Mile Zero - Washington, D.C.
Posted by: 
flyingmoose
N 38° 53.706 W 077° 02.193
18S E 323383 N 4307107
Zero Milestone on the Ellipse Washington D.C.
Waymark Code: WM12QWT
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 07/04/2020
Views: 11
This stone at the northern edge of the Ellipse was intended to be the starting point for the measurement of all road distances in the United States. It was also the starting point of the first transcontinental convoy on the Lincoln highway. The US Army drove from Washington D.C. to San Francisco covering over 3000 miles. The route started at the Zero Milestone then met up on the Lincoln Highway in Gettysburg. In 1919 (July 7 - September 6), The road was quite different and much more harrowing as the road was unpaved from Illinois to Nevada and many difficulties were met through mechanical issues, broken bridges, etc. It is a storied piece of history related to the Lincoln Highway.
Monument Text:
North: ZERO MILESTONE
West: STARTING POINT OF FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, JULY 7, 1919
South: POINT FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCES FROM WASHINGTON ON HIGHWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES
East: STARTING POINT OF SECOND TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY, JUNE 14, 1920
This waymark highlights an event that is part of the history and culture of the Lincoln highway.