Are you up and ready? Get the children into the car, put some coffee in the thermos and get rolling! If you live anywhere between Newark, New Jersey and San Francisco, California, chances are you aren’t too far from the “Lincoln Highway Buy-Way“, a national yard and garage sale that helps support the Lincoln Highway’s non-profit groups throughout the US.
Much of the highway is still in service–check out the map here. Built in 1913, as a memorial to President Abraham Lincoln, the Lincoln Highway was the brainchild of developer Carl Fisher. He also was a driving force behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the development of Miami Beach, Florida.
When you drive the Lincoln Highway in Ohio, pay close attention when you get to Wayne County. Lehman’s Kidron store is only a couple miles off the Lincoln Highway in Kidron , Ohio; between Wooster and Massillon. In the county, the Lincoln Highway is also signed as Township Highway 30A. You’ll hear several local names too: Lincolnway, Old 30, or Old Route 30. Turn off the Lincoln Highway onto Kidron Road and come see us!
The importance of the old highway to the development of Kidron, Wayne County and surrounding counties and cities is reflected in a recent article from The Repository, published in nearby Canton, Ohio. Staff writer Gary Brown discussed the plans that the Lincoln Highway Association has in mind to celebrate the 100th birthday of America’s first coast-to-coast paved road.
The development of the highway parallels the development of rural areas of America, including Kidron and Ohio’s Amish Country. Here in Wayne County, Ohio, we’re home to part of the largest Amish settlement in the country. Portions of the old highway have served as a bridge between the Plain Community and the larger society since the road was opened. It became easier to get to remote areas of the county for both buggies and vehicles, enhancing the development of agriculture, small artisan businesses and businesses that practice traditional manufacturing techniques. And as a bonus, the highway made it easier for folks to come visit here in rural Ohio and experience our unique lifestyle.
Throughout the country, many small communities like ours continue to thrive along the old Lincoln Highway. Why not plan a road trip of your own, and see what life’s like off the high-speed beaten path of the interstates? Here at Lehman’s, we think you’ll be glad you did.
