(26) Lee Kizer and the Old Ford Garage

Lee Kizer, 93 year old owner of The Old Ford Garage, points to his photo

in an August 1945 Life Magazine

(26) Lee Kizer

Gas Pumps stand like sentries 

at The Old Ford Garage

Lee Kizer is 93 years old and was born in Julesburg, Colorado. He attended school in Julesburg at a school building which was three stories tall. On the first story was the grammar school. The second story was for the middle school. High school was taught on the third floor. Lee's father was also born in Julesburg. His grandparents came to Julesburg with the Union Pacific in the 1860s.

As a teenager Lee helped the janitor at the high school. Since it was during the depression, there was no money to pay Lee, so he was paid with copies of old photographs which the janitor had in a dark room at the school. The photographs date from the very inception of Julesburg. They represent a complete history of the city.

Lee's 1916 Buick

During World War II, Lee joined the Navy and served aboard a ship in the South Pacific. That ship survived a Kamikaze attack the South China Sea. At the end of the war Lee attended a party in Hawaii, hosted by Life magazine. Lee was one of many sailors attending the party and Life arranged  dates for the sailors. At the luau, hosted by Life, a photograph was taken of the girls and the sailors. When Lee saw the magazine he asked his mother to buy it and to save a copy because he was in 2 of the photos. That magazine also features other photos of the end of the war. One of them is a famous picture of the sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square. Lee showed us the magazine and the page with the photo of the sailors at the luau as well as the page with the famous photo. Lee hasn't changed all that much despite the passage and seventy years.

Advertisement for the Old Ford Garage when it wasn't so old

After the war Lee returned to Julesburg and opened  a barbershop on Main Street. At some point after that his mother mentioned to him that he should find some place to display all of his historic photographs. At about this same time Ford dealership had moved from its location where the Old Ford Garage stands to a new location. When the property became available, Lee purchased it. It provided a place for his historic photographs of Julesburg and eventually a place to house his barbershop which he moved from Main Street.

Lee and Linda standing in front of Curtain that once hung in the old Opera House

Lee rehabilitated the building and used it to display his photographs and, at about the same time, he became interested in antique automobiles. The first automobile he purchased was a 1912 Buick. That Buick is still on display in the garage in its unrestored, yet near perfect condition. It is remarkable to view.

Lee also has collected gas pumps and signs from garages in and around Julesburg. He is also collected a number of roadsigns, including antique Lincoln Highway signs and signposts which are on display in the garage.

I need to hustle over and ask that pretty girl to dance.

When we finished viewing the garage, Lee invited us to go next door and upstairs to his old "dance hall". The dance hall is a tribute to the American Military in World War II. There is a bandstand featuring instruments of World War II veterans from Julesburg and background music played of the big band era.

It was hard to tear ourselves away from this delightful diversion from our Lincoln Highway trip. However, in one sense it was not really a diversion. It enriched our understanding of the highway and the historic times which serve as a backdrop for the Highway.

A fitting tribute to the Men who won WWII and their Leaders

We are meeting many people on the Highway who are knowledgeable in its history and are quietly working to preserve it. Lee Kizer is just going the extra measure.

(25) Sydney, Nebraska to Lexington Nebraska

Buffalo Bill's Scout's Rest Ranch in North  Platte. Nebraska

June 16, Sydney Nebraska to Lexington Nebraska

On this trip, as in life, things don't always go according to plan. This is certainly the case today, although today unlike last week the fact that things didn't go according to plan was not a bad thing at all.

Sidney, Nebraska 

"Making the Lincoln Great Again!"

We began the day in Sidney, Nebraska at the Cabela's campground. We ended the day in the campground of the fairgrounds in Lexington, Nebraska. We were all alone except for the road apples and the wind and the Union Pacific Trains.

Abandoned Motor Court near Lodgepole. Nebraska

Near Lodgepole, Ne.

We left Sydney in good time and quickly passed through the towns of Lodgepole and Chapell Nebraska. We then decided to divert from our route to travel to Julesburg Colorado.

Julesburg, Colorado

Originally, on this trip we had intended to take what is known as the "Colorado loop". The Colorado loop was only a part of the Lincoln Highway for a couple of years. It seems that the promoters of the Lincoln Highway had made the mistake of announcing the route for the highway at the Governors' conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Long Gone Tourist Cabins, Julesburg

When it was discovered that the Lincoln Highway would bypass Colorado just as the Transcontinental Railroad had fifty years before, Colorado officials were understandably upset. In order to placate them and  get safely out of town, Lincoln Highway promoters quickly included the Colorado loop.

Outside Old Ford Garage, Julesburg

The loop would leave the Lincoln Highway at Big Springs Nebraska and head Southwest to Denver. From there, it would head north towards Wyoming and rejoined the Lincoln Highway proper.

The promoters of the highway quickly realized that if they said "yes" to Colorado they would be required to say "yes" again and again to other cities and states close to the Lincoln Highway. The "Colorado loop" was quickly abandoned. Lincoln Highway promoters returned to their guiding principle of one single route from New York City to San Francisco that would guide travelers along the most efficient route of travel.

Since our trip has not gone according to plan, we, like the Lincoln Highway promoters, abandoned the Colorado loop. Nonetheless, we decided to divert to Julesberg to visit the Ford garage in Julesberg. It was only 16 miles off of our route and we thought we could quickly stop, take a couple of pictures, and be on our way. We ended up having a wonderful tour of the garage and an adjacent museum and meeting one of the most fascinating individuals of our trip Lee Kizer. Our visit to the Ford garage will be the subject of another post. Suffice it to say that we lost quite a bit of time but we gained a new friend and learned a lot about the history of Julesburg, the Lincoln Highway through Colorado And Lee's Story. Old Ford garage is now owned by Lee Kizer.

Phelps Hotel, Big Springs Nebraska

We finally returned to the Lincoln Highway via Big Springs. At Big Springs we stopped at the Phelps Hotel. After a short stop it was on to Ogallala and then to Paxton. We continued to drive US Route thirty and eschewed Interstate 80. It was a delightful, albeit, late day. At Ogallala we toured Scouts Rest, built and originally owned by Buffalo Bill.

Kristani, our waitress at the Front Street Cafe

 Front Street Café, Ogallala, Nebraska

Hokes, Ogallala, Recently Closed

At Paxton we ended the day, hot and tired at the campgrounds located at the County Fairgrounds. Today is the eve of our 40th wedding anniversary. I wonder if Linda ever imagined 40 years ago that she would be spending her wedding anniversary in the parched fields of the Dawson County Fairgrounds hearing the trains and dodging the
sun. More on this tomorrow.

Vintage Postcard of El Rancho Motel in North Platte, Nebraska

Why it's Buffalo Bill himself

Ole's Big Game Bar, Paxton Nebraska

Camping at The Fairgrounds, Lexington, Nebraska