“After Ike: A Journey That Changed America” is a historical documentary that retraces the route of the 1919 U.S. Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy, a monumental expedition that shaped the nation’s approach to mobility and infrastructure.
The film examines how this arduous cross-country trek from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco revealed the poor condition of America’s roads and directly inspired Dwight D. Eisenhower’s later vision for the Interstate Highway System.
Through a blend of archival material, interviews with historians and local communities, and modern and historical footage filmed along the original Lincoln Highway, the documentary illuminates the human stories behind this forgotten chapter of American history.
The convoy’s struggles—mud-soaked roads, broken bridges, and the sheer perseverance of its soldiers—mirror the challenges of a country coming to terms with modernization after World War I.
The Script’s Narrative
The script unfolds as both a road narrative and a reflection on progress, resilience, and national identity. It connects the past and the present, showing how the 1919 journey reshaped America’s landscape and how its legacy still drives how we move, build, and dream today.
This script unites original narration with carefully researched historical sources that form the film's foundation. It draws from a rich collection of archival films, soldiers’ memoirs, official field reports, period photographs, and contemporary scholarship, as well as books and articles documenting the 1919 U.S. Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy.
By weaving these primary and secondary materials together, the script preserves the authenticity of first-hand accounts while contextualizing them within broader historical analysis. The result is a cinematic reconstruction that honors both the spirit of the original journey and the enduring legacy it left on America’s roads, military history, and collective memory.
Script
Ambassador Michael Owen, Author After Ike: My name is Michael Owen, and I'm here on the south side of the White House next to a very important historic marker.
This is a four-foot granite obelisk that a lot of tourists come by every day, but not many people take time to really pay attention to what's written on its side.
On the south side, let's just take a look. Point for measurement of distances from Washington on highways of the United States. So if you're out there in any town in the U.S. and you see the distance to Washington is so much, it's the distance from your location to this obelisk right here south of the White House.
What we're really interested in is here on the west side starting point for the first transcontinental motor convoy over the Lincoln Highway, 7th of July, 1919.
Ambassador Owen at the Obelisk at the White House in Washington DC - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
This was the starting point for the first ever convoy to drive all the way across the United States.
By 1919, a little over a century ago only a handful of hardy individuals had managed to drive from coast to coast. An official multi-vehicle convoy had never even been attempted. Many people thought it would not be possible.
The military organized a convoy of 81 vehicles with some 300 men to drive from Washington all the way across the country to San Francisco.
Among those men was a 28-year-old lieutenant colonel named Dwight David Eisenhower.
The convoy set out from the White House and they made it through Gaithersburg and Frederick Maryland in the first day. From there they went up to Gettysburg and there they got onto the Lincoln Highway, which went all the way out to California.
Up to Chicago, the roads were pretty good. But west of Chicago, the roads were generally not paved and in some cases, not much more than two ruts across the prairie.
https://after-ike.com/unveiling-and-dedication-of-the-zero-milestone-monument-1923/
Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Observer, Transcontinental Army Motor Convoy: I was detailed for duty as observer on the transcontinental motor truck trip on the day that the motor train left Washington, D.C. Being impossible to join the convoy before the evening of July 7th, nothing is known by me of the preliminary arrangements.
Captain William C. Greany, Statistical Officer, Transcontinental Army Motor Convoy: The personnel consisted of 24 expeditionary officers 15 War Department staff observation officers and 258 enlisted men. The objectives of the expedition were to test the vehicles and to determine the possibility and the problems involved in moving an army across the continent.
The expedition was assumed to be marching through enemy country and therefore had to be self-sustaining.
Ambassador Michael Owen: I'm standing here close to the central square in downtown Gettysburg where Ike and the convoy passed through a little over a century ago on their trip out to California.
They drove north from the White House and then when they reached the square the entire convoy turned left to head out west. They were traveling over the Lincoln Highway which is marked by these signs all along the entire route from here out to California.
Joyce Ausberger, Lincoln Highway Museum: These markers were not placed in 1919 when the military convoy was coming across. They had to have somebody map it out for them. In 1913 when the Lincoln Highway got organized it was one mud road after another mud road.
So in 1919 they sent out all of these military vehicles with the military personnel it was definitely to show people that we need to build better roads, better bridges.
It was definitely to show people that we need to build better roads, better bridges - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Brian Butko, Heinz Center Pittsburg: The convoy set out to cross America proving they could do it but also as a test of their equipment. I think they were as shocked as everyone else just how difficult it was. It showed just how much America did need to get out the mud and improve its highway system.
Joyce Ausberger: Look how he is dressed. He is dressed with a suit and I get a kick out of that because look how muddy it is and he is so determined that he's going to make it.
Kay Shelton Kozak, Lincoln Highway Association: And it was not the most enjoyable trip for a young Dwight Eisenhower. Then later after he participated in World War II as the high ranking general that he was, he saw how improved the roads were in Germany.
And then later as president he wanted to make sure that the United States had a really good road system and that all ties back to the Lincoln Highway.
President Eisenhower: The old convoy had started me thinking about good two lane highways, but Germany had made me see the wisdom of broader ribbons across the land. When we finally secured the necessary congressional approval, we started the 41,000 miles of super highways that are already proving their worth.
This was one of the things that I felt deeply about and I made a personal and absolute decision to see that the nation would benefit by it.
https://after-ike.com/at-ease-stories-i-tell-to-friends-by-dwight-d-eisenhower/
Ambassador Michael Owen: Despite conventional wisdom, Ike did not lead the convoy. It was Lieutenant Colonel Charles McClure who was tasked to lead the convoy across the United States. As Greany wrote summarizing the efforts of the convoy.
Captain William C. Greany: The first transcontinental motor convoy under the command of Colonel Charles W. McClure inaugurated a new epoch in the long distance operation of heavy motor transport.
A world record was established in the total continuous distance traveled of 3,251 miles. The expedition possessed a historic significance it being the first motor convoy to cross the American continent comparable to the first steam railroad train and the first airplane flight across the vast expanses of fertile valleys rolling prairie, rugged mountains that lie between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Jim Cassler, Lincoln Highway Association: They had a lot of problems. This was the first time that heavy equipment had gone across the highways. They were able to find out what the road would stand as far as weight of vehicles. And they found that a lot of bridges wouldn't hold up.
Ambassador Michael Owen: As the convoy traveled from Washington D.C., they quickly encountered obstacles, including a covered bridge in Emmitsburg, Maryland that collapsed under the weight of the vehicles.
We know of the many road problems as the military kept a detailed log book. This is what Captain William C. Greany had to say.
Captain William C. Greany: There were 230 road accidents, that is instances of road failure and vehicles sinking in quicksand or mud, running off the road or over embankments, overturning, or other mishaps due entirely to the unfavorable and at times appalling traffic conditions that were encountered. Twenty-one men were lost through various casualties en route.
There were three instances which were spent in the most arduous and heroic effort in rescuing the entire convoy from impending disaster on the quicksands of the Salt Lake Desert in Utah and the Fallon Sink region in Nevada.
In 1919, there were no transcontinental highways. The route directed for the convoy was the proposed location of the Lincoln Highway which at that time existed largely in the imagination and on paper. Over 500 miles was practically impassable to the heavy vehicles. There were also encountered hundreds of miles of mountain trails.
Some of the most dangerous character with steep grades and numerous sharp turns, where a deviation from the wheel paths meant destruction in the depths below. Trucks sank to depths up to several feet and had to be rescued by timber, rope, and chain tackle and jacks.
On a number of days, the personnel labored from 15 to 24 hours to accomplish the pre-arranged forced march itinerary.
Jim Cassler: One of the big problems they had was feeding their people and just keeping them fed and getting food to them along the way was one of the biggest challenges that they talk about.
With the Army convoy they had mobile kitchens. These were cafeterias on wheels - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Kay Shelton Kozak: With the Army convoy they had mobile kitchens. These were cafeterias on wheels. So you can imagine what the technology was in 1919 to move these kitchens. They didn't have electricity. They would have had to stop on the side of the road and start cooking.
The vehicles had issues. They kept getting stuck in the mud.
Col. William T. Carpenter: One of these mobile kitchen trailers will hold enough coffee for only 125 men. When the cans are filled at the end of a half day's run half of the coffee would be spilled out. The rolling kitchens were more trouble than they were worth.
https://after-ike.com/transcontinental-motor-convoy-by-by-col-william-t-carpenter-1920/
Kay Shelton Kozak: You can imagine the soldiers would spend the day physically pulling vehicles out of the mud along with a tow truck that they brought with them, a Militar, but that still involved a lot of physical labor. So these soldiers are very hungry.
Ambassador Michael Owen: With hungry soldiers passing through towns, it's not difficult to imagine that communities pulled out all the strengths to welcome and feed the convoy.
The ladies of the Red Cross and communities played an important role in catering to the convoy although this was, strictly speaking against the marching orders of the convoy. It was originally designed to be completely self-sustaining as though marching through an imaginary enemy country. An objective that the convoy, did not meet.
Lt. Col. Charles W. McClure, Transcontinental Army Motor Convoy: Do not pick a campsite in a town. Go through the town and pick a site at least a mile on the far side. To park for the night in a town is a mistake that will cause much annoyance to the convoy commander. The curiosity and interest of the natives preclude any degree of privacy.
The Motor Transport Corps should pay more attention to disciplinary drills for officers and men and that all should be intelligent, snappy soldiers before giving them the responsibility of operating trucks.
Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower: At the beginning of the trip, discipline among the enlisted personnel of the Motor Transport Corps was almost unknown. It resulted in excessive speeding of trucks, unauthorized halts, unseemly conduct, and poor handling of trucks in the convoy.
Jim Cassler: The Lincoln Highway came along just at the right time in the early part of the 1900s as automobiles were coming of age in this country. More and more people were forgetting about their horses and buying cars and they wanted to go someplace with them.
They wanted to do things. They wanted to see things. And there were no roads outside of the cities that they could drive on. With the Lincoln Highway and the advent of the highways that took off after it, it gave people an opportunity to get out with their cars and travel.
Cindy Ryan, Lincoln Highway Center Shelton: It's a 1915 visitor guide of the Lincoln Highway. It's interesting. It tells you where you can get tires and tubes, different places to stay, state license regulations. It's quite interesting.
Ambassador Michael Owen: By avoiding the Interstates, the Lincoln Highway leads you through a lot of interesting small towns like Dalton, Van Wert, Mifflin. Mifflin has a church steeple that's quite high. It reminds me of how church steeples and grain silos are often the main landmarks you see.
When you drive along this stretch of the Lincoln Highway, they were sort of a guidepost for travelers back in the old days.
Jim Cassler: When the military does something en mass like this was, politicians take notice. And they noticed that, hey, we've got a road here that it's a good start, but we need to improve on that. And so as a result, it wasn't two years later that they passed the Federal Highway Act in 1921 that pretty much established the road system funded by the government across this country.
Ambassador Michael Owen: So was this a federal government project or was it done by the states, or how was it orchestrated?
Jim Cassler: Yes, so the federal government didn't really have any idea of doing anything like this. This was all done initiated by private enterprise. It was started by a gentleman by the name of Carl Fisher from Indianapolis. He was an idea guy.
The Lincoln Memorial in Wyoming - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Kay Shelton Kozak: It was his idea, Carl Fisher's to have a road from coast to coast. He had a friend named Henry Joy, President of the Packard Motor Company. And Henry Joy's father had actually worked with braham Lincoln. And Henry Joy grew up with stories about Lincoln.
He told Carl Fisher, "Your idea's good." "We should have a road that is a memorial to Abraham Lincoln." Henry Joy's idea was to name it the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Highway. Carl Fisher's idea was to have the road coast to coast.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Anyone who's traveled this portion of the Lincoln Highway through Central Ohio is certainly familiar with our location right now. This beautiful wall mural is one of the largest and most artistic found anywhere on the Lincoln Highway. It was painted by Eric Grohe in 1999.
It's here on the Central Town Square in downtown Bucyrus, Ohio. And according to Grohe, he wanted to depict a typical day in the life of Bucyrus in the early 20th century. You can see signs of that time. The little boy selling newspapers.
What really interests us is one particular scene in the left-hand corner. See a man in a uniform and another man in a business suit on the sidewalk. The man in the business suit is showing he has no money. According to artist Eric Grohe, this in fact is Dwight D. Eisenhower who asked a stranger if he could have a dime because he wanted to telephone his wife, Mamie. Unfortunately, the man didn't have a dime. So on that particular day in Bucyrus, Ohio, Dwight D. Eisenhower was out of luck.
This beautiful wall mural is one of the largest and most artistic found anywhere on the Lincoln Highway - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Dwight Eisenhower, he was only 28 years old when he went on this trip. This had a big impact on him and of course he was a driving force behind the Interstate Highway System later. The interstate highways must have had a big impact on the Lincoln Highway and especially some of the small towns the Lincoln Highway goes through. Tell us about that. What sort of impact does that have had?
Jim Cassler: The Lincoln Highway built up a lot of small towns. It went through small town America and it gave a lot of these towns their recognition and their purpose. We all know that Eisenhower during his presidency then pushed the Interstate Highway Act, which was signed in 1956 and that pretty much had the opposite effect on these little towns.
Instead of going through the towns, the Interstates bypassed them. What the Lincoln Highway brought, the Interstates took away which was unfortunate, but people like to get to places faster these days, so that was the give and take.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Driving on the Lincoln Highway, you have long stretches with vistas across open space. It gives you a real feeling of freedom being away from the Interstate and going through small towns where you see vibrant life. Van Wert is a good example of a town that was really diminished when the Interstate Highway System was built close by, but it's now making a comeback as people are working to revitalize and bring new life back to the downtown.
Robin Pennell, Educator and Journalist: We have about two and a half million dollars from the federal government and the state government to be able to renovate these buildings downtown as a historical endeavor to keep our small town communities alive and growing.
People are doing well. Our unemployment is lower than most counties around our size. It's great for Van Wert. We're hoping that once the projects are done, it will attract new businesses, industries to our town and hopefully keep our youth here or to return back after going to college.
Contrary to some beliefs, defense was not the primary reason for the new Interstate Highway System - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Ambassador Michael Owen: Contrary to some beliefs, defense was not the primary reason for the new Interstate Highway System and a flight strip program was not part of the act. The Interstate Highway System did not in fact require that one mile in every five be straight so that it could be used as an airstrip in war or other emergencies.
The system's main justifications were civilian oriented, such as facilitating economic growth and improving transportation safety and efficiency. The interstate had another consequence that had a profound impact on communities of color and urban centers, the displacement of entire communities.
This disruption disproportionately affected black communities as highways were frequently routed through their neighborhoods exacerbating racial segregation and economic disparities. One example can be found not far south of the Lincoln Highway on Interstate 70 in Hanford Village in Columbus, Ohio.
This once thriving enclave was the bastion for African American veterans returning from World War II, but the advent of Interstate 70 led to the demolition or relocation of numerous homes severely disrupting the cohesive fabric of this community.
https://after-ike.com/divided-paths-urban-renewal-and-the-legacy-of-the-interstates/
From Van Wert, Ohio, the convoy traveled onward to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the home of Johnny Appleseed and then reached Elkhart Indiana on July 18, 1919. Today it's known as the RV Capital of the World.
Indiana is believed to be the birthplace of Henry Ostermann who was the vice president and field secretary of the Lincoln Highway Association in 1919. Ostermann was at the head of the convoy for the entire route driving with his Packard Twin Six convertible with flags. He had driven the entire transcontinental route by himself several times before and probably knew the way better than anyone alive.
His guidance was particularly crucial in the western states where the route was anything but clear. Tragically, Ostermann would die on the Lincoln Highway he loved so much in a car accident in 1920, almost a year after the military convoy.
Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Through Ohio and Indiana, a great portion was paved and macadamized. In Illinois, the motor train started on dirt roads and practically no more pavement was encountered until reaching California.
John Nicholson, Franklin Creek State Natural Area: The convoy was a big deal in this area. They wanted these roads to be connected because people were tired of traveling on dirt roads and substandard roads and so on. So they welcomed that convoy.
We are a bedroom community. It's about a thousand people, but we have a bank and a nice little restaurant slash bar and another restaurant. We have a couple of convenience stores in town. Nice thing about Franklin Grove is you know most of the people. You know who your neighbors are. We are trying to make the town look nice, a little better.
We have a very unique prairie northwest of town. About eight, ten years ago, they seeded in a buffalo herd, 28 animals, purebreds. They now have 150 head and it's just a wonderful thing to have in our community. East of Franklin Grove, about a mile, is an original section of the Lincoln Highway. It's never been paved, still gravel. People can drive on it with their old Model A's or their old Model T's and get a good representation of what it would have been like to drive the original Lincoln Highway back in the early 1900s.
I moved back after a corporate job 45 years ago to raise my kids. I don't regret a single minute of it. And in Rochelle, 16 miles from here, is an example of an iconic gas station that would have set on the Lincoln Highway.
In Rochelle, Illinois, there is a restored Standard Oil station - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Kay Shelton Kozak: In Rochelle, Illinois, there is a restored Standard Oil station. Before there were government regulations there were creative people making money selling gasoline and they often mixed it with water to stretch their profits. The gasoline station owners added a glass top to the fuel pumps so then you could see before you put it into your tank that it was really gasoline fuel and that it was good quality.
John Nicholson: And this gas station is an example of many of the buildings and structures you see along the Lincoln Highway.
Ambassador Michael Owen: The convoy crossed the Mississippi River on July the 22nd, 1919. From Fulton, Illinois to Clinton, Iowa there was a rickety old bridge called the High Bridge and they were so concerned about the structural integrity that they only sent a couple of vehicles at a time out on that bridge. It took them several hours to get all the vehicles over but they finally arrived in Clinton, Iowa, across the Mississippi River.
If I was driving the whole Lincoln Highway from Times Square all the way to San Francisco what are some of the highlights along the way? What are some of the special things that I'd wanna stop and take a look at?
Jim Cassler: Just about every mile you go, there's something anything from numerous bridges that are still there. The Tama Bridge in Iowa is probably the most famous where the Lincoln Highway name is cast into the sides of the bridge.
There are historic things like Gettysburg National Park and the battlefield there that's along the Lincoln Highway. The brick stretches of original highway are really great to visit. Probably the longest section is in Nebraska between Omaha and Elkhorn. Fantastic stretch of original brick road and they've got signage on the poles and there's the concrete post markers along there.
It is probably one of the best nostalgic stretches of Lincoln Highway there.
Ambassador Michael Owen: So eastern Nebraska?
Eastern Nebraska, yeah.
Ambassador Michael Owen: So these are bricks that the convoy would have actually driven over.
Jim Cassler: Oh absolutely, yeah. And they look forward to getting to places where the road was really improved. In Gothenburg, Nebraska, there's a great Pony Express stop that's a museum. Oh, there's the architecture the coffee pot, the teapot, novelty things that bring tourists in as they're driving across the road.
As then and now people wanted to separate tourists from their money and so there were things to do than along the Lincoln Highway just as there are today. Every mile is a tourist attraction.
The Tama Bridge in Iowa is probably the most famous - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Ambassador Michael Owen: From Clinton, the convoy traveled to Colo, Iowa known for another iconic gas station constructed in the late 1920s. It wasn't here when the convoy passed through because at that time in 1919 gas stations were few and far between.
At the very beginning of the 20th century a man named Charles Reed owned a substantial amount of land and he noticed that more and more motorists were traveling over the Lincoln Highway. Charles Reed was an ambitious man so he teamed with his nephew, Claire Niland to open what is now known as the Reed Niland Corner. It's a gasoline station, little store small motel, and a cafe. It's still going strong today over a century later and Ike and the convoy drove right by here in 1919 on their way to California.
Brian Butko: Certainly the Interstates have completely changed America taking all the traffic out of towns and putting it out on the four lane and then people stopping at a fast food restaurant there. And of course that completely takes away the traffic from all the towns. That's how many people for a generation were making their living being along the roadside. But of course with that comes the safety and the speed of the Interstates.
Cindy Ryan: The Lincoln Highway is still very important to us. Although the Interstate is four miles away our normal everyday travel all of us pretty much drive the Lincoln Highway to go to Kearney or Grand Island which is each about 25 miles. But there is a lot of traffic on the Lincoln Highway still today. And it's very important to our economy, our everything. The Lincoln Highway is very important to our way of life and to everybody in this area.
Well, I've been here all my life. I guess I just take it kind of take it for granted. Most people that come along, if you really think about it it was quite a undertaking to do it from coast to coast. There's a long ways across the United States to do that. My husband trucked for years so we drove a lot of it. It was quite a feat. It's kind of sad since the Interstate System took over that now a lot of people don't travel it. They're in too big a hurry. So they go down the Interstate at 80 miles an hour and don't see anything. If you've got the time I think it's well worth to travel the old highway.
Jim Cassler: A lot of roadway advertising was born along the Lincoln Highway. And of course the Burma Shave signs were something that sticks out in everyone's mind. That was the series of signs that as you drove you'd catch a part of the statement that they were trying to go. And it was a funny little jingle. You'd read as you went. And it always ended up with Burma Shave as the last signs.
Captain William C. Greany: The expedition crossed 11 states in addition to the District of Columbia and passed through about 350 communities. In this way, approximately 3,250,000 persons were afforded an opportunity to personally see a unit of a motorized army and to understand the vast importance and urgent necessity of motor transport and good roads in the cause of national defense.
It is estimated that this matter was brought directly to the attention of about 33 million persons or nearly one-third of the population of the entire country through the medium of local publicity in the states crossed.
Brian Butko: In an era before widespread communication people would read in the newspaper about the convoy and would show up for the overnight stops that they would make. And they'd be interested in the equipment and hearing the adventures. And of course, the men were pretty worn out from a long day of slogging through whether it was mud or just the pace they were going which I think averages six miles per hour. That's pretty slow when you think about when you see a speed limit nowadays, 25 and how hard it is to go that speed. And then imagine going at six miles per hour across the country.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Yeah, 25 seems like you're poking along. So six would really be difficult, yeah.
Joyce Ausberger: I have to say the newspapers did a good job locating all the information that was sent. Because before they ever got to a town they were published in the paper and they were knowing that they were going to be coming. And the food was being prepared. It was no little thing when the military convoy came.
Ambassador Michael Owen: I've read that at one point Mamie Eisenhower came out and joined Ike for a short time for a few days. One of the places that they stayed was not in the camps bivouacked with the rest of the troops but in the Wheat Growers Hotel. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Brian Butko: That was a very historic hotel. Yeah it was really the showcase of the town at that point and like any small town hotel it had fallen on hard times and been closed.
Ed Avila, Wheat Growers Hotel: The hotel was built in 1918. It was the finest hotel between Denver and Omaha. We had a lot of traffic through on the Lincoln Highway at that time. One of the noted guests of the hotel was then Colonel Eisenhower.
Yeah, we go up the steps to the second floor. Eisenhower stayed in what was an expanded suite on that side. It had a beautiful claw foot bathtub. The hotel was constructed in a very modern way for 1918. It had radiant heat, the big boiler downstairs, and it had 1918 air conditioning. Big project, yeah 20,000 square feet with all kinds of walls and ceiling and yeah.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Part of the idea was to figure out which vehicles would be used and which could be most adequate to actually cross the country under those circumstances. Were there changes made in the military's vehicles as a result of that? Did they pick out certain vehicles that were especially good or decided they need to develop certain vehicles?
Brian Butko: I think it certainly proved what would work what wouldn't, everything from the weight distribution to what kind of engine you want to have and trying to keep dust out. What happens if the mud is up over your axles. Those are really valuable lessons and especially in post-war America where they knew that if a world war could happen once it might happen again, and how to be prepared for it.
Joyce Ausberger: We'll go out here behind the museum and we have a surprise for you. It says. 1918. These are not the original tires, we must point that out.
Mark Thomas, FWD Seagrave Museum: Thirteen. If we could find in the list of serial numbers here.
Jim Hogan, FWD Seagrave Museum: These are the individuals or the individual companies that bought the truck and where they went. Uh-huh.
And those trucks were such an important factor in the winning of World War I - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Terry D. Lorge, FWD Seagrave Museum: This model that we're starting is a 1917 FWD Model B. One of the five that we have in our collection. See how Jim's doing on getting it ready.
Jim Hogan: Got the fuel bowl, control the gasoline. Brake is on, . . . Way to go.
Terry D. Lorge: Vehicles have been sitting for a long time here in the museum. So it might take a little bit to get it started. There we go, and it comes alive. Almost. This truck, 1917 is very well coming alive. The wonderful thing about these trucks is that it's over 100 years old and after just adding some fresh fuel to it and a few cranks on the front of the engine it fired up and ran and continued to run.
Okay, look at the tires on this truck. Could you imagine driving this thing across America over 3,000 miles from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco with no pneumatic tires, no air. Very rigid, stiff suspension on these. One thing about these trucks is they were difficult to steer, but they were drivable and it was demonstrated by a young lady who worked for FWD Corporation.
Her name was Luella Bates and she actually drove one of these trucks to New York and demonstrated how easy they were to drive. And during that process she became the first licensed lady truck driver in America.
Let's see what the serial number of this truck was. 141 would have been one that was in the convoy then. That's too bad. Would have been nice to have one here.
Mark Thomas: And those trucks were such an important factor in the winning of World War I because they were so reliable replacing mules and the other competitive trucks. Anyway, the FWDs came from Clintonville and were invented here and Clintonville has lost the memory of that and we want Clintonville and the entire rest of the country if not the world, to realize what it was.
Marcia Olen, Granddaughter of FWD Founder: I think that it was a very formative experience for Eisenhower to be part of that convoy the 1919 convoy that went across the United States. And him seeing various trucks and what they could do and which one stood up and how important they were in transportation. And I'm sure that that had an effect on him and how he handled things later on in his military career.
https://after-ike.com/f-w-d-trucks-steering-through-1919s-road-challenges/
Ambassador Michael Owen: Ike and the convoy made it into Cheyenne, Wyoming at 5.30 on the evening of August 8, 1919 having traveled 66 miles in 11 hours.
Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower: West of Cheyenne in Wyoming the roads are poor dirt ones with weak culverts and bridges. In one day, 14 of these were counted broken through by the train. The desert roads in the Southwest portion of this state are very poor.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Before reaching Laramie the convoy passed the Ames Monument built in 1882 to honor the Ames Brothers who were financers of the Union Pacific Railroad.
Utah's renowned for striking landscapes but the convoy was focused on navigating rough terrain before reaching Salt Lake City. The convoy was escorted by the reception committee and followed by a parade of hundreds of commercial trucks with two bands and blowing whistles. The parade was later reviewed by the governor of Utah and 18 other states.
The convoy departed a day later and was in for a long and tiresome day. They passed through Fisher Pass along the way.
Carl Fisher was a driving force behind the creation of the Lincoln Highway. He mapped out a lot of the route and insisted that the route come through this particular stretch over this pass. He also donated $25,000 for the construction of parts of the route through this area. And so in honor of Carl Fisher, this particular spot is named Fisher Pass. The convoy passed through here on August the 20th, 1919. And it's a testimonial to the road and the route at the time that there were no problems with the convoy that got over and came down into the flats off to their next destination farther west, close to Orr's Ranch, Utah.
Through this parched and extremely hot landscape travelers were always happy to get some rest but at the end of the day Ike and the convoy were no different. So they were happy when they arrived here at Orr's Ranch where they could get a great meal and a good night's rest before traveling onward.
Lt. Col. Dwight D. Eisenhower: From Orr's Ranch, Utah to Carson City Nevada, the road is one succession of dust, ruts pits and holes. This stretch was not improved in any way and consisted only of a track across the desert. At many points on the road, water is 20 miles distant and parts of the road are 90 miles from the nearest railroad.
Captain William C. Greany: Much inconvenience and even hardship was experienced due to the almost continuous and excessive amount of strenuous work, insufficient rest, lack of shelter ration difficulties, lack of bathing facilities and at times the scarcity of even drinking water. The average amount of sleep which the personnel procured was limited to about five and one half hours per day.
Extremes of temperature, rain, high winds, excessive dust sandstorms and the extremely dry atmosphere of the arid western region combined made for conditions that only military discipline could overcome.
Ambassador Michael Owen: The Great Basin stretches from western Utah all the way across the entire state of Nevada and into eastern California. It's a place of great natural beauty with some forests but lots of grasslands, beautiful mountains. But when Ike and the convoy passed through here in August of 1919, they weren't too focused on the beauty of the area. They were more focused on making sure none of the trucks broke down and they had enough water and food for everyone so they could get through to their next stop farther west in Nevada.
Sagebrush is everywhere out here in the Great Basin, stretches onto to the horizon as far as you can see. Sagebrush actually played an important role in the convoy's success. Along this stretch of the route, the trucks often got bogged down in sand and when they did, the men would cut some sagebrush, cram it underneath the tires and in that way the trucks got traction and they could pull out. So the sagebrush actually was a big part of the success of the convoy through this stretch of the Lincoln Highway.
This is the gateway into Nevada and the loneliest road - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
I'm here on the Nevada, Utah state line. This was not part of the route that the convoy took but it is nonetheless very historic because this is the gateway into Nevada and the loneliest road, one of the most famous stretches of highway in the United States. The convoy crossed from Utah into Nevada over a particularly difficult stretch of road. Some vehicles had a lot of problems, and so the convoy got stretched out over a long distance. They didn't all meet up again until they were in the next town.
Elwell Jackson and his log writes about the strong winds they experienced in this section. The strong wind you can still feel today.
When traveling on the loneliest road the landscapes are breathtaking and lead through old settlements such as Ely which is known for the Nevada Northern Railway Museum and it's vibrant downtown. The road also passes through small towns like Austin with the iconic Stokes Castle and the old mining town of Eureka.
Eureka, Nevada has a reputation of being the friendliest town on the loneliest road, and it is indeed a friendly town and has been for a long time. The population nowadays is only about 600 but back in the mining heyday in the late 19th century the population reached 10,000. There were 20 saloons along Main Street. That'll make a town happy.
Joyce Ausberger: I probably don't know the details of chasing women, but it was natural for guys to be attracted to some lovely ladies, local ladies, and they knew they were only going to be there one day and they were going to be gone the next.
Reporter, Keith County News: While the convoy gathered along the Lincoln Highway to view the mammoth trucks and well-appointed cars attention soon centered on the personnel of the convoy. And the impression left was that of a sturdy, fearless, intelligent, and energetic lot of men including officers drivers, and mechanics.
Joyce Ausberger: They just got acquainted with the local ladies. How's that?
Reporter: The arrival of a military convoy in town has sparked a love story. Private Philip Fred Gollick is overheard in earnest conversation regarding his intentions to marry Miss Mabel Ruth Kelly. The convoy's superior commander exercising prudent caution, raised concerns over the brevity of their acquaintance having known each other for a mere hour. Private Gollick revealed that he had encountered Miss Kelly five days prior and that she had dutifully followed the convoy's journey by train ever since.
Beneath the verdant canopy of nature's embrace, Private Gollick and Miss Kelly exchanged vows in a heartfelt ceremony.
Ambassador Michael Owen: Eastgate was a popular overnight stop along the Lincoln Highway. Eisenhower and the convoy stopped here in 1919 and they remarked on the beauty of the scenery. In fact, some people called it Gibraltar because of the high rock faces.
The convoy departed their campsite and they stopped here to have lunch. About this particular spot, Elwell Jackson writes in his official log: "Noon chow at Frenchman's Station near enormous sand dune 380 feet high." Now, sand dunes that big tend to move slowly so this one is still here except today it's about 600 feet high.
The crossing of Nevada was very arduous, to say the least but the vehicles finally straggled into the capital, Carson City but no matter, once they got given great hospitality and an enormous banquet.
Lydia Beck, Visit Carson City: In 1919 there was a convoy that came through here with Ike Eisenhower and we were a stop on that transcontinental highway. One of our most popular attractions here in Carson City is getting your stamp here at the visitor center. So, visitors travel across what they call the "Loneliest Highway in America," which is Highway 50. We are the first or the last stop depending on where you're coming from. So, if you get your passport book, we'll have a stamp ready for you and you can gather stamps across Highway 50.
It really is just an incredible experience to travel along what is a somewhat desolate highway but it's also filled with amazing attractions and just incredible desert and mountainous areas to see, too.
I'm sure the members of the convoy were feeling pretty happy with that sort of reception - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
Ambassador Michael Owen: So I'm sure the members of the convoy were feeling pretty happy with that sort of reception after all they had gone through to get across Nevada. But the next day, they had one really tough challenge remaining. That was crossing the King's Grade over the Sierra.
Everyone knew that the King's Grade would be one of the toughest portions of the entire trip. Steep uphill in places very narrow, no place to turn around and a vertical drop-off in a lot of places. Special precautions needed to be made. The governor closed the entire road to all other traffic. All of the vehicles got an extensive check, mechanical check, the evening before and each of the trucks had four large stones put inside. Now, why did they have that? Well, it's because if they got stuck on a portion that was sloping they could put those stones behind each of the wheels.
The entire convoy made it all the way across safely in one day and it took an entire day for all the vehicles to get across. Lieutenant Elwell Jackson was the official scribe of the convoy. He was a business-like stick-to-the-fact kind of writer but even he became enthusiastic on seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time. In his journal, he wrote "scenes of the greatest incredible beauty especially around Lake Tahoe." I think most visitors today would agree it is still an amazing sight when you see those beautiful blue waters for the first time.
Placerville, California is a pleasant town that the convoy passed through in 1919. During the California Gold Rush in the 1850s, this was a stop for many of the prospectors who were headed west in search of gold. As you can imagine, there were several saloons and bars along the main road, and things got a little rowdy sometimes. Robberies and murders were at last all too common, and sometimes the townspeople decided to take the law into their own hands. They didn't wait for the "wheels of justice" to turn. That's how Placerville got the nickname "Hangtown."
When the convoy left, they encountered the first asphalt roads they'd driven over since central Illinois just west of Chicago. So they must have been feeling pretty good about getting near the end of the line driving the rest of the way to San Francisco over asphalt roads.
First Lieutenant Elwell Jackson: The convoy departed Placerville on bitumen-surfaced concrete roads lined with palm trees and arrived in Sacramento at 2 p.m. after driving 52 miles in eight hours. The men are tired from the continuous strenuous efforts of the past several weeks but their morale is high at the immediate prospect of attaining the final objective.
In Oakland, the convoy was escorted through a court of honor and flag festooned streets while all whistles around the bay were blowing. The end of the trail was in sight with the western terminus marker of the Lincoln Highway and all the men received a medal from the Lincoln Highway ssociation.
https://after-ike.com/logbook-1919-transcontinental-military-convoy/
https://after-ike.com/1919-the-interstate-expedition/
President Eisenhower: We reached San Francisco at long last although even in California, where the highways were the best we had encountered, we averaged less than 10 miles an hour. Lieutenant Jackson continued to make his reports faithfully. On September 5th, the next to last day he wrote, "But that was the last of our troubles except for final speeches."
https://after-ike.com/at-ease-stories-i-tell-to-friends-by-dwight-d-eisenhower/
Ambassador Michael Owen: This is the western terminus of the Lincoln Highway, where the Lincoln Highway ends and it's also where the 1919 convoy ended their trip across country. They arrived here on September the 6th, 1919. They covered altogether 3,251 miles in 62 days. That comes out to an average of around 58 miles per day. The average speed was just over 6 miles per hour. So imagine driving 6 miles per hour from the White House all the way to this spot in Lincoln Park, San Francisco.
Captain William Greany was the statistician of the convoy and he compiled some interesting statistics. Fifty-five percent of the roads were not paved. So they were driving those heavy vehicles over sand, dirt and through difficult circumstances especially out here in the west.
They broke 88 bridges, but they repaired every single one of them. So in some ways, they probably made the route better than the way they found it. After the trip was over, all the vehicles from the convoy were taken to different military bases and refurbished and all the members of the convoy went their separate ways.
Ike was joined by his wife Mamie and her parents here in San Francisco. He had taken leave, and they had plans for a vacation in Texas. So they started driving to San Antonio but wouldn't you know they got stuck in the mud on the way, and they had to spend a week in a hotel in Oklahoma because the roads were so bad they couldn't go any farther. It seems a fitting end to this trip for Ike, because of course many years later when Eisenhower was in the White House he was the driving force behind the Interstate Highway System and its creation.
This trip really had a major impact first of all, in keeping Ike in the military when he was almost ready to quit but also in Ike's thinking about transportation in our country and the Interstate Highway System that continues to change our lives in so many ways.
https://after-ike.com/at-ease-stories-i-tell-to-friends-by-dwight-d-eisenhower/
https://after-ike.com/ike-and-the-great-truck-train-1919-by-john-e-wickman/
We can turn rivers in their courses, level mountains to the plains - After Ike - A Journey That Changed America
President Eisenhower: We can turn rivers in their courses level mountains to the plains, ocean and land and sky are avenues for our colossal commerce. More than a haven for the weary, it is a hope for the brave. This is the hope that beckons us onward in this century of trial. This is the work that awaits us all to be done with bravery, withcharity and with prayer to Almighty God.
My citizens, I thank you.
Source: Dwight D. Eisenhower's first inaugural address in 1953.