Canton road crews unearth bricks from Lincoln Highway

CANTON (AP) — Crews doing roadwork in Northeast Ohio have uncovered bricks that were part of an original portion of one of America’s first highways.

Nicknamed the “Main Street Across America,” the original Lincoln Highway was dedicated in 1913 and ran a coast-to-coast route through a dozen states. The route is now covered by several U.S. highways, mainly U.S. 30.

The bricks unearthed in Canton will join others at the Great Platte River Road Archway museum in Kearney, Neb., a city at the halfway point of the old road, to be assembled outdoors to show what the highway may have looked like when it opened.

The museum documents America’s transportation history from wagon trails to roads and includes a large exhibit on the creation of the Lincoln Highway. The road was the first automobile route linking the west and east coasts, according to the Lincoln Highway Association.

Ronnie O’Brien, director of operations at the Archway museum, said preserving the bricks means keeping the spirit and significance of the iconic road alive.

The project may not start until 2013 to coincide with the Lincoln Highway Centennial Celebration, O’Brien said.