Tuesday, November 25, 2008 9:42 PM CST
Federal grant to fund new guidebook, museum displays along National Road
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwets@jg-tc.com
GREENVILLE — No longer on the “back burner,” a plan by the National Road Association of Illinois is set to become a page turner thanks to a federal grant, said the association’s executive director.
A $62,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byway Program will fund an exhaustive travel guide for sites on U.S. Highway 40, which parallels the old National Road.
“We average at least 50 requests per month for information on the National Road,” said NRA-IL Executive Director John Goldsmith. “Upon completion, this guide will be a fantastic promotional piece.”
The grant also is paying for museum displays and workshops that are vital to tourism along the historic thoroughfare, Goldsmith said.
In 1806, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation that launched the National Road, which started in Cumberland, Md., and ended in Illinois. Sites along Route 40 in this area include Montrose, Jewett, Greenup, Casey, Martinsville and Marshall.
The idea for a guidebook “has been on the back burner for about a year,” said Goldsmith. “It’s an ambitious project, and the grant allows this to jump from a wish to a reality.”
It would be the first comprehensive guide for the entire 164-mile stretch of the National Road through Illinois, highlighting museums, restaurants, lodging and other attractions.
Goldsmith said the association will be involved actively in the content and design of the book, which he hopes will be available by late spring.
The grant also will support local museums’ efforts to create displays and host workshops. The NRA-IL has already hosted two workshops about marketing, publicity and media relations.
“The museums and attractions are key players in luring travelers off (Interstate 70) and onto the National Road,” said Goldsmith. “The workshops that we’ve offered to museums have been well attended, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
“This grant will allow us to host more of these workshops that can provide education and inspiration to the volunteers that staff these museums ... This is another way of giving something back to the museums and the communities they represent.”
The association was one of 10 Illinois organizations chosen for the FHWA funding this cycle. A total of 221 projects in 43 states received similar grants.
Sheila Martin, NRA-IL board president, said this year’s grant cycle was competitive, and she thanked the FHWA for its support.
Goldsmith said the latest grant ranks sixth among the 10 National Scenic Byway Program grants the association has obtained to date.
“Because we are a not-for-profit organization, all grants are crucial to our effort to promote tourism and interpret the history of the National Road,” he said.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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