Lincoln Highway Historic Mile Marker Monument (P 102 - Y 16 - G 12) - Abbottstown, PA
N 39° 52.652 W 077° 00.631
18S E 328070 N 4416099
A quick and intentional eye will sometimes help in discovering old and forgotten stone mile markers, like this one. This milepost os on the north side of US 30 (Lincoln Highway) giving distances to Philadelphia, York, & Gettysburg.
Waymark Code: WMHQ98
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/04/2013
Views: 5
This crooked, old granite marker is set into a very green, clove and grass meadow, an idyllic dream complete with cornfields and split rail fences, reminiscent of early 20th century rural America. The stone is in decent shape despite a few small fractures. I'd wager this was built pretty darn close to 1920. First, no way it was built prior to 1863 because Gettysburg would never had made it on the post. Gettysburg was a small, pi$$-ant little town, unknown, until the blue and gray fought there. Next, the Lincoln Highway came on the scene in 1913 and by 1920, was in full swing in Abbottstown, New Oxford and Gettysburg so as a shameless act of self promotion, this dressed stone was erected to help people get to Gettysburg, probably to see the Park & spend some dough. A marker would never be put on a relatively anonymous but to put it on the Lincoln HIghway probably made good sense back in the twenties.
This marker notes the distances to Philadelphia - 102 miles, York - 16 miles, and Gettysburg - 12 miles. It is located about 2 feet N of the N shoulder of US 30 in a mowed area & is about 20 feet S of a split-rail fence running along the highway. It is across the road and about 300 feet NW of the entrance to the Bridges Golf Club. To reach from the intersection of PA 94 & US 30 - proceed about 1 mile E to the post on the left. From the intersection of PA 194 & US 30 in Abbottstown, proceed about 1.5 miles W to the post on the right. SOURCE