Keep the Show on the Road!

Dale, Red chili flakes......sweet and peppy....maybe they are on to something! Thanks for the "blast from the past!" Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Dale, Your “Now” shot was taken 10 years to the day after my “Then” shot. Nice work! MGA707 spotted many of the changes. I sort of mused over the differences that have occurred in only 10 years. Pay phones have disappeared everywhere. I don't miss them. If they weren't cleaned regularly the dial (or later the keys) and the handset were sticky. But did you ever pass one without checking the coin return? And it has been a while since I have seen a green milk shake mixer.....those had practically left the scene by the time of my “Then” shot. What was a staple of my youth, milk shakes and malts, are passe now. I doubt I ever had a burger without a milk shake when I was 16. As I bet you know, they would mix the shake or malt in a big steel cup and pour it into a glass. When you finished the glass, you had a second serving in the frosted cup...just what a growing boy needed! A "good" shake was one too thick to suck through a straw. Red stools at the counter were standard in the 1950's...so I hate to see those gone. Who my age never took a spin on one? I guess I don't miss the red ketchup squeeze bottle. They usually looked dirty anyway, unless they were regularly washed, and many weren't. But why the WC Fields picture? Did he stop at the International? No one noted the sugar dispenser with the screw on top.. Now it seems we use little paper packets. A few places still use the glass jar with the little door that flips up when the sugar comes out. The advantage of the glass jar was that you could pour the contents of the salt shaker into the sugar jar, and vice versa. I'm sure neither of us did that......but some of my friends did! Next let's discuss typewriters and vinyl records! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

MGA707, Right!!! Where are my Rice Crispies at "Nationwide Restaurant?" I recall that box that could be opened in the middle, and the milk poured in, with a wax paper lining of course. Great. Now what about the red plastic water glasses stacked beside the malt machine?! The rims and sides were typically worn from repeated washing. I love the International! It has been on the Lincoln forever. It is a must stop. If Dale is hanging out nearby, maybe he can take a "now" photo. Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Dale, Rick, Your descriptions fit my memory to a T! I never stayed at the Lincoln, and I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't up to snuff. It may well have improved since 2007. I note in the most recent review that a new manager has really improved the place a lot. I have added two panoramas below. The first is of the International and the Lincoln, looking down Austin's main street (the Lincoln Highway) 10 years ago almost to the day (9/3/2003). The second deserves attention because it is a classic view of the interior of the International. I draw your attention to a few details. The pay phone on the wall, the malted milk mixer behind the counter, the “fine art” on the far wall, the calendar on the same wall, the cracker basket and the free reading material on each table and at the counter, the pull tab dispenser on the far left, the red spin stools at the counter, the lazy susan on the table, and of course, my red squeeze ketchup bottle on the table. Who can spot additional classic symbols of the old time diner? (You can double click on the image to get a better squint.) Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Dale, A half pound of beef and a pen....does it get any better? Do they still use the heavy wooden tables and serve up the ketchup in red squeeze bottles....is they any better way....no shaking and pounding a slow pouring glass bottle! Is the Lincoln Motel still operating across the street from the International? Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Dale, Thanks for the update! I infer from your photos that a "new" shoe tree has sprung up, and is already blossoming! Terrific! I didn't notice the WHY at first on the old trunk. Not to pontificate, but I used to wonder WHY myself,as regards vandalism. I concluded that folks who are unhappy with life and feel they don't fit, have to destroy what others enjoy, sort of to get even for being rejects. At least that explained to my simple mind what appears to otherwise be just pointless and mean spirited. Enough! The shoe tree lives again! Thanks!! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Chris, Made me want to say: "The C-KC is dead, Long live the C-KC!" Thanks for sharing an interesting discovery! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, Great old road segment! We are on the road ourselves, but nothing that interesting has turned up! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, Sure, maybe. And you are having fun, so who cares! Some loose thoughts: 1. Does Indiana or Illinois have annual or bi-annual state road reports that might detail the work? I know Washington does. And Google often includes them in Books. 2. A major road project might appear in the local newspapers 3.Magazines devoted to contractors and road builders in the 1920's and before often listed jobs up for bid 4. I'll look in the next ABB, TIB, and maybe Mixers after 1920 that I have for Indiana or Illinois. Any suggestions on what I should be looking for especially? Dave

Pat, Always hate to see them take down an old bridge. Here in Washington we just hit them with a big truck! Thanks for sharing! Dave

Denny. First, thanks for the grand trip!! And done in the grand style. I admit I did ponder the wisdom of driving with a known fuel leak, but since there was no explosion, my concern was misplaced! That you found a replacement so readily amazed me, but perhaps the prior replacement was a standard electric pump. Anyway, I'm glad we didn't read about you in the papers. You have firmly established yourself as the grand poobah of road tripping!! Next I'm hoping to see you employ live streaming TV like the storm chasers site offers. Then we could tune in in real time! I am half serious, because it can be done fairly inexpensively....I think. Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Well Jim, I now know more about Caterpillar tractors than I ever thought I would! Here is the Davis Hotel in Brazil, In. http://www.claycountyin.gov/public/brazil/davishotel.jpg Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, I agree, you are right, I am mis....mis...mista.......wrong!. The photo you found of the Caterpillar 60 matches the old B&W well enough to convince me, as it did you, that the tractor is a 60. And before the merger in 1925, the 60 would have been marked a Best. So the old B&W photo was after 1925. Shucks!! Dave Keep the Show on the Road

Jim, Holt was manufacturing Caterpillar tractors in 1920 and before. Do this search and look at the manuals and trademarks. I also found a 1921 Holt Caterpillar picture in my first search, but haven't tried again, since the manuals seem to suffice. https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Holt+Manufacturing+Company%22 I see your point on Best, so maybe I am mistaken. You are saying that it is a Caterpillar 60, but is a design by Best, which didn't use the Caterpillar trademark, so it must have been a model 60 built after the merger. Let me do some more research!! BTW, a glance at that truck in the background looks WW1ish. Lots of surplus WW1 trucks just after the war....not conclusive. Dave keep the Show on the Road

Jim, Another reason occurs to me to support a date earlier than 1925. I read the Illinois planned road bids for the 1920 season and they didn't yet know what materials would be used because bids for both concrete and brick were coming in. So they might well have used brick in 1920. But the clear move was to concrete, and Illinois was already testing center joints, etc. in concrete. It would take a little more effort, but I bet I would find that contracts let after 1920, or perhaps 1921 were concrete, not brick. It would be fairly easy to confirm my hunch as the reports are on the web. Of course this is all conjecture on my part, so take it with a grain of salt. Dave Keep the Show on the Road

Jim No, No, NO!! Not necessarily 1925 or after! It is logical to assume that the Caterpillar name / logo came into existence in 1925, but that is not the case. The Caterpillar trade mark was used by Holt in the teens, and I have seen the exact wavey CATERPILLAR trade mark in the photo on a 1921 model.in a photo on the web. And Holt had a plant in Illinois. And their 1920 manual uses the exact logo on its cover. The photos might be after 1925, but they just as well could be 1920 (or 1921, based on your map). Unless the cars and truck are post 1920, I would suggest ca. 1920 and assert it was part of the major 1920 (or perhaps 1921) season upgrade. Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, This is not solid, but I think you can point to post WW1 for that road construction. During 1917-1919 it was tough to get road building materials and equipment because they were going to the war effort. I think the same applies to road workers. The 1920 season was the first after the war to be a big construction season. The Caterpillar tractor is pretty big, and appears gas powered, pointing to WW1 or after. The Caterpillar name was initiated by the Holt Manufacturing Company and there is a 1920 Holt manual with the Caterpillar logo on Google Books. Unfortunately it does not include a photo of the 120hp machine itself, but Holt had plants in Stockton, California and Peoria, Illinois. The one thing that is a bit of a fly in the ointment is that we don't know what paving material Illinois was favoring in 1920, but we know from publications of the time that 1920 Illinois state road construction bids included brick and concrete, so brick was a definite possibility, even if concrete may have been favored. I have more than exhausted my knowledge, and I am left admiring your find. Thanks for sharing!! Dave Keep the Show on the Road

Jim, I would look into Caterpillar tractors and see if I could find out when the model in the photo was made. That would help fix a date. Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, It looks like our posts crossed on the net. There was no mention in the 1920 ABB's what material was to be used in the construction in the "coming season." Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, The 1920 ABB says that the greater part of this route will be under construction in the "coming season." The road in the 1920 ABB is described as it was described in the 1917 ABB, so I would surmise that between 1917 and 1920 the road was gravel, and dirt, with short stretches of concrete (as described in 1917 ABB). Then it was significantly upgraded in the summer and fall of 1920. Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

OK, Jim, I dug out a 1917 and 1920 Illinois and a 1920 Transcontinental ABB. No 1918 Illinois in the "archives," sorry. What are you looking for, where, etc.? Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Denny, I keep looking at your red Valiant and wishing I had one! As I noted before, I had a standard run of the mill green coupe in the early 1960's. It was a nice car, but seeing that red convertible makes it much better in my memory! Funny thing, I don't think of a 60's Valiant as “old” but 50 some years sure ain't new. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Jim, Terrific!! What a great sequence! And the fact that you can almost locate the exact spot where they were taken, adds to the interest. I bet a little digging in the State archives would turn up the contract and the details. Now lets find out what the "tar" was and why it didn't show up in your samples. How close can you date the shots with confidence? We could take a look for standard brick laying procedures in that period. Are you close enough to the site to take a spin out there? Dave Keep the Show on the Road!

Well, Denny, you are a regular Steinbeck, what with that description of the laundry experience at Barstow. It is a must read! A little bit of real life on the two lane....or just real life, period. I loved it! I have provided a link here for the uninitiated. http://www.dennygibson.com/lhcc2013/day27/ Dave Keep the Show on the Road

It was a great trip, and I enjoyed following your always interesting exploits! I too am pleased you "did the Tioga," but a bit sad to see the traffic. Sometimes I wonder why folks drive to magnificent places just to rush past them. Yesterday marked 73 years on this globe, and more road trips than I can count....99.9% of them terrific. Tioga was early on my list, when I was still in high school, I drove it in my 51 Chev, and I recall the road as it was then. Safe driving and looking to more from you! Dave Keep the Show on the Road!