Lincoln Highway Driving Directions
Driving northwest or East to West on the Lincoln Highway.
This auto tour begins at the US 33 / County Road 50 intersection south of Benton, Indiana.
Traveling north toward the unincorporated town of Benton, you will see the Log Cabin Camp on the right (north) side of the road just beyond the US 33/County Road 33 intersection.
Continue to Benton crossing the Elkhart River. Benton Landing River Preserve is on the left.
Continue into Goshen on US 33.
Fidler Pond Park & Lincoln Highway Gazebo are on the right.
Continuing on US 33, pass Goshen High School on your left and Phend Baseball Field on your right, turn left on to Madison Street. Proceed approximately 6 blocks.
Turn right onto Main Street and enter downtown Goshen. The Goshen Historical Museum and Goshen Theater are on the right. The County Courthouse and Police Booth are on the left and the Olympia Candy Kitchen is on the right.
Turn left on West Pike Street and cross the Pike Street Bridge.
Turn right on Chicago Avenue (Chicago Avenue will soon briefly become Bashor Road).
Pass alongside the Old Bag Factory on your left. The 1890s historic truss bridge is on your right.
Turn right on Beaver Lane to cross the railroad tracks.
Turn left on Wilden Ave which will become CR 45 as you depart Goshen.
Turn left on road to Peddler’s Village to re-cross the train tracks and approach US 33.
Turn right on US 33 and drive through the villages of Midway and then Dunlap.
Cross under US 20 onto Main St into Elkhart.
The National New York Central Railroad Museum is on your left alongside the train tracks and the Elkhart Train Depot is just across the tracks, also on your left.
Proceed through downtown Elkhart. The Hotel Elkhart and the Lerner Theatre are on the right.
Turn left on Jackson Blvd. This will turn into Vistula and then change again shortly to become Franklin St. Turn right (west) on Indiana Avenue.
Cross Nappanee Street / IN 19 and continue straight ahead on CR 16 alongside of the St. Joseph River on your right.
Enter St Joseph County at County Line / Ash Rd and turn left (south).
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
The Rivers and the Native Americans Historical Marker (hmdb.org)
https://www.pokagonband-nsn.gov/citizens/gallery/people-and-places
Indiana Memory
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation - City of Elkhart
Elkhart County CVB
City of Elkhart
Elkhart County Historical Museum
Elkhart Railroad History
Lerner Theatre
Goshen Historic District
Goshen Parks and Recreation
Goshen Historical Society
Indiana Lincoln Highway Association - Contains printable turn-by-turn guides in each direction for each of the eleven counties and other information about Indiana’s Lincoln Highway.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING HISTORIC ROADS
Yet for such a powerful imprint to be placed on the landscape, very little has been said about the need for the preservation of our highways and byways. It has only been in recent years that serious efforts and legitimate dialogue have begun to address the preservation of the routes and corridors that bind us together from state to state and nation to nation – our historic roads.
Paul Daniel Marriott, author Saving Historic Roads and From Milestones to Mile-Markers https://historicroads.org/historic-roads/
Increasingly, communities across the United States and beyond are beginning to recognize that their roads are historic. Historic freeways, transcontinental highways, parkways, farm-to-market roads and traffic circles are being studied, inventoried, debated and discussed in the newest movement in the historic preservation world. Driving my way, on the Lincoln Highway?
Horvath, Dennis, Indiana Cars A History of the Automobile in Indiana, Jackson Press, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2002
CREDITS
Funding for this project was made possible by the Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, Indiana Landmarks, Indiana Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. We also thank the Elkhart County Convention and Visitor Bureau for its assistance in producing and promoting the online version of this driving tour across Elkhart County. Special thanks to the Goshen Historical Society, the University of Michigan, Indiana Memory, Russell Rein, Jeff Blair, and others for sharing images and information related to the tour.
Jan Shupert-Arick, Author and Researcher Jeff Blair, Editor
Beverly Gillespie, Project Director
