With the National Centennial of the Lincoln Highway coming to Nebraska in 2013, communities along U.S. Highway 30 are getting ready.

You've got a facebook Request! CLICK HERE!

U.S. 30 began as the Lincoln Highway, one of the first marked coast-to-coast roads in the United States.

“The summer of 2013 promises to be busy for U.S. Highway 30, with multiple car clubs following the old Lincoln Highway through our state all summer. Hundreds of classic cars will be traveling the route on June 29, 2013, as they head toward Kearney for the June 30 and July 1 centennial celebration” said Ronnie O’Brien, the Nebraska Director for the National Lincoln Highway Association.

The Nebraska Lincoln Highway Association and the Nebraska Lincoln Highway Scenic and Historic Byway have been joining efforts to promote the upcoming centennial, and to encourage towns along the route to preserve their Lincoln Highway history.

In the past several years communities and counties in Nebraska have worked on projects to bring back the nostalgia of the Lincoln Highway era.

• Keith County has re-marked the Lincoln Highway route through the entire county by painting replica Lincoln Highway signs on poles.

• Lincoln Highway signs have been put up in multiple towns, marking the old route, as it turned at multiple intersections.

• Grand Island placed signage at the location of the last remaining original piece of Seedling Mile in the United States, and Kearney placed signage for their Seedling Mile.

• Lulu’s Steak House in Chapman was once a filling station.

• An old building along the route in Bushnell is now The Sisters Grimm Book Store

• At Shelton, the old Bromo-Seltzer and Shelton Cash Store billboards have been repainted, the last original Lincoln Highway billboards in Nebraska.

Other Lincoln Highway projects are being planned. It is hoped that every community along the route will work to save nostalgic Lincoln Highway buildings and other landmarks.

“We hope all of the communities will put up some type of signage in the next year,” said Ronnie O’Brien. “Some are putting up banners, others the red, white and blue highway signs along the route.”