Illinois Lincoln Highway Interpretive Mural - Mokena
11104 Front Street, Mokena, IL 60448
Public Art
The Illinois Lincoln Highway Coalition has produced 35 Interpretive Murals along this National Scenic Byway and its corridor in northern Illinois. These depict the history, heritage and events of the highway and impact on American travel.
The painting vividly portrays an image of Mokena’s first auto garage in the early days of the Lincoln Highway and a vintage tractor. The building featured is the The Cooper and Hostert Garage, owned by brothers-in-law Barney Hostert and Elmer Cooper. Mokena was a rural farming community at that time, so beyond selling gasoline and repairing motor vehicles, the garage also sold cars, trucks, and tractors. The Cooper and Hostert Garage became the first Ford Agency in the area, with Henry Ford personally signing their dealership contract. Opening in 1916, they remained in business until the early 1970s.
