Iowa 80 Trucking Museum to Host 100th Birthday Party for 1911 Walker Electric Truck

WALCOTT, IOWA —  Iowa 80 Trucking Museum will host a 100th Birthday party for its 1911 Walker Electric Truck on Friday, July 15th at 2:30 pm.  The event will coincide with this year’s Walcott Truckers Jamboree, July 14-15.  The public is welcome to attend the celebration.

“Many people think that electric vehicles are a recent invention, when in fact they were in production over 100 years ago.” says Dave Meier, museum curator.

The Walker Vehicle Company was based in Chicago, Illinois and manufactured electric vehicles until late 1941. Walker trucks were used mainly as delivery trucks in major cities; delivering ice cream and other dairy products, baked goods and dry goods. This particular truck was owned by Bowman Dairy and used to deliver milk to hospitals, restaurants and hotels.  Electric vehicles were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass production of cheaper gasoline vehicles led to a decline in their use.

Iowa 80 Trucking Museum purchased this particular truck at an auction several years ago.  It is one of only a handful of Walker Electric trucks known to still exist.