revisiting landmarks that have shaped the country. “It’s a time for us to remember, you know, maybe our family road trips growing up,” said Thomas Davidson, Pennsylvania state director of the Lincoln Highway Association. Sole destination!One of the tour’s highlights was the Haines Shoe House, a 25-foot-tall, 48-foot-long roadside attraction built in 1948 by businessman and shoe manufacturer Mahlon Haines. The giant shoe was designed as a marketing gimmick to draw travelers into his stores. “He never lived here and he never made shoes here, literally just a scheme,” Davidson said. Known as the “Shoe Wizard,” Haines operated a chain of 40 shoe stores and became famous for his signature high-top boots. The Haines Shoe House has been a favorite for WGAL over the years, with cameras documenting the York County icon for generations. Video below: Step inside the Haines Shoe HouseToday, the shoe house continues to attract visitors from around the world, offering families the unique opportunity to spend the night. Other Lincoln Highway destinationsThe tour also stopped at the Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia, where participants learned about dairy farming and agriculture’s role in shaping the region. The fertile farmland of the Susquehanna Valley attracted immigrants from Germany and Switzerland. Towns along the Lincoln Highway also became significant stops on the Underground Railroad, helping many escape slavery. “You feel that you are part of the earth that you’re traveling on. It’s something that really gets to your heart,” Hainesworth said. Another stop was the National Watch and Clock Museum, home to the largest collection of timepieces in America, with 13,000 artifacts preserving another chapter of history. The Lincoln Highway is lined with destinations like Dutch Haven, Gettysburg National Military Park, Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, and countless small towns where history lives on. “To experience it, you have to travel along the Lincoln Highway and see the places along the way,” Davidson said.“We’ve got people from all over the country, and yet we all share something. We readily get into conversations with each other because we’ve got a common denominator, and that’s the Lincoln Highway,” Hainesworth said.As America marks 250 years, the Lincoln Highway continues to bring people together.
The Lincoln Highway, America’s first coast-to-coast automobile route built in 1913, remains a vital part of the nation’s history, connecting people and landmarks as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Members of the Lincoln Highway Association recently toured the historic route from York to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, revisiting landmarks that have shaped the country.
“It’s a time for us to remember, you know, maybe our family road trips growing up,” said Thomas Davidson, Pennsylvania state director of the Lincoln Highway Association.
Sole destination!
One of the tour’s highlights was the Haines Shoe House, a 25-foot-tall, 48-foot-long roadside attraction built in 1948 by businessman and shoe manufacturer Mahlon Haines.
The giant shoe was designed as a marketing gimmick to draw travelers into his stores.
“He never lived here and he never made shoes here, literally just a scheme,” Davidson said.
Known as the “Shoe Wizard,” Haines operated a chain of 40 shoe stores and became famous for his signature high-top boots.
The Haines Shoe House has been a favorite for WGAL over the years, with cameras documenting the York County icon for generations.
Video below: Step inside the Haines Shoe House
Today, the shoe house continues to attract visitors from around the world, offering families the unique opportunity to spend the night.
Other Lincoln Highway destinations
The tour also stopped at the Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia, where participants learned about dairy farming and agriculture’s role in shaping the region.
The fertile farmland of the Susquehanna Valley attracted immigrants from Germany and Switzerland.
Towns along the Lincoln Highway also became significant stops on the Underground Railroad, helping many escape slavery.
“You feel that you are part of the earth that you’re traveling on. It’s something that really gets to your heart,” Hainesworth said.
Another stop was the National Watch and Clock Museum, home to the largest collection of timepieces in America, with 13,000 artifacts preserving another chapter of history.
The Lincoln Highway is lined with destinations like Dutch Haven, Gettysburg National Military Park, Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum, and countless small towns where history lives on.
“To experience it, you have to travel along the Lincoln Highway and see the places along the way,” Davidson said.
“We’ve got people from all over the country, and yet we all share something. We readily get into conversations with each other because we’ve got a common denominator, and that’s the Lincoln Highway,” Hainesworth said.
As America marks 250 years, the Lincoln Highway continues to bring people together.