Carls visions that became reality just follow the years 

Pass (Fisher Pass) was part of a plan by the Lincoln Highway Association to shorten the route across the Great Salt Desert. Using Johnson Pass and building a road across the great Salt Flat would shorten the distance between Salt Lake City, Ut and Ely, NV by some 50 miles. Under the leadership of Frank Seiberling President of Lincoln Highway Association, the famous Goodyear Cutoff was started. Henry Joy had resigned as president of the Association and Frank Seiberling was made president. Frank Seiberling make this his own personal project.

He got the Governor of the State of Utah to agree with the idea of building a road where the Lincoln Highway Association thought best instead of a route preferred by the State of Utah. A contract was signed between the Association and the State of Utah making the State of Utah in charge of construction. Greatly under funded work was starting in Johnson Pass. The reason for the Fisher name being attach to this pass was part of the agreement that Carl Fisher money would used in Johnson Pass and exchange for the money the name would change to Fisher Pass. Part two of this agreement was the a monument could be built on this section to honor the creator of the Lincoln Highway. None of this happen as the construction of the road across the Great Salt Flat ran of money before all the problems ran out. Estimate of the cost of construction run as high as 600,000 dollars. Frank Seiberling had his own 25,000, Carl Fisher 25,000 and 75,000 from Goodyear Tire Company making a total of 125,000 way short of the estimates. It is unclear as to the amount of cash that the State of Utah gave to the project but most agree it was way short to finish the project. The amount of cash from the State of Utah was well Using convict labor the state of Utah started construction. Starting with Johnson Pass the road was make more passable to cars by removing large rocks in Devil Gate, building a bridge, and improving the grade. The Fisher Pass was finished the construction crew move on to the Great Salt Desert to build 17 miles of new road. While Fisher Pass was completed the road across the Great Salt Desert was never completed.

The State of Utah received Fisher money with interest, but the agreement was never completed as there was a monument built. Today the Partnership plans to build the monument.

While there were a lot of disagreements on the Goodyear Cutoff as to what happen, the fact remains the Fisher Pass section was completed using Car Fisher money.

The Lincoln Highway Association was proud of the success in Fisher Pass and would show it off frequency.

There are several photos with the leaders the Lincoln Highway showing off Fisher Pass, click here to view them. They used Old Betsy, to show off the completed road. Old Betsy is the offical lincoln Highway Association was a Packard painted red, white, and blue.

Lead again by the official car of the Lincoln Highway, Old Betsy, they traveled the newly finished Fisher Pass. These Wingfoot Express were used to show that they were a speical truck as was the Fisher Plass. Special wood built body were built an a Parkard, Mack, or Macks chassic to move material from the Tire Factort in Aaron OH to the Fabric Mill in Boston MA. Behind the Drives was an enclosed a sleeping Compartment. With a two man crew drivers would alternate driving as the other driver would sleep. The Goodyear Wingfoot express establish the first interstate trucking route on stop a distance of 740 miles. Wingfoot trucks were the first time that pneumatic tires were used on trucks. In 1918 the Goodyear make 4 around trip down the Lincoln Highway proving the success of the new pnematic tires stopping in Fisher Pass to have there picture taken in Fisher Pass.

Today with the help of a partnership monument will be built in memory of Carl Fisher, the founder of the Lincoln Highway. The design uses of local native material including rocks that were remove from the Pass. The monument to be build at the top of Johnson Pass will be the same style as the Osterman monument listing all the states that the Lincoln Highway went though. Architect Steve Ehninger has done a great job in combining both the historical aspect and use of nature material in the monument.

The site of the Carl Fisher Pass monument is at the top of Johnson Pass on state highway 199 between Clover and Terra, Utah.


To view the Fisher Pass Utah on a more detailed larger map with descriptions and photos, click here.