Long before President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped create America’s Interstate Highway System, he was a young Army officer confronting the realities of cross-country travel.
In the summer of 1919, Eisenhower joined the U.S. Army’s first transcontinental motor convoy as it traveled 3,251 miles from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. The expedition’s 81 vehicles and nearly 300 participants followed the Lincoln Highway, navigating primitive roads, mechanical failures, deep mud, damaged bridges and other obstacles over the course of 62 days.
The experience left a lasting impression on Eisenhower and helped shape his understanding of the need for a modern national highway network.
About the Documentary
After Ike: A Journey That Changed America retraces the route of the 1919 convoy more than a century later, connecting the expedition’s challenges with its lasting effects on American transportation, communities and culture.
Produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Gregory F. Maassen and co-directed by Michael S. Owen, the documentary brings the convoy’s story into the present while examining how the roads built in its aftermath transformed the way Americans live and travel.
Screening Details
Join us for a special screening of After Ike at the Lincoln Highway Experience:
Saturday, August 15, 2026
4:00 PM
Lincoln Highway Experience
3435 Route 30 East
Latrobe, PA 15650
$10 suggested donation
$5 for Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor members
Post-Screening Panel Discussion
The program will continue after the film with a panel offering historical, military and firsthand perspectives on the convoy, Eisenhower and the Lincoln Highway.
Panelists include:
- Brian Butko, author and historian known for his extensive work documenting the Lincoln Highway and Pennsylvania’s roadside history
- Todd Simpson, retired serviceman, bringing a military perspective to the convoy’s mission, challenges and legacy
- Ambassador Michael S. Owen, retired United States Ambassador and co-director and narrator of After Ike
Guests will have an opportunity to hear additional insights into the making of the documentary and consider how a difficult military expedition helped influence the future of American travel.
Continue the Story at the Museum
The Lincoln Highway Experience is especially fitting for this screening. Our 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy exhibit explores the people, vehicles and conditions behind the historic journey through authentic artifacts and interpretive displays.
Guests are encouraged to explore the exhibit and see the history featured in After Ike brought to life at the museum.
Travel back to 1919—and discover how one demanding journey helped change the road ahead.
For more information, contact the Lincoln Highway Experience at 724-879-4241.
Thank You to Our Speaker Series Sponsors
This special program is made possible through the generous support of our 2026 Speaker Series sponsors:
ArTech Group LLC
Donahue’s Heating & Cooling
We sincerely thank both organizations for supporting educational programming at the Lincoln Highway Experience and helping us share the people, places and stories that shaped travel along America’s first coast-to-coast highway.
