In 1913, the Lincoln Highway is dedicated as the first coast to coast highway for cars in the United States. It ran from New York City to San Francisco. At first the route simply took over existing historic routes, including where I took this photo, the Chambersburg Pike in Pennsylvania. The route was eventually replaced in most areas by Interstate 80 starting in the 1950s.
In 1941, construction on Mount Rushmore is finished. It is not fair, though, to say that construction "completed" at that time. Gutzon Borglum began work on the memorial in October of 1927. He had planned for the figures to be featured from head to waist, as well as adding many other monuments to US history, but Borglum died on March 6, 1941. His son Lincoln attempted to continue the project but funding ran out and construction was officially halted on October 31, 1941.
I remember this day quite well. On Sunday October 31, 1993, in the days before the internet, I had gone to the Texas Renaissance Festival. When we got home, I turned on the news to hear the story that actor River Phoenix had died. I was devastated.
River was 23 years old, had already done numerous critically acclaimed movies, and was on his way to being a superstar. On the night before, he and his brother, Leaf(Joaquin) had gone to the Viper Room in Hollywood to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers. River was going to perform with them. River's sister Rain and his girlfriend Samantha Mathis were also there. But some time after midnight, River collapsed on the sidewalk outside from a drug overdose. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
I took this photo of the Viper Room on a trip to LA in 1994. The club was partly owned by Johnny Depp at the time.
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