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Washington Evening Journal
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Power wagons on parade in Fairfield
FAIRFIELD — After a two-year hiatus, the Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion made its return to Fairfield last week, culminating in a parade Saturday from the Jefferson County Fairgrounds to Central Park.
The event attracts power wagon enthusiasts from all over the country and the world. They descend on Fairfield every June to show off their power wagons and catch up with friends they haven’t seen in a year.
Clint Dixon lives in Reynolds, Illinois, and has attended every power wagon reunion since they began in 1988. Dixon loves visiting Fairfield and reminiscing with other power wagon fanatics so much that he and his wife came to town in 2020 and 2021, even though there was no official reunion because of the pandemic. He just wanted to keep up the tradition of bringing his power wagon to Fairfield and finding any other enthusiasts he could.
“Unless Fairfield puts a fence around the town, we’ll still show up,” he said. “I meet people here from all over the world. What keeps me coming back are the people. You meet people from all backgrounds, too. One man who comes is a literal rocket scientist, and power wagons are his hobby. How else could I become friends with a rocket scientist?”
Dixon owns two Dodge power wagons. One that he brought to Fairfield last week was made in 1951, which he bought from the original owners, a couple from La Farge, Wisconsin. Every year, they drove the truck to the Old Thresher’s Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, and that’s how Dixson became acquainted with them. After the husband died in 1994, the wife continued to use the truck around the farm, but after a few years decided it was time to sell it.
In 2000, Dixon offered to buy the truck. The wife said she wanted to make sure it went to someone who would take care of it, so Dixon drove his own power wagon to La Farge to show her how well he took care of his vehicles. The wife was pleased with what she saw, and trusted Dixon to take care of her power wagon.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
Clint Dixon shows off his 1951 Dodge Power Wagon during the Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion’s parade through Fairfield on Saturday, June 11. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
Bob Brown stands next to his 1947 Dodge Power Wagon that he brought to the Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion in Fairfield. Brown acquired the truck from Gene Buch, who used it extensively on his farm to move hay bales and perform other tasks. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
The Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion returned to Fairfield in 2022 after taking two years off because of the pandemic. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
Dodge Power Wagons line Broadway Avenue in Fairfield during the Gordon Maney Memorial Dodge Truck Reunion Parade on Saturday, June 11. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
This power wagon once belonged to the Lenox Fire Department in Lenox, Iowa, in the southwest part of the state. (Andy Hallman/The Union)
