I have to say, Wow! What an incredible experience for this weekend’s Indiana Lincoln Highway Association’s Centennial Event. A group of Lincoln Highway enthusiasts from Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois gathered in Indianapolis to celebrate the centennial of the announcement of the nation’s first transcontinental highway at the Athenaeum in Indianapolis.
We kicked-off our celebration at the James A. Allison, Carl G. Fisher, and Frank H. Wheeler’s mansions along millionaire row on the Marian University campus. We got an inside look at these 100 year-old time capsules of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, automotive, and transportation founders. I intend to visit the campus again for further exploration. Thanks to Deborah Lawrence for hosting us.
Allison Mansion
Copyright ©2012 Dennis E. Horvath
On Friday afternoon we continued with an Auto Pioneer Burial Site Tour at Crown Hill Cemetery nestled along the Dixie Highway. Auto pioneers Carl G. Fisher and Louis Schwitzer are buried on Strawberry Hill near James Whitcomb Riley, President Benjamin Harrison, and Eli Lilly. Later, we toured the Stutz Motor Car Company complex on Capitol Avenue to view some automobiles built in the building from 1912 -1935. Building proprietor Turner J. Woodard has autos ranging from a Stutz Bearcat to a Stutz Pak-Age-Car. Everyone enjoyed his and Anne Jester’s hospitality.
Our Saturday morning, Auto Pioneers Tour visited some mansions along Meridian Street and Fall Creek Parkway. We then continued along Indianapolis’ Automobile Row on North Capitol and auto manufacturing sites around the belt railroads circling the city. Our morning tour finished, with some shopping along Massachusetts Avenue.
Our luncheon celebrated the centennial of Carl Fisher’s and James Allison’s announcement of the Lincoln Highway at the Athenaeum on September 10, 1912. Everyone enjoyed character speaker Jeff Kuehl who addressed the group as Carl Fisher. We were transported to 1912 as Fisher elaborated on his thoughts about automobiling across the country.
Athenaeum
Copyright ©2012 Dennis E. Horvath
After lunch, we went to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum to see Fisher’s custom-built 1903 Premier racer designed for the Vanderbilt Cup Race and the Fisher-era Stoddard-Dayton. It seems like every time I visit the museum that there is something new to study. Everyone gathered around one of the racers for a group photo. Who is that mystery driver? Our afternoon finished up by touring by the Prest-O-Lite and Allison Engineering factories on Main Street in Speedway.
Lincoln Highway Centennial Event
Copyright ©2012 Dennis E. Horvath
It is interesting how this part of Indianapolis’ business and social heritage started about 120 years ago when Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, and Arthur C. Newby met while being members of the Zig-Zag Cycling Club during the 1890’s bicycle craze. Their friendships went on to form the genesis for ventures like the Fisher Automobile Company, Prest-O-Lite Company, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Lincoln Highway, the Dixie Highway, the development of Miami Beach, Allison Engineering Company, Allison Transmission, Indianapolis Stamping Company (the predecessor of today’s Diamond Chain Company), and National Automobile Company. These men and their ideas have brought employment and enjoyment to tens of thousand’s of individuals through the years.
Much new information and camaraderie was shared by all tour participants. It will take many days for the special feeling of this event to wear off. I can’t wait until the next Indiana Lincoln Highway Association event to discover some more new experiences.
