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Highway 30 Placed on Washington Street

from the Blair Enterprise Newspaper —  November 3, 1932  Page 1, column 1

Highway No. 30 Placed on Washington Street
Work Will Begin At Once.
Will Hardsurface Road From Bridge to Blair Through the railroad cut.
Will Widen Third Street
Expense Paid by Lincoln Highway Bureau.  Will Finish By Christmas

The long debated location of Highway 30 is over.  Some had wanted it placed on Lincoln street, others South street. The question has perplexed and deadlocked the city council for several years until Tuesday night, like a streak of lighting out of the clear sky, the entire mater was settled in ten minutes.  In fact it all came about so quickly that it still is hard to believe it is true.

The benefits of tourist trade are apparent in all towns and Blair is indeed very fortunate to be able to have so important a highway as No. 30 routed through its Main street.

The entire situation was brought to a head when Frank K Bibb, field secretary for the Lincoln Highway Bureau, appeared before the council urging immediate action.  Mr. Bibb in his short talk set forth the advantages and future plans of the Lincoln Highway Bureau in their construction program which they have recently launched.  He also cited several articles in prominent travel magazines in which tourist were urged to avid the Blair cut off due to bad road conditions.  He set forth the point that the Lincoln Highway is the only year round route to the west unless tourists travel the southern route which is nearly 500 miles further.  Mr. Bibs also stated that the Lincoln Highway Bureau expected eventually to electrically light the entire highway from New York to San Francisco thus making the Lincoln Highway the “Main Street of the Nation.”  In climaxing his speech Mr. Bibbs stated:  “My purpose here tonight is to urge you men (the council) to pass a resolution stating that you accept the propose which I am about to make.”   The Lincoln Highway Bureau wants this road location settled, and settled definitely tonight.  We want no stalling and no arguments and we do want this highway located on Washington Street.  Our proposition is this:  We will improve the road from the Abraham Lincoln Memorial bridge to and through your city limits to the present end of the pavement on Washington street at our own expense.  We will provide a crossing of the railroad right-of-way at our own expense.  We will widen Third street and the block on Washington street between 3rd and 4th streets at our own expense and will care for all expense incurred in securing right-of-ways etc.  In the event we are given permission to do this work we will begin immediately and the project will be completed by Christmas.

The proposition left the members of the council fairly breathless and it took some time to absorb the proposition.: Councilman Jensen moved that the proposition be accepted, and it was unanimously passed.  In a talk with Mr. Bibbs following the meeting it was learned that upon the completion of the work here the No. 30 S. which runs as an optional road through Omaha and Council Bluffs, will be removed which should nearly double the present No. 30 traffic.  Actual construction work will be begin shortly.