My Lincoln Highway

Wonderful Wyoming Part One: Eastern Highlights

January 24, 2014 by Cece

And now back to our regular travelogue posts…

While the weather outside is cold in a lot of places, I thought it would be fun to hearken back to warmer days of August.

After a break from the road in Colorado, I was eager to get back on the road and finish the tour. I had 3 performances in Wyoming (Laramie, Rock Springs, and Evanston), and they all proved to be amazing on so many levels.

Driving the route in Wyoming proved to be pretty fascinating as well. Similar to what Michael Grass noted in this post, I found sections of Wyoming not on the interstate to be more isolated than what I noticed driving in Nevada (so much for it being America’s “Loneliest Highway”). With Nebraska and Colorado, you know that you’ll run into towns/populations of people regularly along the route. In Wyoming, this all changes. You’re checking your gas tank with every town you drive through to make sure you might have enough, especially if you’re thinking of off-roading it. The sky and the road would blur together at times (especially in the Medicine Bow Loop), and there were times that I thought I was driving into the sky itself.

Here’s 10 favorite memories of Eastern Wyoming:

1) I spent most of my time in Laramie, and I have to say the people were so warm and lovely. My dear friend Jen was an instrumental person to this part of the tour, and I wish there were more people like her in the world. It was wonderful to have the chance to sing with her again, and I hope that if you are in Laramie you’ll get the chance to hear her sing.

2) The bullet holes in bar mirrors at the Buckhorn Bar.

3) Driving my first section of real interstate on this tour again (parts of the Lincoln are directly under I-80), and really feeling weird about it.

4) My interview on Wyoming Public Radio was a blast!

5) The Medicine Bow loop. Everything about this stretch of the road is remarkable. You will definitely get a taste of what it was like to drive the Lincoln 100 years ago in this part of the route.

6) The abandoned gas station at the Nebraska/Wyoming State Line (you can see a photo of it in my Western Nebraska Post).

7) That part of the Lincoln Highway is called “Otto Road”! It’s just west of Cheyenne.

8) Standing at Sherman Summit on the original route – the view was breathtaking.

9) Stopping at the Fossil Cabin and listening to the wind rumble across the land. The cabin is awesome, and again the view is quite beautiful.

10) I was granted permission to wander around the Virginian Hotel to check out and photograph the rooms freely. There weren’t many people around, so it truly felt liked I stepped back in time.

There’s plenty more I could list, but this should hopefully give you some highlights to look forward to when driving this stretch of the road. Now onto the photos!

Just outside of Cheyenne, the 1913 Lincoln Highway turns into what is now called “Otto Road”. I of course had to pose by the sign.

Here’s the famous Tree Rock, which is smack in the middle of I-80. Definitely a good stop along the route for you to stretch your legs.

The Ames Monument was built in 1882 by the Union Pacific Railroad. That black dot in the middle of the mounment is me standing at full height (I’m 5’10”).

From my list above, here’s the view of from Sherman Summit, the highest point on the Lincoln Highway. You can see the Lincoln Statue in the distance.

This Memorial to Henry Joy (one of the founders of the Lincoln Highway) was originally placed West of Rawlins at his favorite campsite. Due to vandalism, this monument was moved to Sherman Summit.

Here’s the famous Lincoln statue up close, with an LH marker in the foreground.

You read this right! Buford, WY is the smallest town not only along the Lincoln Highway, but in the nation as well.

Taking in the sights of Laramie, here’s a great old sign along the route.

Another sign not too far from the highway, which has seen better days.

This is St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Laramie, the highest Cathedral in North America. I am honored to say that I performed my concert here, and it was one of the best shows I did along the route.

Me at the the Buckhorn Bar in Laramie. If you look really closely in the reflection you’ll see a couple bullet holes in the mirror from an angry husband back in the early 70’s.

The Dinosaur Fossil Cabin was built in 1933, and is referred to as the World’s “Oldest” Cabin.

With the fossil cabin at my back, this is the view of the area around it. I can still hear the wind.

The Virginian Hotel became famous after Owen Wister wrote his novel “The Virginian” in 1902.

Hallway in the Virginian Hotel, preserved beautifully.

This is the Owen Wister suite, where “The Virginian” was written.

Love this old hotel buzzer. Remember, there’s no phones in these rooms, that’s how old they are!

The road met the sky here many times. It was lonely at points, but so beautiful.

Western Wyoming is up next, so until then stay warm and enjoy your weekend!

Central Nebraska Highlights, plus the Lincoln Highway turns 100!

July 14, 2013 by Cece

The last few weeks have been non-stop! Between the performances, interviews, and just general merriment, it’s all been amazing! Unfortunately, the road has finally caught up to me almost 4 months later. My immune system crashed, I got sick, and I’m now resting and recovering for the next stage of the tour. I can finally sit down and update you on this exciting time in the Lincoln Highway’s history.

I’m doing the next couple posts slightly out of sequence because there’s so much information to cover. Today’s post will focus on Grand Island and all of the festivities for the Lincoln Highway’s 100th birthday in Kearney. My next post will be about the 2013 Lincoln Highway Association’s annual conference (of which I am a proud member), and then I’ll resume my regular posts which head westward.

Wow, where do I start in regards to all of this? There’s still a mix of honor and disbelief that I was a part of the Lincoln Highway’s birthday. It all went by SO fast! What really accelerated things for me were all of the various TV, newspaper and documentary interviews I did during this time (all media stuff I did was a complete surprise to me). This is the first time on the tour where people walked up to me and knew who I was! Audiences in Grand Island and Kearney overall were very enthusiastic of the project and the music, and the Lincoln Highway pride was in full force everywhere. It was amazing to have so many people from all over the world in one place celebrating America’s first transcontinental road, and to be a part of those festivities was so humbling.

I truly wish I could have had more time to spend in Grand Island. There’s a lot of really wonderful things going on in this town. Originally I was set to perform in the Grand Theatre, but when renovations weren’t complete, I ended up performing at the Liederkranz instead. The universe direct us to places and people that we never thought we’d meet, and I have to say the Liederkranz is one of those places for me. It was an amazing place to sing, and the owners Fred and Gloria are top notch people in the community. The city of Kearney is roughly half way between San Francisco and New York City, so it was a natural choice to host the Centennial celebration. I got to the city before the LHA auto tours, the Tin Can Tourists, and other folks from all over arrived to the town and everything was all abuzz in anticipation of what was on deck for the coming weekend.

Okay, enough yakking. In a blog first, you’ll see a lot of pictures of me in this post, which is thanks to my husband Dan who was my roadie, photographer, and overall awesome guy during this busy time in the project. I couldn’t have done it without him!

The Shady Bend Campground in Grand Island used to provide gas, food and lodging to travelers for many years, and there were extra amenities like a playground and a sandy beach lake. Today it is now a restaurant.

Love this original sign above the main door at Shady Bend!

Not too far down from Shady Bend is Kensinger’s Gas Station, which is still a fully operating gas station for more than 75 years.

Here’s a picture of the gas station interior. Thanks to Richard Grudzinski for letting me take pictures of everything.

You saw the main room in the previous picture, here’s the back room of the gas station.

Located behind Kensinger’s in Grand Island, this is an original seedling mile (paved 1915). You can’t drive on it, but you can walk on it.

Another view of the Seedling Mile, with a few Burma Shave signs this time.

The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer is a couple miles south of the Lincoln Highway, and definitely a fun must see when in the area.

It’s not fancy, but I’ll take it! The door to my dressing room for my live TV appearance.

Here’s the outside of the building I performed at in Grand Island, the Liederkranz. The club has been around since the 1870’s, but this current building has been in existence since 1911 (it was built along what would become the Lincoln Highway).

The Liederkranz is used for a variety of things from dances to dinners to sing-alongs, acoustically it was a perfect place to sing.

It’s a fuzzy picture, but as you can see this microphone is an old one and has probably been around for a long time.

There is a gentleman counterpart to this tapestry, but I loved these ladies that were awaiting me in at the Liederkranz.

Guess who made front page news in Kearney! What a nice surprise to see when I was checking into the hotel.

Singing for my supper in downtown Kearney.

Will Rogers and I look on at the parade as it goes by.

The Lincoln Highway “Marching Marker” made its debut in Kearney for the parade! I wonder if I’ll see it anywhere else…

Even Smokey the Bear made an appearance!

One of the hundreds of beautiful cars I saw during the parade on Sunday.

I’m not really a car person, but when a Tucker drives by, I pay attention.

These bike riders were so hypnotic to watch.

Officially the most unique car in the parade, this camper/truck made all kinds of fun and crazy noises as well as had some moving parts on the outside too.

Even FDR showed up to the festivities! He really loved my rendition of “God’s Country” (the song mentions the President himself).

My guitar player was Jeff Erpelding, a local Kearney musician who plays in a few bands in the area. Not sure what I’m pointing at, but it must be important!

Kearney’s World Theatre was right across the street from where I was singing. It has been recently restored back to its 1920s glory, and it played a silent movie during the festivities.

Here I am with one of the great old cars that was on the 1910s block.

On Monday, I performed two great shows at the Archway to mark the highway’s centennial. In between sets, I ran over to the hotel to set up my table for the Lincoln Highway’s Annual conference (more on that in the next post).

There was a huge celebration at the Archway Monday evening, where there was a lot of good food, music and Lincoln Highway merriment! One of the things that did happen also was the Brian Butko gave a talk on Monday about the newest book he edited “The Lincoln Highway: Photos Through Time”.

Here’s a picture of Brian and I with my signed copy!

Last but most definitely not least, here’s the picture of me in this new Lincoln Highway book! You can find me on page 21. Thanks to Jamie Ralston (My Lincoln Highway) and Brian for putting this picture in the book. It was truly a wonderful surprise to see, especially on the 100th birthday of the road!

The Hayesville Opera House: The Best Place to Step Back in Time – Literally

May 30, 2013 by Cece

As of today, I’m now almost ten performances into this tour, and every venue I’ve performed in holds a unique space in my mind and heart. The Hayesville Opera House is an amazing venue for a musician like me, and I wish I could take this venue with me everywhere I go so you all could see hear what everyone in central Ohio sees regularly.

Built in 1886, this opera house has been restored back to its original glory, and is on the National Register as a historical landmark. From the time I walked into the venue for my rehearsal, this place took my breath away. From the hat racks under the wooden seats to the hand-painted backdrops, I was blown away at the preservation of this venue. The acoustics were perfect; it was an absolute dream to perform there.

View of the seating area — View from the stage of the seating area. That is cast iron stove in the back was used to originally heat the place, but is no longer in use.

View from the seats — This is a view of the stage from the seats. The piano is on the floor on the right hand side, and that backdrop (painted in Chicago) is an original from 1886.

Another Backdrop — Here is another hand painted backdrop I found backstage. If you go to the Opera house’s website, you can see a photo of this same backdrop which was used in a play in 1916.

Ceiling Detail — Here’s a picture detailing the tin ceiling (added in 1907), and motif work on the walls.

The Opera House is located in a very small town on the highway, which is a pity. I’m sure this venue has been so well-kept all of this time because of its location, but places like these need to be seen and experienced. The president of the restoration board is Dave Roepke, and he was so kind to not only play the piano for my performance, but he let me wander everywhere in the space to take photographs. I’ve performed on stages all over the world, and I’ve never seen as much backstage graffiti as I did in this place. I spent a long time reading all of the names, shows, and dates that people have left over 125+ years (including a disputed signature from Buffalo Bill in 1888). I too left my mark on that place, as you’ll see below.

Buffalo Bill? — If you look closely, you can see what appears to be a signature from Buffalo Bill.

Oldest confirmed signature — This signature is definitely one of if not the earliest I found on the walls.

Dressing Room — There are four dressing room at the Hayesville Opera House, and to me this one had the most interesting writing and drawings on the walls. Plus note in the photo that you can see an original gas lamp too!

My mark — I was very happy to “make my mark” in the dressing room you saw in the last picture.

I had a fantastic time performing in this venue, and would definitely perform there again. You can read more about my performance in Hayesville from Jamie at My Lincoln Highway here, or to read Denny Gibson’s review, click here. I’ll leave you with two more shots of me in at this lovely theatre. I am standing in front of the main curtain, and once picture is in color, and the other is in black and white. If you compare my black and white photo to the historic photos in this link, I think you’ll see that there’s not much difference between the two.

Up next, a short but sweet post about Western Ohio. Until then, keep listening for those songlines!

Sightseeing in Eastern Ohio with My Lincoln Highway

May 25, 2013 by Cece

I have to admit, while it’s fun to explore these places by myself it’s good to have company with you from time to time. And that’s where Jamie from My Lincoln Highway comes in. She walks and photographs sections of the highway in detail, and I’m happy to say I parked the car and walked with her through some beautiful sections of the highway in Eastern Ohio.

Jamie and I spent a Saturday following the Lincoln from Hanoverton to Massillon Ohio, and then also the following Tuesday going from Massillon to Wooster. Again, I won’t duplicate what Jamie wrote in this post, this other post, as well as anything I wrote about when I visited Canton last year for the 2012 LHA conference (to read that post click here).

Here’s my top 5 highlights of the area in words (you can read more in detail in the photo gallery below):

1) First off, I loved walking around Hanoverton. I’ve never been to colonial Williamsburg, but I can imagine Hanoverton being very similar. The Spread Eagle Tavern is definitely a neat place to walk around itself, every room has its own history. If you are watching your budget while traveling, I recommend going for lunch in lieu of dinner. The food is just as good, and you’ll save a few pennies.

2) The McKinley Memorial is a lovely tribute to our 25th president. He wasn’t discussed much during my history classes growing up, so I learned a lot about his life and presidency. Plus, you can get your exercise in running up and down all those stairs!

3) The Massillon Museum has some great collections in it, plus there’s another Lincoln Highway marker right out of front of it. There will be a Lincoln Highway exhibit coming soon, plus you should go try to find both “Oscar” and “Harvey”. Free admission.

4) Downtown Wooster is slowly being revitalized, and there’s some great shops and antique stores that are fun to browse in. The Wayne County Courthouse is neat architectural find along the route; I’ve not seen a building of its type and condition yet.

5) Last but not least, any roads made out of brick. I know it may seem funny to you, but sometimes we have to look at what’s underneath our feet to appreciate our history. There’s some beautiful old red brick stretches of the highway along the route, and nothing transport you back in time faster than hearing your tires rumble as you drive slowly along the road. There are a few stretches of brick road along this route, and you can find where they are on Lincoln Highway Association’s Map: http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/ (make sure the “Points of Interest” box is clicked on the right hand side, and zoom in).

FYI – I’m finding it easier as time goes on to upload photo galleries with all of my images below; it not only means those photos will be easier for you to see, but it’s a quicker turnaround (internet access/time permitting) for me to get updates to you as well. Comment away if you think this format is not working for you all, and I’ll adjust.

Beautiful stretch of red brick road just outside of Minvera, Ohio.

This the sign that hangs outside of the Spread Eagle Tavern, waiting to greet you.

When we were in town for lunch, there were also dozens of Mennonites there eating lunch and touring the city on a separate tour.

View of the Chandelier in the Rathskellar of the tavern

Several rooms that we toured all had fireplaces, and each fireplace had its own mosaic of tiles around it. I think this one is my favorite.

Brick sidewalk in Hanoverton, which has warped and changed over the years due to the tree roots growing under it.

An old building in downtown Canton on the highway.

I was not able to go to the McKinley Memorial when I was in Canton last year, so I had to go this year. It was absolutely stunning. Definitely worth a stop – it’s not that far from the Lincoln Highway at all.

View from the top of the stairs of the Memorial.

Jamie from My Lincoln Highway says “Hi”!

This memorial done by the Lincoln Highway Association in 1949 can be found at the base of the McKinley Memorial.

This 1907-1908 Jewel Automobile in its day would have cost you around $800. This is on display at the Massillon museum which is located right on the highway.

This mural can be found in Massillon right off the highway as well. It depicts the Ohio and Erie Canals.

This stretch of Red Brick is right outside of Wooster, and was originally part of the highway.

I’ve never seen edging of brick like this before, plus it’s interesting to note the two brick patterns.

The beautiful Faber building, which is in downtown Wooster.

The Wayne County Courthouse is also another great example of what you’ll see when you walk in downtown Wooster.

Up next, I’ll be dedicating a post to my performance in the Hayesville Opera house. Have a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend everyone!

We did it! Success on Kickstarter, Podcast interview, plus more updates

March 22, 2013 by Cece

It’s been one month since I last posted. Thanks to many you, all funds have been raised on my Kickstarter campaign which means I do not have charge admission to any of my historic concerts on this tour. Again, I thank you all for making this project a big success.

In the last month, the awareness has grown about the project by leaps and bounds which is wonderful! I’ve been featured in a few places this month online, and I wanted to share all of those links with you.

1) My podcast interview with Jon Grayson with Ovenight America is now available online for your listening pleasure. Our 20 minute conversation about this project as well as early 20th Century American Music is definitely worth a listen when you have time.

2) Roadside Author Brian Butko featured my project in a blog post on his Lincoln Highway News website. If you are interested in anything related to this road, you should definitely follow his blog too.

3) Last but not least, Jamie from My Lincoln Highway has been mentioning the project on her website since day one of the campaign. Another great website dedicated to “The Father Road”, Jamie walks different sections of the highway taking beautiful photo essays of what she sees.

I’ll be featured in more media as time goes on, so check back on my website Press page to see it all.

Thank you again for being a part of history, and I hope to see you on the road this year!

LHA 2012 Conference highlights

June 22, 2012 by Cece

There were many, many things going on at this year Lincoln Highway Association conference in Ohio, it was hard to keep up with it all! I went on the West tour on Tuesday (Canton to Mansfield on the Lincoln Highway), the East Tour yesterday (Canton to Chester, WV), and took in the two fun evening activities: the Cruise-In and a night at the Palace Theatre downtown. Thursday was a day full of learning with seminars, meetings, and tours that people could take, with our final banquet at the Canton Club. All in all, it was a fantastic conference, thanks to everyone who made it so great!

So in photos, here’s my highlights of the 2012 conference in Canton (Get comfy-I have a few photos to share):

WEST TOUR (TUESDAY):

Our first stop was the Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society) in Mansfield, Ohio. The Reformatory doors were opened to its first 150 young offenders in September 1896. After housing over 155,000 men in its lifetime, the doors to the prison closed December 31, 1990. It has the tallest free-standing cell block at six tiers. I have been here before at night, so it was fascinating to see it during the day.

OSR sign — One of the first signs the inmates would see.

OSR East Cell Block — A standard cell in the East Cell Block.

Storage at OSR — This room in the East Cell Block now stores many things, including old toilets!

After lunch, our second stop was to Oak Hill Cottage near downtown Mansfield. Originally built in 1847, this home has all of the possessions and furniture that were used in the house by the Jones family for over 100 years. It was one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen.

Sphinx Lamp — The Sitting Room had an “exotic” theme with Moroccan and Egyptian elements in the room. These Sphinxes on the lamps are a great example of the details in this house.

Hats and shoes — This hutch holds the hats and shoes of the women who lived in this house.

Pipe Organ — This is a working pipe organ in the sanctuary of the house.

Front of Oak Hill — A true representation of Gothic architecture, the exterior of this house has been restored back to its original glory.

Our last stop on the West tour was in Mifflin, Ohio. This place has some neat historical markers, including a village watering trough that has been preserved near St. Michaels church:

Tuesday evening’s fun was a Cruise-in in downtown Canton. 91 cars from all over came to show off their cars. I was in the book room telling everyone about my project, selling CD’s, and talking with fellow LHA members.

Jamie and I — I was so happy to finally meet Jamie, the creator of “My Lincoln Highway” blog! Check out her site if your haven’t yet.

Bernie and Esther — We had our own “cruise-in” in the book room that night. Bernie (who turns 100 next month) gives Esther (his wife) a ride on a hotel cart-faster than I would have pushed it! These two have an amazing story to tell, which I will share at a later date.

EAST TOUR (WEDNESDAY):

This day we went all the way to Chester, West Virginia, stopping in Lisbon (the 2nd oldest city in Ohio), East Liverpool, Chester, and Robertsville. Our evening was spent at the glorious Palace theatre in downtown Canton touring and taking in a movie. I will post a few photos now for the theatre, but plan to see more video and audio of this beautiful place!

Here are some of my photo highlights of this day:

Brick Stretch in Ohio — This stretch of the original Lincoln Highway brick road is right outside of Minerva, Ohio.

Built in 1805, the Old Stone House, is one of Ohio’s oldest buildings.

Bridge View — This bridge abutment is all that is left of the original bridge that used to cross the Lincoln Highway. Today it is now a scenic overlook (looking at Ohio from West Virginia).

View of the Ohio River from Chester, West Virginia.

Teapot in Chester, WV — The world’s largest Teapot: Chester, West Virginia.

Road changes in Ohio — Some other old remnants of the original route near Cindel Road.

Mural in Robertsville Grange — This is a Mural in Robertsville, Ohio of what their downtown would have looked like in the 1920’s. Those buildings still exist, but are used for different functions now.

Palace Theatre Stage Right — View of the Palace theatre from stage right. This theatre was built in the 1920’s.

Palace Theatre Dressing Room — Had a little fun with color on this one-this is one of the dressing rooms at the Palace theatre.

Detail of Chair in Palace Theatre — Detail of one of the theatre chairs.

THURSDAY:

Thursday was our final day of the conference, which included seminars and our final dinner/awards ceremony. I spent most of my day connecting with people, meeting about the Centennial plans for the conference and how I will be involved with the upcoming celebration in Nebraska next year. This view was magnificent from the roof at the Canton Club, which was where our final banquet took place. Here’s a few photos of that view from the 14th floor.

Again, I had a fabulous time performing and being a part of the conference this year! I hope everyone makes it home safely, and I will see you all soon.