Historic highway, byway board to meet Monday in Lodgepole

The Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway Board of Directors will hold its bi-monthly board meeting in Lodgepole on Monday.

The meeting will be at 4 p.m. in the Lodgepole Community Hall, located at 732 McBride Street. At the meeting, community members will have the opportunity to learn more about Lincoln Highway history, byway operations, marketing efforts and will also be able to discuss with byway representatives the impact of the byway on their community.

Also during the board's time in Lodgepole, the regional representative, Heather Hausman, will coordinate a tour of the community and surrounding area, making note of points of interest to highlight in the board's marketing efforts.

The Lincoln Highway is America's first transcontinental highway, first laid out in 1913, stretching from New York to San Francisco. In Nebraska, the Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway is officially Hwy. 30, though byway leaders recognize the many historic alignments that exist on rural roads and through communities. The Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway is the longest of Nebraska's nine byways at 450 miles, from Omaha and Blair on the east to Bushnell and the Wyoming border on the west, traversing 14 counties and running through 46 communities.

The governing body of the Nebraska Lincoln Highway Historic Byway consists of two representatives from each of its three regions. Cheyenne County is part of the western region, which also includes Kimball, Garden, Keith and Lincoln counties.

For many communities along one of the nation's scenic byways, byway marketing is the only avenue available to them for showcasing the unique tourism offerings in their area. These might be an annual festival, distinctive natural resource, remarkable small museum, or quaint mom-and-pop lodging and dining options.

For more information about the upcoming byway meeting, contact Hausman at (308) 254-4030 or the Village of Lodgepole at (308) 483-5353.