1913 and 1928 routes: Van Ness Avenue, along the Lincoln Highway route in San Francisco. Both the original 1913 route and the later 1928 route ran along parts of Van Ness Avenue.
During the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed most of San Francisco Van Ness was used as a firebreak by the US Army.
One of the themes of these Lincoln Highway photos is automobiles. Many of the historic auto showrooms on Automobile Row on Van Ness still exist. Most have been repurposed but Bernard Maybeck’s beaux arts-style Earle C. Anthony Packard Showroom (1927), on Van Ness at Ellis St., continues as an auto showroom and is now a British Motors dealership. (They kindly let me take some pictures inside – very much appreciated.) Also pictured are the former Cadillac showroom (1912) and former Chevrolet showroom (1937, said to be the last major dealership on Van Ness and the only Art Deco showroom). After the photo of the old Chevrolet showroom was taken, this has become a Tesla showroom. How fitting.
The Lincoln statue (1926) is at San Francisco’s Civic Center in front of City Hall on the Polk St. side of the building. The inscription reads: “Erected by Public Subscription under the auspices of the Lincoln Monument League representing the Grand Army of the Republic and the Lincoln Grammar School Association of San Francisco”.
On the west-to-east drive on the Lincoln Highway this is our first Lincoln statue sighting.
The superb Asian Art Museum is located in the former main library building.
