FIRST - Information highway for the Midwest - Pontiac, Illinois, USA.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member veritas vita
N 40° 52.875 W 088° 37.755
16T E 362729 N 4526852
In the 1860's The first Information Highway stretched from The East coast of the USA through the Town of Pontiac, then onto the Mississippi River, paralleling the Railroad & the Pontiac Trail, later to become Route 66.
Waymark Code: WMN7XM
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 01/15/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Zork V
Views: 5

The Telegraph poles that passed through Pontiac, disappeared long ago The poles on display were taken from a nearby section of Route 66.
The info Plaque & display poles are located across the road from the Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum.

The Plaque reads:
"The First Information Highway for the Midwest.
The railroad and Route 66 automobile corridor were not only important to the transportation of people and goods, the system of poles and wires that paralleled those byways served as the first information highway for the Midwest."

"In the Land of Lincoln, begins the path of the Mother Road near the shore of Lake Michigan. Connecting the Midwest with the golden state of California, the road from Chicago originally followed State Route 4 from Chicago to East St. Louis. This original piece of gravel road was built before Route 66 even existed and was first called the Pontiac Trail in 1915. In 1918, Illinois began to pave the road and by the time Route 66 was instituted it was entirely paved. This piece of the Mother Road was the first fully paved highway in Illinois and was quickly recognized as the shortest distance between Chicago and St. Louis. By 1927, the Route 66 signs were visible all along the Illinois route." Text Source: (visit link)
FIRST - Classification Variable: Item or Event

Date of FIRST: 01/01/1854

More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:

As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.

Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest First of its Kind
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
veritas vita visited FIRST - Information highway for the Midwest - Pontiac, Illinois, USA. 05/09/2014 veritas vita visited it