SATURDAY, NANCY AND I DECIDED TO TAKE AN AFTERNOON RIDE ON
A BEAUTIFUL WINTER DAY AND HEADED WEST ON 64 TO ANAMOSA.
THIS NICE JONES COUNTY-SEAT TOWN IS FAMOUS FOR THE STATE PRISON AND FOR YEARS, IT'S CONNECTION WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYLES.
J & P CYCLE SALES IS NORTH OF TOWN ON NEW FOUR-LANE 151 (NOW FROM
CEDAR RAPIDS TO DUBUQUE) AND IS A WORLD-WIDE SUPPLIER OF PARTS FOR
THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR BIKE. IN ADDITION TO ITS HUGE WAREHOUSE
FACILITIES, IT HAS A LARGE PUBLIC STORE, CARRYING PARTS AND EVERYTHING
ANY BIKE FAN COULD WANT, INCLUDING CLOTHING. J & P EMPLOYS AROUND
300 PEOPLE AT ITS ANAMOSA AND FLORIDA LOCATIONS. THE OWNERS (FATHER WHO STARTED THE BUSINESS IN ANAMOSA IN THE 70'S AND HIS SON
WHO NOW RUNS IT) BOTH LIVE IN ANAMOSA. MANY YEARS AGO THE DAD STARTED A MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM AT HIS CYCLE BUSINESS, THEN MOVED IT TO DOWNTOWN ANAMOSA AND JUST LAST YEAR, MOVED IT TO THE MUCH BIGGER FORMER WALMART BUILDING NEXT TO THE 151/64 INTERSECTION.
I HAD NEVER VISITED IT DOWNTOWN AND WE HAD BEEN MEANING TO DO SO
AT THE NEW LOCATION AND YESTERDAY WAS THE DAY. PAID THE $7
SENIOR CITIZEN ADMISSION ($8 FOR OTHERS-KIDS FREE) AND STARTED THE
TOUR. AND WHAT A PLACE. AROUND 350 MOTORCYCLES OF ALL AGES AND
EVERYTHING RELATED. A REALLY GREAT MUSEUM. WE SOON RAN INTO
THE OLD 3-WHEEL MAQUOKETA POLICE DEPARTMENT CYCLE THAT WAS
USED FOR MANY YEARS HERE IN TOWN. WHEN I CAME TO TOWN IN '58, IT WAS
THE CYCLE THAT POLICE OFFICER ART HEUERTZ USED TO CHECK PARKING
METERS DOWNTOWN. IF YOU LOOK CLOSE, IN THE SECOND PHOTO FROM THE TOP, IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER, YOU CAN SEE THE YELLOW BLANK PARKING
METER TICKETS THAT HE USED TO WRITE THE PARKING FINE. SOME OF
YOU (ME INCLUDED) WERE ISSUED TICKETS WHEN HE USED THIS CYCLE.
THE BLACK 3-WHEELER WAS IN JACKSON COUNTY FAIR PARADES AND OTHER PARADES TOO. ART WAS A NICE GUY AND SO WAS HIS SON CARROLL (WHO DIED A FEW YEARS AGO) AND WHO WAS FIRST A BARBER AND IN LATER YEARS, OWNED THE BAKERY WITH HIS WIFE CAROLYN, DAUGHTER OF FAMOUS AND POPULAR LONGTIME BAKER, WALT DOLCH, ALSO A NICE GUY AND EXCELLENT BAKER.
WELL ANYWAY, ENJOY THE PHOTOS, AND TRY TO VISIT THE MUSEUM.
I TOOK OTHER PHOTOS AND WILL PUT MORE UP HERE IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT A PLUS ECONOMIC ATTRACTION FOR ANAMOSA, NOW OPERATED BY
A COMMUNITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL
IS NOW RETIRED BUT STILL ACTIVE WITH THE MUSEUM AND IS ON THAT
BOARD.
AS ALWAYS, CLICK-ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM.
DENNIS VOY