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From the Diary of Eagle Scout Bernard R.
Queneau Member of the 1928 Lincoln Highway BSA Lincoln Highway Promotional Tour Friday - July 13, 1928 - After a delicious night at the Penn-Lincoln Hotel, we were escorted into Pittsburgh with a great band. It was lucky that we did travel 200 miles the day before, since we were just on time as it was. After making a demonstration at a monument to the killed by accident, we ate at a banquet provided by the Portland Cement Company who are on a safety plan. We stayed after dinner in the Public Utilities Company building where I called up Mr. Neale. Afterwards, we went out to the Umstaetter Camp with Mr. Benson, Scout Executive of Pittsburgh. We had a fine swim, meal and sleep in this camp that night. Before bed, however, we made impromptu speeches to the Council Fires. |
Day 2 - Lancaster PA to Pittsburgh PA
| Monday - August 18th Up and ready to go at 7:30 am – the Woolfitt car has acquired a very rare and unusual accessory – a black bra that not only protects the front of the Packard from stones, but also stretches to sling-shot them back at the road! We decide to boycott the roundabout route through Lancaster and hit McDonald’s for breakfast instead. We end up leaving a little after 9, about a half-hour or so after the main group departed, taking the interstate out of the city. |
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Although the schedule demands a fast pace and few stops, we do make an exception for the “Shoe House,” an unusual concrete home built in the shape of a high-top shoe. It appeared that the little old lady had finished raising the kids, for the place was up for sale. If you happen to be looking for a concrete boot to move into, your sole-searching is over! After a short photo stop, we are back on the road at full throttle. We pass the old Lincoln Garage, a still-working business that dates back to the early 1920s, but sadly, is closing down. A lot of the period attractions along the Lincoln Highway are either closed, in serious trouble, or already nothing more than memories commemorated by a small plaque or postcard. |
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The weather is terrific – sunny and not too hot. At least, not too hot for the people. The Packard’s temperature gauge slowly climbs up into the red as we work our way up the steep mountains – back in 1928, they didn’t cut tunnels – they just paved what was there. We stop at the summit to give the older cars time to catch their breath and to enjoy the view. The Tidewater group is joined by J.R. Manning and his valiant little 1929 Model A, and then by Dave Johnson and Wayne Darling in a magnificent 1940 Packard 160 convertible sedan. With the cooling systems recovered from the hard pull up the mountain, it is time to test the mechanical brakes of these old cars on the equally long steep road back down. Happily, no one has any problems (at least that they will admit to). |
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We make a stop in Ft. Louden, PA to look at one of the original concrete Lincoln Highway markers from 1928. Quite a few have been relocated or replaced with reproductions, but this one is still where the Boy Scouts of Ft. Louden erected it 75 years ago. The marker is actually fairly intricate – the colored sections are not painted – they are separate pieces cast into the concrete! |
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Despite running hard and fast all
morning, we find that we are going to be quite late for lunch. It seems
that the tour scheduling is rather optimistic, for most of the cars turn out
to be running way late. The hosts are willing to extend time so we are able
to eat when we finally arrive in McConnellsburg.
Some new cars have joined the tour in the past day, including a really beautiful 1926 Packard owned by David and Jane English. The silver and black tourer has an enormous set of chromed horns on the crossbar that were actually on the car when it came from the dealership new! |
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After lunch, the group breaks up for the long run to Pittsburgh. We end up on our own, and take time to stop at Dunkle’s Gulf in Bedford. It is an art-deco gas station from the 1920s. The owner graciously allows us to take the Packard’s photo in front of the pumps, even though we don’t buy any gas. Then we make a stop at Lincoln Highway Packard Restorations in Schellsburg. The shop is closed, but we smudge the windows drooling over the bright yellow and blue mid-20s Packard coupe in the front, and the two 810 Cords in the back, along with a nice 1953 Packard convertible. |
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| Leaving Schellsburg, we take a detour along one of the original stretches of Lincoln Highway that runs through some beautiful countryside. A large graveyard has a log building with 1886 painted on it. Then we are back on the main road again, rolling for Pittsburgh. We pass a bison farm, and find one of the big animals grazing on the wrong side of the fence. He seemed to want to race, running along the edge of the road as we passed (very slowly and carefully). |
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By now it is obvious we won’t make the tour of the Frick Art and Historical Center planned for 6 p.m. Despite pushing hard and making very few stops, we are going to be a good hour late. So we stop off at the site of the ‘S.S. Grand View,’ the so-called ship hotel. Built to look like an ocean liner, the hotel was one of the most famous landmarks of the Lincoln Highway. It burned up in 2001 – leaving only the spectacular three-state – seven-county view that attracted many of its guests. |
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We find that we aren’t the only ones running late – five other cars show up while we explore the ruins. The remaining trip into Pittsburgh is not too bad – however, we find two of the Tidewater cars are sickly. The Woolfitt Packard won’t crank and the Peters’ Cadillac is stumbling a bit. Master mechanic Ken Talley and his rag-tag assistants eventually determine that the Packard’s battery is ailing. Nothing seems wrong with the Cadillac, however John insists that Ken’s ‘laying on of the hands’ cured the car. Well, that and removing and resetting the points, perhaps. |
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| The schedule is hard for some of us to maintain, especially the older cars. Rather than push hard to make every activity, we are going to skip the planned lunch and pick and choose the things we want to see. Happily, co-hosts Bob and Rosemary have set things up where you can pretty much go at your own pace. | |