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Philly To Canton


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I finished a four day drive on Sunday but found that I and the bigger part of a million neighbors were without electricity when I reached home. The outage was caused by high winds left over from hurricane Ike as the storm moved north. I got power on sometime Monday afternoon but many of those neighbors aren't so lucky. Some, it is said, may be waiting a week for electricity. I'm still without phone or internet so this is coming to you through my boss's broadband. Catching up on reading the postings here will likely wait until I have my own access again.

 

The trip started near Philadelphia, PA, and generally followed the Lincoln Highway to Canton, OH, where I attended the Glenmoore Gathering. The Gathering is a concours d'elegance and it was a good one. One reason for going to the Gathering was to see the 1909 Maxwell that will be used to retrace Alice Ramsey's cross country drive next year but the car didn't make it. Friday and Saturday had been wet and soggy ground caused some rearranging at the concours but the skies were clear and the cars were beautiful.

 

On the way to Canton I looked over an 1805 bridge, visited Valley Forge and a yellow brick road, and slept over a bar, inside a 1940s cabin, and adjacent to my garaged car.

 

The Ike delayed posting of the fourth and final day is now at:

http://www.dennygibson.com/lh092008/

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Some great pictures.......! It is great to learn something everyday, and today I learned about the original survey point. I always wondered where they started, because obviously there has to be a starting point.

 

I didn't recognize any of the images from Pittsburg, I worked there for a couple of years, where were they taken?

 

If you get back to that area, there is a restored diner in Butler, PA that is now part of the Harley shop. The owner bought it, moved it to the dealership, and restored it. You don't have to go into the Harley shop to visit the diner either.

 

And......on the outskirts of Butler, towards Pittsburg, there is a historical marker that marks...

 

624d69cf-e661-4135-b5d2-6f91edbecc5d.jpg

 

Here is a link to a page with a map and stuff....If have any interest in Jeeps or their history, Butler is a special place.

 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...ficial%26sa%3DN

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Denny,

 

I have been meaning to ask for a couple of days....isn't that bridge the one the Brian Butko expressed concern about several months ago? Seems like it was either destined to be torn down, or was badly ignored. Any change?

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

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Thank's for the kindwords.

 

I didn't recognize any of the images from Pittsburg, I worked there for a couple of years, where were they taken?
Peppi's is on Penn Ave in Wikinsburg and the "road close" sign was either on Penn or Baum. The "yellow brick road" is near Glenfield. That's about all that was in Pittsburgh.

 

If you get back to that area, there is a restored diner in Butler, PA that is now part of the Harley shop. The owner bought it, moved it to the dealership, and restored it. You don't have to go into the Harley shop to visit the diner either.
That's one more reason for me to visit Butler. I recently learned that a former coworker owns a Quiznos that I believe is in Butler.

 

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On the way to Canton I looked over an 1805 bridge, visited Valley Forge and a yellow brick road, and slept over a bar, inside a 1940s cabin, and adjacent to my garaged car.

Denny, I enjoyed the write-up. The motel near Minerva with the garage was pretty cool. I'd never seen one like that before (the correct address for the motel is http://www.palmantiersmotel.com).

 

I thought your train photo was timed just right and well-composed. And the framing was excellent with the yellow brick road in it, too.

 

And I've learned that I will probably want to skip a "motel and grille" on nights with live entertainment.

 

Chris

Edited by Chris Rowland
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Great photos from another fun-sounding trip. Lots of great stuff - thanks Denny!

 

BTW, Peppi's Diner was built and shipped to Pittsburgh in 1939; meanwhile, the Crosser Diner in Lisbon looks in deep trouble with that bulging roofline and wall supports.

 

Yes, that's the stone arch bridge straddling Poquessing Creek along Philly's NE border. I pointed Sebak there for the PBS show and he has a neat little report and video blog about it here:

http://www.wqed.org/tv/sebak/lincoln_hwy/blog/archives/328

 

My workplace, the Senator John Heinz History Center (a Smithsonian Affiliate) in Pittsburgh has on display the oldest surviving Jeep, made in 1940 at the Bantam plant in Butler. It was one of 70 prototypes made for testing before the US Army had approved the design. Here's some history I wrote about it and a photo of the one here: http://www.explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=973

 

Brian

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I'm a little slow on the draw but I finally managed to read the trip report. Except for the rain, it looks like a great trip, with plenty of excellent things to see. I am blown away by the collapsed road with the tree growing in it. I also enjoyed seeing the yellow brick road. Great stuff!

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....isn't that bridge the one the Brian Butko expressed concern about several months ago? Seems like it was either destined to be torn down, or was badly ignored. Any change?

I clearly recall writing a response to this but it's apparently lost and Brian's already got your question covered. Here's the original thread

http://americanroadmagazine.com/forum/inde...p;hl=Poquessing

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Denny, I enjoyed the write-up. The motel near Minerva with the garage was pretty cool. I'd never seen one like that before (the correct address for the motel is http://www.palmantiersmotel.com).

 

I thought your train photo was timed just right and well-composed. And the framing was excellent with the yellow brick road in it, too.

 

And I've learned that I will probably want to skip a "motel and grille" on nights with live entertainment.

 

Chris

Thanks for the correct link. I intended to check that when I found a connection but obviously forgot.

 

I like the train picture, too, although it was all dumb luck.

 

Regarding the amplified classic rock lullabies, there are times when I'd have been bothered but I knew what I was getting into and actually kind of enjoyed it.

 

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Denny and Brian,

 

It's good that the bridge is being recognized! The vidoe blog Brian posted above is worth a look...and it makes me hope that the bridge will be noted on the October 29 PBS show. That would help the powers that be clarify their direction.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

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Denny and Brian,

 

It's good that the bridge is being recognized! The video blog Brian posted above is worth a look...and it makes me hope that the bridge will be noted on the October 28 PBS show. That would help the powers that be clarify their direction.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

It made the show (airing Oct 29, 8pm) but only briefly. I saw the near-final cut yesterday and it's great fun and beautiful imagery but may frustrate hardcore fans at how little can fit into an hour when needing to include requisite history of the road. It worked out that at least one feature is from each state but count a few minutes for intro, exit, credits, etc, then divide by about 15 segments and that's about 3 minutes each - not much time for lingering shots or multiple locations. That's why producer Rick tried getting PBS to make it 2 hours. The PA segment interviews the LHA director at the Shoe House then she mentions other PA places to visit. Check my LH News blog for two recent updates:

 

http://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/09/16...near-final-cut/

 

http://brianbutko.wordpress.com/2008/09/09...-highway-video/

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Brian, great article on the jeep. I have written a small but growing history of the origins of the jeep from prototype up through the CJ-3A. I have also written a little on selected newer Jeeps. I am not an expert by any stretch of the word, but just have a real interest in the vehicle.

 

Here is a link to what I have done so far.....

 

http://www.links4jeeps.com/forum/index.php?topic=5258.0

 

Take a look.

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Nice work, Hutch. I read through much of your report including all of the earlier stuff. Even though I missed the Butler connection, I'm kind of familiar with the early history of the jeep. My interest comes from the fact that my Dad drove one through Belgium & Germany in 1944 & '45. I tell people that he got an all expense paid trip to Europe including his own car to drive. He was a courier and often slept in the jeep - on his side, between the seats - but had to stand up to turn over. He recalls a crew filming him as he passed through an intersection but never saw the film; maybe no one did. He has no idea what it was for or if it was ever shown. He does recall that, at the time, his jeep carried a "COURIER - DO NOT DELAY" sign. The odds of the film even existing are pretty slim so I've never gotten serious about looking for it but I do perk up when the History Channel shows some WWII footage with jeeps in view.

 

Now, here's a connection between the Bantam Car Company and another historic highway: It was a 1939 Bantam Coupe that Jack Rittenhouse drove while researching his 1946 "A Guide Book to Highway 66".

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