28 July 2009

the rest of the story...Elkhart County's LH


Continuing on Highway 33 after leaving the Goshen area (you'll notice the weather turned colder) the Lincoln Highway enters the small community of Dunlap. Dunlap is probably best known for the Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965 which nearly obliterated the community but sparing the Methodist Church. This is probably the best recognized tornado photo in Indiana....the double funnel clouds roaring down U.S. 33.


Again, expansive development has taken a toll on LH-era roadside architecture, but entering Elkhart's southeast side I spotted this remnant of those early days....another traveler's motor court with about a half-dozen brightly painted yellow cottages remaining.



Along this stretch of LH/South Main Street are a fine grouping of well preserved bungalows and period homes, including this Mission Revival home, giving a flavor to the early days of the highway in the city of Elkhart.


Once again a few alignments of the LH can cause confusion in Elkhart. A later alignment turns west onto Indiana Avenue and bypasses the downtown while the original route continues northwest on South Main. The original route has this interesting angled intesection near St. Vincent Catholic Church.



As the LH enters downtown Elkhart it passes by this old garage and service station constructed about 1920.


Downtown Elkhart also has some fantastic buildings including the Midwest Museum of Art, Hotel Elkhart built in 1923, and the Lerner (Elco) Theater.



The LH turns west on Jackson Boulevard at the north end of the downtown, then southwest on Franklin Avenue which becomes Vistula Street/Highway 33/Highway 120 traveling along the north side of the massive railyard, passing by this Deco inspired building, and entering Osceola on its east side.


The later alignment follows Indiana Avenue through the Morehouse Historic District that includes the 1921 Roosevelt School. This route continues out of the city, following the south side of the St. Joseph River passing the Jacob Boss house, a highly stylized Queen Anne constructed in 1897.



The Lincoln Highway turns south at Ash Road near the Ash Road bridge, and continues back to Highway 33 in the little town of Osceola on the St. Joseph County line.


4 comments:

vanilla said...

Thanks for the journey. I travel the same roads and see so much less than you do. Okay, so it's been several years since I traveled this particular road.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't aware of the two Elkhart alignments, esp. that the later alignment followed Indiana Ave. all the way to Ash Rd., and then south on Ash to current 33.

Did you notice the brief old LH alignment, La Rue St., near the railyard?

hoosier reborn said...

La Rue...that doesn't sound familiar. Have to check my records.

Anonymous said...

Google Maps labels it as "Old Lincoln Hwy" which is why I point it out.

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