About Us

“It all began in Iowa. . .” On October 31, 1992, a group of individuals met in Ogden, Iowa. Their main concerns were the future of the Lincoln Highway, the preservation of the road, and public awareness of the historic highway. Bob Ausberger of Jefferson, IA served as LHA president 1994-1996.

Twenty-three years later there are chapters in the 13 states the road traverses as well as interest and awareness in the 13 Iowa Counties that the Lincoln Highway passes through. Forty-four people from seven states met in 1992 at the then City State Bank in Ogden. They formed the “new” national Lincoln Highway Association. The reborn Lincoln Highway Association adopted the name of an earlier group of the same name. In July of 1913, in Detroit, Michigan, a group of men approved the original Lincoln Highway Association with a slightly different purpose in mind – to establish and promote an Atlantic to Pacific improved highway.  From the very beginning, Iowa’s membership in the Lincoln Highway Association exceeded that of the other Lincoln Highway States and continues to do so as interest and membership grows.

The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association is active in preservation, education and promotional efforts relating to the Lincoln Highway which parallels modern U.S. Highway 30 in much of the state.  Long since established and now promoted as an historical highway, the entire length of Iowa’s Lincoln Highway was recently designated as the first Iowa Heritage Byway within the Iowa Byways program of which there are 11 designated byways.  The Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway is managed by Prairie Rivers of Iowa, a nonprofit organization based in Ames.  The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association works closely with the byway to further efforts to preserve and enhance the Lincoln Highway in Iowa.  If you would like to view the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway website, click here.

Mission

The Iowa Lincoln Highway Association shall identify, preserve, interpret and improve access to the Lincoln Highway and its associated Sites, pursue the appropriate measures to prevent further deterioration, destruction or alteration of the remaining sections, publicize and seek public awareness of its goals and activities for preserving and developing the Lincoln Highway, Facilitate research about the Lincoln Highway, and publish a magazine for articles and news of activity relevant to the Lincoln Highway, work with local communities and businesses to promote the Lincoln Highway as a tourism destination, and be exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code. 

Officers
President: Mary Helen Preston
Vice President: Dale Higgins
Secretary: Janice Gammon 
Treasurer: Joyce Ausberger
Iowa State Director: Dean Parr

Clinton County: Open Position
Cedar County: Joe Goodlove
Linn County: Rex Martin 
Benton County: Mike Kelly
Tama County: Alan Richards
Marshall County: Harlan Quick
Story County: Carroll Stokesbary
Boone County: John Fitzsimmons
Greene County: Joyce Ausberger, Dale Higgins
Carroll County: Barbara Hackfort
Crawford County: Ty Rosburg
Harrison County: Kathy Dirks
Pottawattamie County: Eddy Hedegaard