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68-546: The river begins at Nebelhorn near Johnson Pass about 10 mi (16 km) south of Lake Tahoe . From there it flows west for 87 mi (140 km), past the towns of Kyburz , Pollock Pines and Coloma , before emptying into Folsom Lake , the reservoir formed by the Folsom Dam . The North Fork American River also flows into the lake, and the combined rivers form the American River proper, which flows from

136-537: A trail association rather than for their value as a route between significant locations. By 1925 governments had joined the roadbuilding movement, and began to assert control. Federal and state officials established the Joint Board on Interstate Highways, which proposed a numbered U.S. Highway System which would make the trail designations obsolete, though technically the Joint Board had no authority over highway names. Increasing government support for roadbuilding

204-492: A $ 130,000 contribution by United States Rubber Company president and LHA founder C.B. Seger, the ideal section was built during 1922 and 1923. Magazines and newspapers called the ideal section a vision of the future, and highway officials from across the country visited and wrote technical papers that circulated both in the United States and overseas. The ideal section is still in use to this day, and has worn so well that

272-573: A chapter to it ("Through Darkest America With Truck and Tank") in his 1967 book At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends (Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1967). "The trip had been difficult, tiring and fun," he said. That 1919 experience on the Lincoln Highway, and his exposure to the autobahn network in Germany in the 1940s, found expression in 1954 when he announced his "Grand Plan" for highways. The resulting Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 created

340-553: A coast-to-coast rock highway to be completed by May 1, 1915, in time for the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. He estimated the cost at about $ 10 million and told the group, "Let's build it before we're too old to enjoy it!" Within a month Fisher's friends had pledged $ 1 million. Henry Ford , the biggest automaker of his day, refused to contribute because he believed

408-772: A driver would not notice it unless the marker near the road brought it to their attention. By the mid-1920s there were about 250 national auto trails . Some were major routes, such as the Lincoln Highway, the Jefferson Highway , the Dixie Highway , the National Old Trails Road , the Old Spanish Trail , and the Yellowstone Trail , but most were shorter. Some of the shorter routes were formed more to generate revenues for

476-524: A few weeks later on September 14, 1913, the route was announced. LHA leaders, particularly Packard president Henry Joy , wanted as straight a route as possible and the 3,389-mile (5,454 km) route announced did not necessarily follow the course of the Trail-Blazers. There were many disappointed town officials, particularly in Colorado and Kansas , who had greeted the Trail-Blazers and thought

544-449: A more northerly route toward Pocatello, Idaho. When US 50 was extended to California it followed the Lincoln Highway's alternate route south of Lake Tahoe. The last major promotional activity of the LHA took place on September 1, 1928, when at 1:00 p.m. groups of Boy Scouts placed approximately 2,400 concrete markers at sites along the route to officially mark and dedicate it to

612-726: A snow play area for sledding and tubing. Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is one of the first transcontinental highways in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher , and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway runs coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City west to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The full route originally ran through 13 states: New York , New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Ohio , Indiana , Illinois , Iowa , Nebraska , Colorado , Wyoming , Utah , Nevada , and California . In 1915,

680-480: A synthetic Tartan track was purchased which was very similar to that to be used in Mexico City. Installation was completed in early July and was designed to be easily dismantled and reinstalled, being moved the following summer to nearby South Tahoe Middle School where it survived until 2006. Installed southwest of the summit in the parking lot of a small ski area, hundreds of Ponderosa pine trees remained in

748-464: A team. He can see you 20 miles off". Later editions omitted Mr. Thomas, but westbound travelers were advised to stop at the Orr's Ranch for advice, and eastbound motorists were to check with Mr. K.C. Davis of Gold Hill, Nevada. The Lincoln Highway Association did not have enough funds to sponsor large sections of the road, but from 1914 it did sponsor "seedling mile" projects. According to the 1924 LHA Guide

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816-642: A training camp for high-altitude acclimation, with an elevation similar to the Olympic Stadium in Mexico. The picturesque alpine location was on the cover of the July 1968 issue of Track and Field News . The original men's trials were in Los Angeles in late June, but a second round of trials was added to the training camp. With a motel tax and financial support from Harrah's Tahoe casino ,

884-556: A year after the 25th anniversary in 1939, having lost most of his fortune as a result of the great hurricane that slammed Miami Beach in 1928, followed by the Great Depression at the same time that he was pouring millions of dollars into his Montauk Long Island resort development. On June 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 , authorizing the construction of

952-576: Is BLM land located off Highway 49 on the way to Auburn from Coloma with great hiking, biking and equestrian trails. These BLM managed areas are part of a 20-year joint effort with the American River Conservancy to protect the habitat and beauty of the South Fork of the American River. The trail represents the foothills' various ecosystems including grasslands, oak woodland, chaparral and riparian habitats. There are two dams on

1020-692: Is the highest point on U.S. Route 50 in California, which traverses it at postmile 66.48 between Twin Bridges and Meyers , south of Lake Tahoe . The "Sierra Nevada Southern Route" (aka the "Pioneer Route") of the Lincoln Highway , the first road across the United States , was routed over nearby Johnson Pass in 1913. The current alignment over Echo Summit was constructed between 1936 and 1939. The "Sierra Nevada Northern Route" of

1088-691: The Highway Trust Fund that accelerated construction of the Interstate Highway System . Fisher's idea that the auto industry and private contributions could pay for the highway was soon abandoned, and, while the LHA did help finance a few short sections of roadway, LHA founders' and members' contributions were used primarily for publicity and promotion to encourage travel on the Highway and to lobby officials at all levels to support its construction by governments. According to

1156-601: The Interstate Highway System . The New York-to-San Francisco transcontinental route in the system, Interstate 80 , would however largely follow a different path across the country than US 30. I-80 would also not be signed all the way to the New York City, instead terminating in Teaneck, New Jersey , west of the Hudson River just a few miles short of the George Washington Bridge . In the years since,

1224-567: The Lincoln Highway Association Official Map website . Google Maps prominently labels the 1928–1930 route. Most of U.S. Route 30 from Philadelphia to western Wyoming, portions of Interstate 80 in the western United States, most of U.S. Route 50 in Nevada and California, and most of old decommissioned U.S. Route 40 in California are alignments of the Lincoln Highway. The final (1928–1930) alignment of

1292-681: The United States Numbered Highways system of 1926. Most of the 1928 Lincoln Highway route became U.S. Route 30 (US 30), with portions becoming US 1 in the East and US 40 , US 50 and US 93 in the West. Most significantly, the Lincoln Highway inspired the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 , also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (Public Law 84-627), which

1360-407: The "Colorado Loop" was removed, and in 1928, a realignment routed the Lincoln Highway through the northern tip of West Virginia . Thus, there are 14 states, 128 counties, and more than 700 cities, towns, and villages through which the highway passed at some time in its history. The first officially recorded length of the entire Lincoln Highway in 1913 was 3,389 miles (5,454 km). Over the years,

1428-518: The 13 states along the route. During a dedication ceremony in Iowa, State Engineer Thomas H. MacDonald said he felt it was "... the first outlet for the road building energies of this community". He went on to advocate the creation of a system of transcontinental highways with radial routes. In 1919, MacDonald became Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), a post he held until 1953, when he oversaw

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1496-676: The Association's 1916 Official Road Guide a trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific on the Lincoln Highway was "something of a sporting proposition" and might take 20 to 30 days. To make it in 30 days the motorist would need to average 18 miles (29 km) an hour for 6 hours per day, and driving was only done during daylight hours. The trip was thought to cost no more than $ 5 a day per person, including food, gas, oil, and even "five or six meals in hotels". Car repairs would, of course, increase

1564-460: The LHA organized a design plan for a road section that could handle traffic 20 years into the future. Seventeen highway experts met between December 1920 and February 1921, and specified: The most famous seedling mile built to these specifications was the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) "ideal section" between Dyer and Schererville in Lake County, Indiana . With federal, state, and county funds, and

1632-515: The LHA was more interested in the larger plan for roadbuilding than they were in officially retaining the name. They knew the Lincoln Highway name was fixed in the mind of the public, and James promised them that, so far as possible, the Lincoln Highway would have the number 30 for its entire route. An editorial in the February 1926 issue of The Lincoln Highway Forum reflected the outcome: The Lincoln Highway Association would have liked to have seen

1700-706: The Lincoln Highway corresponds roughly to the following roads: The Lincoln Highway was America's first national memorial to President Abraham Lincoln , predating the 1922 dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., by nine years. As the first automobile road across America, the Lincoln Highway brought great prosperity to the hundreds of cities, towns and villages along the way. The Lincoln Highway became affectionately known as "The Main Street Across America". The Lincoln Highway

1768-424: The Lincoln Highway designated as a United States route entirely across the continent and designated by a single numeral throughout its length. But it realized that this was only a sentimental consideration. ... The Lincoln Way is too firmly established upon the map of the United States and in the minds and hearts of the people as a great, useful and everlasting memorial to Abraham Lincoln to warrant any skepticism as to

1836-557: The Lincoln Highway in 1938. On June 8, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1938, which called for a BPR report on the feasibility of a system of transcontinental toll roads. The "Toll Roads and Free Roads" report was the first official step toward creation of the Interstate Highway System in the United States. The 25th Anniversary of the Lincoln Highway

1904-479: The Lincoln Highway name had been reserved earlier by a group of Easterners who were seeking support to build their Lincoln Highway from Washington to Gettysburg on federal funds. When Congress turned down their proposed appropriation, the project collapsed, and Fisher's preferred name became readily available. On July 1, 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association (LHA) was established "to procure

1972-689: The Lincoln Highway went over Donner Pass . Echo Summit is a trailhead for the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail . Echo Summit is notable for being the location (sometimes listed as " South Lake Tahoe ") of the 1968 U.S. Olympic track and field trials for men, held September 6–16, a month before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City . (The women's trials were at low altitude in Los Angeles County , at Walnut .) The Echo Summit site opened in July as

2040-534: The October 31 dedication ceremonies, the LHA asked clergy across the United States to discuss Abraham Lincoln in their sermons on November 2, the Sunday nearest the dedication. The LHA then distributed copies of many of the sermons, such as one by Cardinal James Gibbons who, with the dedication fresh in mind, had written that "such a highway will be a most fitting and useful monument to the memory of Lincoln". One of

2108-632: The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) as part of the 688 megawatt Upper American River Project and Pacific Gas and Electric as part of the Chili Bar Project. Nebelhorn, California Echo Summit is a mountain pass over the Sierra Nevada in the western United States , located in eastern El Dorado County, California . At 7,377 ft (2,249 m) above sea level , it

South Fork American River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2176-480: The South Fork proper: Slab Creek Dam , which forms Slab Creek Reservoir near Camino , and Chili Bar Dam, located north of Placerville . Both are run-of-the-river dams serving mainly for hydroelectricity production. Other major dams in the South Fork basin include ones at Union Valley Reservoir and Ice House Reservoir on the Silver Creek drainage. Most of the dams and reservoirs in the basin are operated by

2244-543: The United States House of Representatives , wrote, "I believe the time has come for the general Government to actively and powerfully co-operate with the States in building a great system of public highways ... that would bring its benefits to every citizen in the country". However, Congress as a whole was not yet ready to commit funding to such projects. Carl G. Fisher was an early automobile entrepreneur who

2312-689: The accompanying letter, and both were widely reprinted. One of Fisher's first acts after opening LHA headquarters was to hire F. T. Grenell, city editor of the Detroit Free Press , as a part-time publicity man. The Trail-Blazer tour included representatives of the Hearst newspaper syndicate , the Indianapolis Star and News , the Chicago Tribune , and telegraph companies to help transmit their dispatches. In preparation for

2380-492: The attitude of those States crossed by the route. Those universally familiar red, white and blue markers, in many states the first to be erected on any thru route, will never lose their significance or their place on America's first transcontinental road. The states approved the new national numbering system in November 1926 and began putting up new signs. The Lincoln Highway was not alone in being split among several numbers, but

2448-492: The building of enduring highways everywhere that will not only be a credit to the American people but that will also mean much to American agriculture and American commerce". Henry Joy was named as the LHA president, so that although Carl Fisher remained a driving force in furthering the goals of the association, it would not appear as his one-man crusade. The first section of the Lincoln Highway to be completed and dedicated

2516-417: The convoy was greeted in communities across the country. The LHA used the convoy's difficulties to show the need for better main highways, building popular support for both local and federal funding. The convoy led to the passage of many county bond issues supporting highway construction. One of the participants in the convoy was Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower , and it was so memorable that he devoted

2584-432: The cost. Since gasoline stations were still rare in many parts of the country, motorists were urged to top off their gasoline at every opportunity, even if they had done so recently. Motorists should wade through water before driving through to verify the depth. The list of recommended equipment included chains, a shovel, axe, jacks, tire casings and inner tubes, tools, and (of course) a pair of Lincoln Highway pennants. And,

2652-554: The dam southwest to a confluence with the Sacramento River . The South Fork drains an area of 840 sq mi (2,200 km), or about a third of the 2,150 sq mi (5,600 km) American River watershed. Major tributaries include Silver Creek , Rock Creek, Weber Creek, and Silver Fork American River . Most of the watershed consists of high, forested mountains and steep-sided valleys that receive up to 40 in (1,000 mm) of annual precipitation, except for

2720-481: The early days of the effort, each contribution from a famous supporter was publicized. Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Edison , both friends of Fisher, sent checks. A friendly Member of the United States Congress arranged for President Woodrow Wilson , a dedicated motor enthusiast, to contribute $ 5 whereupon he was issued Highway Certificate #1. Copies of the certificate were promptly distributed to

2788-461: The early stages of the Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways . In September 1912, in a letter to a friend, Fisher wrote that "... the highways of America are built chiefly of politics, whereas the proper material is crushed rock, or concrete". The leaders of the LHA were masters of the public relations , and used publicity and propaganda as even more important materials. In

South Fork American River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2856-402: The entire routing between Philadelphia and Granger, Wyoming, was assigned US 30 per the agreement. East of Philadelphia the Lincoln Highway was part of US 1 , and west of Salt Lake City the route became US 50 across Nevada and then US 40 over Donner Pass. Only the segment between Granger and Salt Lake City was not part of the new numbering plan; US 30 was assigned to

2924-453: The establishment of a continuous improved highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific, open to lawful traffic of all description without toll charges". The first goal of the LHA was to build the rock highway from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. The second goal was to promote the Lincoln Highway as an example to, in Fisher's words, "stimulate as nothing else could

2992-539: The government should build America's roads. However, contributors included former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas A. Edison , both friends of Fisher, as well as then-current President Woodrow Wilson , the first U.S. president to make frequent use of an automobile for relaxation. Fisher and his associates chose a name for the road, naming it after one of Fisher's heroes, Abraham Lincoln . At first, they had to consider other names, such as "The Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway" or "The Ocean-to-Ocean Highway," because

3060-493: The greater contributions to highway development was a well-publicized and promoted United States Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy in 1919. The convoy left the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 7, 1919, and met the Lincoln Highway route at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania . After two months of travel, the convoy reached San Francisco on September 6, 1919. Though bridges failed, vehicles broke and were sometimes stuck in mud,

3128-404: The guide offered this sage advice: "Don't wear new shoes". Firearms were not necessary, but west of Omaha full camping equipment was recommended, and the guide warned against drinking alkali water that could cause serious cramps. In certain areas, advice was offered on getting help, for example near Fish Springs, Utah , "If trouble is experienced, build a sagebrush fire. Mr. Thomas will come with

3196-507: The highest elevation on the Lincoln Highway; it was relocated to the nearby Sherman Summit Rest Area on I-80 in 1969. The LHA needed to determine the best and most direct route from New York City to San Francisco. East of the Mississippi River , route selection was eased by the relatively dense road network. To scout a western route, the LHA's "Trail-Blazer" tour set out from Indianapolis in 17 cars and two trucks on July 1, 1913,

3264-596: The highway, was re-formed in 1992 and is now dedicated to promoting and preserving the road. In 1912, railroads dominated interstate transportation in America, and roadways were primarily of local interest. Outside cities, "market roads" were sometimes maintained by counties or townships, but maintenance of rural roads fell to those who lived along them. Many states had constitutional prohibitions against funding "internal improvements" such as road projects, and federal highway programs were not to become effective until 1921. At

3332-433: The importance of a unified, safe, and economical system of roads. ... Now I believe the country is at the beginning of another new era in highway building (that will) create a system of roads far beyond the dreams of the Lincoln Highway founders. I hope this anniversary observance makes millions of people realize how vital roads are to our national welfare, to economic programs, and to our national defense ... Fisher died about

3400-479: The infield, densest on the north end. The high jump pit was also surrounded by huge boulders. Four world records were achieved at the trials. The location became a California Historical Landmark in 2014 with a roadside sign along Highway 50. At the time, this was only the fifth sports-related historical site in California. The ski area, known as Nebelhorn and later Echo Summit, closed twenty years later in 1988. It is now Adventure Mountain,

3468-613: The lowest monthly mean was 86.8 cu ft/s (2.46 m/s) in July 1977. Rafting and kayaking The South Fork of the American has approximately eight sections of boatable whitewater ranging from class II to class V. The most commonly run section of river is the class III stretch between Chili Bar Dam and Folsom Lake. This 20 mile section is best divided into two days of boating, from Chili Bar to Coloma (Chili Bar) and Coloma to Folsom Lake (The Gorge). Established boating and river rescue skills are required to run this section of river. Hiking, mountain biking and horse riding There

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3536-474: The memory of Abraham Lincoln. Less commonly known is that 4,000 metal signs for urban areas were also erected then. The markers were placed on the outer edge of the right of way at major and minor crossroads, and at reassuring intervals along uninterrupted segments. Each concrete post carried the Lincoln Highway insignia and directional arrow, as well as a bronze medallion with Lincoln's bust stating, "This Highway Dedicated to Abraham Lincoln". The Lincoln Highway

3604-458: The press. One of the best-known contributions came from a small group of Native Alaskan children in Anvik, Alaska . Their American teacher told them about Abraham Lincoln and the highway to be built in his honor, and they took up a collection and sent it to the LHA with the note, "Fourteen pennies from Anvik Esquimaux children for the Lincoln Highway". The LHA distributed pictures of the coins and

3672-420: The road was improved and numerous realignments were made, and by 1924 the highway had been shortened to 3,142 miles (5,057 km). Counting the original route and all of the subsequent realignments, there has been a grand total of 5,872 miles (9,450 km). The Lincoln Highway was gradually replaced with numbered designations after the establishment of the U.S. Numbered Highway System in 1926, with most of

3740-461: The route becoming U.S. Route 30 from Pennsylvania to Wyoming. After the Interstate Highway System was formed in the 1950s, the former alignments of the Lincoln Highway were largely superseded by Interstate 80 as the primary coast-to-coast route from the New York City area to San Francisco. Note: A fully interactive free online map of the entire Lincoln Highway and all of its re-alignments, markers, monuments and points of interest can be viewed at

3808-696: The route of the highway. One of the statues was given to Joy in 1914. Joy's statue was later presented to the Detroit Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America . That statue was as of 2012 on display at D-bar-A Scout Ranch in Metamora, Michigan . There is another statue of Lincoln in the main entrance of Lincoln Park (Jersey City) . In 1959, Robert Russin erected the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument at

3876-554: The same day LHA headquarters were established in Detroit. After 34 days of Iowa mud pits, sand drifts in Nevada and Utah , overheated radiators , flooded roads, cracked axles, and enthusiastic greetings in every town that thought it had a chance of being on the new highway, the tour arrived for a parade down San Francisco's Market Street before thousands of cheering residents. The Trail-Blazers returned to Indianapolis by train, and

3944-505: The seedling miles were intended "to demonstrate the desirability of this permanent type of road construction" to rally public support for government-backed construction. The LHA convinced industry of their self-interest and was able to arrange donations of materials from the Portland Cement Association. The first seedling mile (1.6 km) was built in 1914 west of Malta, Illinois ; but, after years of experience,

4012-494: The time, the country had about 2.2 million miles (3,500,000 km) of rural roads, of which a mere 8.66% (190,476 miles or 306,541 kilometres) had "improved" surfaces: gravel, stone, sand-clay, brick, shells, oiled earth, etc. Interstate roads were considered a luxury, something only for wealthy travelers who could spend weeks riding around in their automobiles. Support for a system of improved interstate highways had been growing. For example, in 1911, Champ Clark , Speaker of

4080-438: The tour's passage had meant their towns would be on the Highway. Less than half the selected route was improved roadway. As segments were improved over time, the route length was reduced by about 250 miles (400 km). Several segments of the Lincoln Highway route followed historic roads: The LHA dedicated the route on October 31, 1913. Bonfires, fireworks, concerts, parades, and street dances were held in hundreds of cities in

4148-478: The westernmost section which consists of drier foothill country. The river also contributes about a third of the total outflow of the American River system. According to a U.S. Geological Survey stream gage at Lotus , about 5 mi (8.0 km) above Folsom Lake, the average discharge was 1,458 cu ft/s (41.3 m/s) from 1951 to 1995. The highest recorded flow was 90,000 cu ft/s (2,500 m/s) on January 1, 1997 (see New Year's Flood ), and

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4216-567: Was championed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower , influenced by his experiences as a young soldier crossing the country in the 1919 Army Convoy on the Lincoln Highway. Today, Interstate 80 (I-80) is the cross-country highway most closely aligned with the Lincoln Highway. In the West, particularly in Wyoming, Utah and California, sections of I-80 are paved directly over old alignments of the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln Highway Association , originally established in 1913 to plan, promote, and sign

4284-581: Was inspired by the Good Roads Movement and the National Old Trails Road . In turn, the success of the Lincoln Highway and the resulting economic boost to the governments, businesses and citizens along its route inspired the creation of many other named long-distance roads (known as National Auto Trails ), such as the Yellowstone Trail , Dixie Highway , Jefferson Highway , Bankhead Highway , Jackson Highway , Meridian Highway and Victory Highway . Many of these named highways were supplanted by

4352-400: Was making the old road associations less important, but the LHA still had significant influence. The Secretary of the Joint Board, BPR official E. W. James, went to Detroit to gain LHA support for the numbering scheme, knowing it would be hard for smaller road associations to object if the LHA publicly supported the new plan. The LHA preferred numbering the existing named routes, but in the end

4420-421: Was not yet the imagined "rock highway" from coast to coast when the LHA ceased operating, as there were many segments that had still not been paved. Some parts were because of reroutings, such as a dispute in the early 1920s with Utah officials that forced the LHA to change routes in western Utah and eastern Nevada. Construction was underway on the final unpaved 42-mile (68 km) segment by the 25th anniversary of

4488-403: Was noted a month later in a July 3, 1938, nationwide radio broadcast on NBC Radio . The program featured interviews with a number of LHA officials, and a message from Carl Fisher read by an announcer in Detroit. Fisher's statement included: The Lincoln Highway Association has accomplished its primary purpose, that of providing an object lesson to show the possibility in highway transportation and

4556-688: Was the Essex and Hudson Lincoln Highway, running along the former Newark Plank Road from Newark, New Jersey , to Jersey City, New Jersey . It was dedicated on December 13, 1913 at the request of the Associated Automobile Clubs of New Jersey and the Newark Motor Club, and was named after the two counties it passed through. To bring attention to the highway, Fisher commissioned statues of Abraham Lincoln, titled The Great Emancipator , to be placed in key locations along

4624-552: Was the manufacturer of Prest-O-Lite carbide-gas headlights used on most early cars, and was also one of the principal investors who built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . He believed that the popularity of automobiles was dependent on good roads. In 1912, he began promoting his dream of a transcontinental highway and at a September 10 dinner meeting with industry friends in Indianapolis , he called for

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