The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 8, February 24, 2008, Article 22

NUMISMATICS OF THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY

Jeff Starck writes: "I was reading 'The Lincoln Highway'
by Michael Wallis, with photographs by Michael S. Williamson,
and numismatics popped up several times. The highway,
named for President Lincoln, spans the nation, from New
York to San Francisco. It's an interesting read, and though
I'm only halfway finished, I've found three items related
to numismatics that I thought I'd share with E-Sylum readers.

"In Jersey City, N.J., appears a statue of Lincoln by James
Earl Fraser 'the artist who designed the nickel with a buffalo
head on one side and an Indian head on the other,' as the
author writes. (page 27)

"Later, the book mentions a park near Chicago where visitors
can 'rub for luck the big Lincoln penny mounted on top of
the fountain.' This is the Arche Memorial Fountain in Arche
Memorial Park in Chicago Heights, at the intersection of U.S.
30 and Illinois Route 1 (the Lincoln and Dixie highways,
respectively). Has anyone been there and seen this? How large
is this 'big Lincoln penny?'

[I found one image of the Arche Memorial Fountain on the
Internet showing Fraser's Lincoln:
Full Story  -Editor]

"Finally, the third mention comes in Boone, Iowa, where young
Kate Shelley, a 15-year-old Irish immigrant saved a train
filled with passengers in 1881. When a bridge went out one
rainy July night, she fled to the nearest depot to warn the
express passenger train due to pass over the washed out trestle
within the hour to stop. 'Hundreds of articles about the young
heroine appeared around the world, and the state of Iowa presented
Kate with a gold medal made by Tiffany's.' Shelley died at 46
in 1912. I wonder where the medal is today.

"This article talks about her money woes, as she couldn't
make her house mortgage. Given her money troubles, maybe she
had to sell the medal?"
Full Story

"This site even mentions the medal:
Full Story

"I just did a search and there are many sites that mention
Kate Shelley.
desmoinesriver.org/kshelley.html
americanfolklore.net/folktales/ia.html

"There's even been a book about her:
amazon.com/Kate-Shelley-Robert-San-Souci/ "

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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