BELLE PLAINE — The historic Preston’s Station along the Lincoln Highway in the tiny town of Belle Plaine remains frozen in time, evoking the beginnings of America’s automobile culture and the sense of adventure that went along with it.
The roadways that increasingly linked cities and states, and that gave motorists a new sense of freedom and adventure, have become scenic byways that, in Iowa, weave in and out of small communities to beckon times gone by.
"They provide back roads that go through some of Iowa's most eclectic small towns," said Stephen Beck, city administrator of Belle Plaine, in Benton County.
On the 100th anniversary since the purchase of the historic Preston’s Station, fourth-generation caretakers Mary Preston and her husband, Garry Hevalow, are looking to restore the service station and bolster the standing of Belle Plaine with the help of state, federal and local funding.
“We want to restore it to be not just an attraction, but to give the town a unique identity, and to make it economically viable for Preston’s and the city of Belle Plaine,” said Mary Preston, the great-granddaughter of the station’s original owner.
To acquire grant funding, the station is looking to secure enough donations to fund 60 percent of the project from private gifts or their own funds. The station is continually looking for grants that do not require one-to-one matching as they continue to raise donations for the project, she said.
The station has received $5,000 from the Lincoln Highway Endowment Grant and $10,000 from the Mansfield Charitable Foundation. However, the duo — with the help of some estimates from engineering firms — estimate it will take close to $500,000.
The restoration master plan first seeks to tackle the structural problems the aging station and other historic parts of the property. They estimate that will cost over $150,000.
After addressing the structural integrity of the structures — which include the station, a roadside museum, a three-room motel and a cabin — the Prestons plan to move in phases in restoring the economic viability of the property each step along the way:
Donate to Preston's Station
To contribute to the restoration of Preston’s Station, you can donate online at prestonsstation.com/help-our-efforts or send a contribution to Preston's Station Historic District at: 402 13th St., Belle Plaine, Iowa 52208. Preston’s Station is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving the station’s history.
Small towns with character
Sign up for Daily News
Subscribe now and receive the latest local news delivered to your inbox every day.
Belle Plaine hosts the most famous of Iowa’s 14 scenic byways: the Lincoln Highway, which runs through the heart of town where Preston’s Station remains today.
Legislation to begin Iowa’s byways was passed in 1988. The byways were meant to promote tourism in Iowa’s small communities to revitalize them a they face an aging and rapidly declining population.
Read More: Explore an elevated ribbon of highway: Iowa’s stretch of Lincoln route designated National Scenic Byway
Byways are a large part of the attractions that bring tourists to Iowa, with more than half of Iowa’s counties containing a scenic byway, Travel Iowa spokesperson Jessica O’Reilly wrote in an email.
“Not only are scenic byways great ways to disperse and market rural Iowa, but they also help to blend Iowa’s history and culture with tourism activities like restaurants, retail and shopping,” O’Reilly wrote. “Not to mention illustrate how much there is to experience in Iowa.”
Byways benefit Iowa’s small towns, but another initiative helps revitalize rural towns by helping them claim their unique identities: Main Street Iowa.
Belle Plaine is one of Iowa’s 50 Main Street Iowa Communities, spearheaded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, to help communities gain an identity to draw tourists and young talent to live there.
A unique identity, history, tourism, and scenic byways are some of the many programs focused on rural communities in Iowa, hoping to keep them economically viable and to make them destinations of their own.
"It shows why people still want to live in these small rural communities,“ Beck said. ”Where life goes a little bit slower."
‘Rich in history’
These days, the station seems like a garden shed because its iconic hodgepodge of antique signs has been temporarily removed pending repairs. But the plan is to return them.
The station originally was purchased in 1923 for $100 by George Preston, Sr. He purchased the small gas station for his sons to run, but one, George Jr., later bought the business from him.
The station was moved several blocks in 1927 to where it remains, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 13th Street, after the Lincoln Highway was routed through Belle Plaine.
George Jr. put Belle Plaine on the map, Garry said. His love for Belle Plaine knew no bounds, whether it was watching a Plainsman basketball game or talking about Belle Plaine on national television.
"He was always sharing the history and lore of Belle Plaine," Beck, the city administrator, said. "He always had time to tell anybody and everybody about Belle Plaine."
George Jr.’s personality brought him to California in 1990, when he was featured on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
George was a man of many words, especially when he was talking about Belle Plaine, Mary said. The segment originally was slated for five minutes, but George stayed on for 10 minutes longer to rave about the “greatest little town on the Lincoln Highway.”
“Belle Plaine — the greatest little town on the Lincoln Highway is Belle Plaine, Iowa,” George told Carson on the archival footage.
After the station closed in 1989, George Jr. would sit there and talk with people who stopped by, whether they wanted to take a photo of the iconic sign-clad exterior or to ask for directions, Mary said.
“We are almost certain some of the stories are urban legends, but only grandpa and dad know the truth of their stories,” Mary said. “As grandpa (George Jr ) said many times, ‘If you don’t believe me, go ask Blanche (Mary’s grandmother).’”
Comments: 319-368-8877; [email protected]