The Paintings of Carl Rakeman
1913 - The Lincoln Highway
On July 1, 1913, a group of the foremost leaders in the automotive and allied industries met to plan a coast-to-coast rock highway for cross-country travel. The group named itself the Lincoln Highway Association and spent several years educating the public to the need for better roads and building support for national aid to good roads. At this time in the nation's history, no state could boast of a complete highway system.
With the passage of the Federal-aid Road Act in 1916, the Association shifted to spelling out proper road design and methods of construction. Work on a portion of the planned road finally began on July 7, 1922, in Lake County, Indiana, 33 miles south of Chicago. The painting shows concrete paving that was completed in December of that year.