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This week, Abe Lincoln and the Railsplitter Covered Wagon were moved
from their spot on Fifth Street near the American Legion to the
Lincoln Welcome Park downtown at the corner of Pekin and North
Kickapoo Streets.
Monday morning, June 15, 2026, a crew from Brad Matthews
Construction began preparing the wagon for the move. First, they had
to take down the split rail fence around the wagon. Next, they dug
around the wheels, which had settled into dirt and gravel over the
past several years. To take the wheels off, the crew had to unscrew
the bolts holding them. The wheels were so heavy that it took six
men to move each one onto a trailer.
Tuesday morning, June 16, the construction crew unbolted Abe from
his seat and then, with help from R Gingerich Crane of Morton,
hooked him up to a crane to load him onto a trailer for the move.
Abe was reading his book so intently, he did not even look away from
it as the crane swung him through the air before lowering him on the
trailer.
Before the wagon was hooked to the crane, the crew had to brace the
underside of the carriage with wood. A brief rainstorm temporarily
halted the work, but once the rain had passed, they were able to
attach the wagon to the crane and load it onto a lowboy trailer for
the trip into town.
R Gingerich Crane and Brad Matthews Construction crew then drove Abe
and the wagon to their new spot at the Lincoln Welcome Park. Staff
from the Lincoln Department of Tourism and City of Lincoln Streets
Department were on hand downtown to help oversee the work of placing
the wagon in its new spot.
By early Tuesday afternoon, the wagon had been moved into place and
Abe Lincoln was back in his seat. Several metal supports were put
under the wagon to support it until the wheels could be put back on.
Wednesday morning, June 17, before the rains came, the ribs to hold
the cover had been put on and the crew worked on making sure the
supports under the wagon were firmly in place.
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Thursday morning, June 18, the crew put the cover on top of the
wagon. They used a broom to help put the cover over the rib. The
construction crew then secured the canvas to the frame by tying rope
to the crossbars of the wagon lacing it up like shoe. The wheels
will soon be placed on the wagon.
Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch said, "We are excited about the relocation
of the world's largest covered wagon to the welcome park. The new
location will put this iconic attraction front and center for those
traveling Route 66 for the centennial celebration, showcase our
historic community, and create economic opportunities for our
businesses. Tourism is really starting to shine in Lincoln!"
This is the third move for the iconic wagon. The wagon came to town
in 2007, and its first parking spot was at the corner of Lincoln
Parkway and Woodlawn Road. In 2010 it was relocated to a large
grassy area between Business 55 (Route 66) and the motel that was at
that time a Best Western. In 2010, the Guiness World Book of Records
recognized the wagon as the “World’s Largest.”
The wagon was built by David Bentley of Pawnee. He originally had it
on display along Interstate 55. In 2007 he decided it was time to
part with the wagon. It was purchased by Larry VanBibber and donated
to the Abe Lincoln Tourism Bureau of Logan County. When the tourism
bureau changed names and directorships, the wagon was then under the
care of the Logan County Tourism Bureau. In 2025, as part of the
agreement to downsize the funding to the LCTB, the city took
responsibility for the wagon. In early 2026 City of Lincoln Tourism
Department Director Scott McCoy shared that he had hopes of moving
the wagon to the Welcome Garden. He said that the wagon drew
attention from Route 66 tourists, and his goal was to bring that
attention downtown, where visitors might be inclined to check out
the rest of the town, including the downtown shops and eateries.
The wagon is just one change that is coming to the Welcome Garden.
The LINCOLN letters that are currently in the Mel-O-Cream parking
lot will soon be moved to the garden as well, making for an
excellent opportunity for visitors to get out of their vehicles for
those “selfies” that are so popular, and perhaps decide to stretch
their legs by taking a short walk to the downtown area. The Welcome
Garden will be the first thing Route 66 travelers see in the city
and will point them in the direction of the original 1926
installation of the Mother Road, and perhaps a stop at the new
Museum of Route 66 on Broadway Street.
World’s Largest Covered Wagon relocates to downtown Lincoln photo
slideshow
World’s Largest Covered Wagon relocates to downtown Lincoln video
playlist
[Angela Reiners]
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