At this site on the Lincoln Highway stood Iowa's first and only seedling mile of concrete pavement. R. W. Gearhart was the Linn County Engineer at the time, and Ford Paving Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, constructed the project. Northwestern States Portland Cement Company of Mason City donated 3,000 barrels of cement, and Linn County provided grading, draining, and construction of the 16 ft wide pavement. Reconstruction of the seedling mile section of Mt. Vernon Rd took place in 2002. Approximately four tenths of a mile of the seedling mile was left in place and used as a base for the new unbounded (Portland cement concrete paving.