Wendler Engineering Services Inc.

In 2006, the Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition received a Federal Highway Administration Implementation Grant and Transportation Enhancement Grant for the construction of twenty (20) Interpretive Gazebos along the Lincoln Highway across Illinois from Fulton to Frankfort. The City of Dixon volunteered to be the Lead Agency for the project and Wendler was selected by the City of Dixon for Phase 1 and Phase 2 engineering for the project.  We reviewed the site plans for each site and prepared plans and specifications for the gazebos.  In addition, we have performed construction inspection for the locations constructed to date.  All site preparation including foundation slabs, approach sidewalks, and landscaping as well as the interpretive sign panels were completed by the individual communities by separate contract.

The Gazebos are open-sided, hexagonal shape, fourteen (14’) across and consists of a wood frame with a cedar-shake shingled roof.   It houses four (4) interpretive panels – one highlighting the history of the Lincoln Highway, one that has stories and history related to the Illinois Lincoln Highway, one that has a map of the Lincoln Highway, and one that highlights the Lincoln Highway in the City of DeKalb.

This project would not have been accomplished without the efforts of the City of DeKalb, the DeKalb Park District, Wendler Engineering, Horizon Displays, Sebastian Construction and the Illinois Bureau of Tourism and the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Sebastian Construction

On hand at the Dedication Ceremony were (left to right):

Representative Robert Pritchard; Kris Polvsen, Mayor of DeKalb; Melissa Hendricks, Illinois Department of Transportation; Senator Brad Burzynsk; Matt Volk, President of DeKalb Park Distric; Bonnie Heimbach, Illinois Lincoln Highway Association (not pictured)

Below are the interpretive signs located within the Gazebo.  Click on each picture for a full version of each Interpretive Panel .