The 1913 Lincoln Highway in Lake County, Indiana, part 1: Merrillville and Schererville

When the Lincoln Highway was routed, there was no Google Maps, no Rand McNally atlases, and not even state highway maps as state highway commissions didn’t exist yet. There were “strip maps” for some trips; the American Automobile Association led the way with those starting in 1911. But coverage was limited. Most people turned to comprehensive road guides with turn-by-turn directions between places. The Lincoln Highway Association tried to help motorists starting in 1915 by publishing its own guides to the route. They weren’t as detailed as traditional road guides, but they didn’t need to be — they assumed you were staying on the Lincoln Highway and could follow the signs along the way. Here’s a page from the 1918 guide. Under each city or town is three different distance measures, in miles. The first is the distance from the last “main point” along the route, here Fort Wayne. The second is the distance to the next main point, here Clinton, Iowa. The third is the distance to the next…