Lincoln Highway in Greene County, Iowa, Historic highway section in Greene County, United States

The Lincoln Highway in Greene County is a National Register multiple property submission approved on March 29, 1993, covering five individual listings and five historic districts. It takes in abandoned dirt-road sections, paved stretches now part of other highways, and infrastructure such as the 1928 concrete Lincoln Highway Markers, 48.5 inches tall with a Lincoln medallion and a stamped "L" and arrow. The abandoned Buttrick's Creek segment, 600 by 66 feet, lies perpendicular to County Road E53 on a grass incline where the old grade and cut banks remain visible.

The Lincoln Highway was conceived by Carl Fisher in 1912 and announced in 1913 as the first route to cross the United States, from New York City to San Francisco. Iowa's 358-mile stretch ran from Clinton to Council Bluffs; Greene County paved its 30 miles by 1924, the first county in the state to do so. The route was realigned several times between 1913 and 1924, and in 1926 it became U.S. 30.

The Lincoln Highway markers were the last official signs used to designate the route. About 3,000 concrete posts, each 48.5 inches high with a Lincoln medallion and the inscription "This highway dedicated to Abraham Lincoln," were cast and placed about a mile apart by local Boy Scout troops in 1928. Six markers are known to exist in Greene County, including one near the Lincoln statue on the Jefferson courthouse square.

Visitors can explore different segments along dirt and paved portions to see varying construction styles from different periods. Plan time for walking or driving along the route to examine the bridges and older structures scattered throughout the area.

The abandoned Buttrick's Creek segment preserves its original 1920 condition, showing how early road builders laid curves and built up layers for durability. This unaltered state makes it a rare example of actual construction techniques from the pioneering road-building era.