Emily Godinez listens to a recording about the Lincoln Highway and Nicole Aviles also looks at the display at the Norelius Community Library. Emily is in middle school and Nicole is in high school. Nicole is Emily’s aunt. Photos by Gordon Wolf

With a visit to Norelius Community Library in Denison, people can tour the United States through an audiovisual exhibit that tells the story of the Lincoln Highway.

The display will remain at the library through the end of February.

Library Director Monica Walley said the display has been popular with people.

“It’s intriguing that the Lincoln Highway runs right through Denison,” she said.

The Lincoln Highway is primarily the same route as Highway 30.

Walley added that some people might not know that the Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway in the United States.

She said taxpayer money brought the display to the library.

Walley added she appreciates the city council for providing funds for services, like programming.

Walley learned about the availability of the display through email and forwarded that on to Michelle Hoffman, the programming librarian, who made the scheduling arrangements.

“We’re happy to have this on display for the patrons,” said Walley. “We’re always open for new ideas for programming.”

She invited people to come in and see the display.

The library provided the following information about the display.

The Lincoln Highway starts in Times Square, New York City, and travels through 14 states, ending at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

There are 16 segments to the audio stories that range from 46 seconds to four minutes and total about 18 minutes.

Four different pamphlets are available for people to take.

One pamphlet is about the Lincoln Highway Association, Iowa Chapter.

Another one is the Iowa Lincoln Highway Activity Guide. That pamphlet has information about places of interest in the counties that the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway runs through. Some of the listings for Crawford County are the Abraham Lincoln land, the courthouse, the Donna Reed Performing Arts Center and the McHenry House.

A third pamphlet is about the 1919 U.S. Army convoy that traveled the Lincoln Highway.

The fourth is about Preston’s Station Historic District in Belle Plaine.

Next to the display are books about the Lincoln Highway that can be checked out.

**This section of the Lincoln Highway display shows a picture of a tourism cabin camp that was once in Denison.**

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**People can use this telephone-style device to listen to information about the Lincoln Highway.**

Additional information is that a Lincoln Highway consul is needed for Crawford County. Those interest should contact Mary Helen Preston at mary@prestonsstation.com, or Jeanie Hau at jhau@prrcd.ord or 515-232-0048.

Hau, who is a byway coordinator for the Iowa Department of Transportation Byway program, said a consul is a volunteer position for each county along the Lincoln Highway in Iowa. Consuls report to the Lincoln Highway Association, which is a volunteer organization that conducts meetings quarterly. The consul would report on any events or construction projects or any other subjects of interest in the county. Photos would be welcomed.

Consuls can also write a story about the Lincoln Highway in their county and submit it to the Lincoln Highway Association newsletter, if they wish.

Consul positions are open in Crawford, Pottawattamie, and Clinton counties. Hau said a person does not need to reside in the county to report on it.

She explained that the traveling exhibit that is at the library was created by a previous Lincoln Highway Byway coordinator at Prairie Rivers, who applied for and received a humanities grant from the state historical society. Prairie Rivers of Iowa houses and schedules the exhibit and only charges for mileage and the byway coordinator's time to travel and set up and take down the display. She said Prairie Rivers can also assist with funding for potential locations.