In 1913, Carl Fisher proposed the "Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway," and executives from automobile and tire manufacturers quickly joined the effort. At the inaugural meeting on July 1, 1913, newly elected president Henry Joy proposed dedicating the highway to the martyred Abraham Lincoln, creating a cause Americans nationwide could rally behind. A highly successful campaign persuaded the public and eventually the federal government that better roads were needed, and the Road Act of 1916 provided seed money for road improvement. The Federal Highway Act of 1921 reflected the need for an interstate road network and provided $75 million to state highway departments. The Lincoln Highway became the most famous road in America and stood as the first successful, all-weather, coast-to-coast automobile highway, created through the vision and perseverance of entrepreneurs. In the early 20th century, as the popularity of bicycles gave way to the expanding automotive industry, demand for improved driving conditions grew because muddy, treacherous stretches, broken-down vehicles, and impassable roads little better than cow paths were becoming intolerable to a mobile public. The 179 miles of the Lincoln Highway through Illinois brought together scenic communities with unique history and culture along the first paved road in Illinois, and this section is the only portion of the route to receive National Scenic Byway designation.