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Dodge Truck Reunion brings people from near and far to Fairfield
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – Powerful trucks filled Fairfield all last week during the Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion, put on by Matthew Welcher of the Power Wagon Advertiser.
The week of power wagon events culminated in a parade from the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to Central Park on Saturday, June 7. The Union caught up with a few of this year’s participants to ask about their vehicles, the reunion, and the friendships they’ve made from coming to the event year after year.
Some reunion-goers came from as far away as Washington State, and others came from just down the road. Clayton Delong is a Fairfield resident who participated in the reunion, showing off his 1962 Dodge M37. Delong bought it about five years ago from Kai Butler of Vintage Power Wagons.
Delong has been coming to the annual power wagon rally since he was 13, introduced by his stepdad Cory Palmer, who works at Vintage Power Wagons. A few years later, he went on his first trail ride with then Jefferson County Sheriff Gregg Morton, and he’s been hooked ever since.
Now Delong is participating in the full week of activities at the reunion, which include trail rides on the area’s gravel and dirt roads. Unlike some power wagon owners who bring their vehicle out for shows only, Delong says his is a “work pig” that he uses regularly.
“I pull trees down, and I’m trying to get someone to let me pull a barn down,” he said. “I’ve hauled a metric ton of flooring.”
Scott and Renee Meinhardt of New Baden, Illinois, brought their 1954 M37 to the rally. Scott said his vehicle was used through the Korean and Vietnam wars, and that he acquired it in 2013. It took him five years to refurbish it, and brought it to Fairfield’s power wagon rally for the first time in 2018.
“Most everybody here who has trucks will tell you that the trucks are a portion of it, but beyond that, there is a lot of love for the other people who do it, and the town is very welcoming to us as well,” Meinhardt said. “We come to town one time a year, but I think the folks here come out for the parade, and that’s kind of cool. This is a neat little town.”
Mark Walchle of Decatur, Indiana, brought his 1949 B1PW, which he’s owned by 25 years.
“I enjoy working on them, and once they’re done, it’s time to move on to the next one,” Walchle said.
A few of the rally-goers said they also attend a similar but smaller power wagon rally in Carrollton, Kentucky. Walchle said the best part of attending the rally in Fairfield is the people.
“It’s like a family reunion, except we like everybody here,” he said.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
