Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: LIFE Magazine at Cordova Dragway, Circa 1955 Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Cool...pictures 2 and 9 show women behind the wheel! I had a friend whose husband had worked for one of the Big 3 in Michigan and she ran Fords on the strip back in the'50's. He retired to Santa Fe and that's where I got to know his wife, she was also a pilot and she always lived at 10/10ths! Unfortunately one day she decided since she could no longer go full out and was having medical issues she would end her life because she didn't want to live life in the slow lane and be a burden to her family. But boy oh boy was she ever a blast to hang with!
WOW......more good stuff from my early formative years. I previously chronicled the trip we all made to Cordova in 1963 during the summer between our junior and senior years in high school......but this is even a step back further. I love the picture of the Slo-Pokes from Dubuque Iowa. I grew up just 25mi from Dubuque and those guys were really, really early to the whole movement. They would hold an annual Winter car show if I remember correctly. We would enter the model car contests at these winter hot rod shows in Dubuque and Manchester Iowa.....what a great time at age 10-14. Sure would like to be able to read the full name of the Speed Shop on the side of the 1947 Plymouth. Good stuff......thanks
A little info on the SLO-POKES I grew up in Dubuque, a lot of gear heads in that country. Dan SLO-POKES Jump to navigationJump to search Emblem of the organization designed by Bob Willis and drawn by Joe Deggendorf, Jr. SLO-POKES. In 1954 the Slo-Pokes was the Dubuque chapter of the National Hot Rod Association. Founded by Joe Deggendorf, Jr., the group rejected the image of wild driving up and down city streets. Hot rods, explained Deggendorf, unlike stock cars were built for beauty and speed. Hot rod racing done on a straight track with only two cars in competition was a perfectly safe speed contest, he contended. Another of the early members was John William RILEY. Working in a 'pretty good sized garage' on 18th Street between White and Jackson, he remembered being one of the youngest members at the age of about 17. At the time he was building a '33 Plymouth sporting a Chrysler V8. (1) One of the reasons the club was founded was to promote the construction of a track in Dubuque. The club members had to travel to Chicago to race their 120-mile per hour racers. Deggendorf watched for other hot rods around town and then tracked down their owners to establish interest in the club. Besides Deggendorf, the club members included Bob Willis, president; Joe Willis, vice president; and Leonard Pitz, treasurer. The goal of the national group, organized in March 1951, was to "promote interest in various types of hot rod activities and to create an attitude of good sportsmanship and good citizenship among all members." To show its commitment to the national goals, the local club established that any member arrested for violation of a city ordinance or state laws who paid a fine had to pay half the same amount to the club's treasury. (2) The group sought to incorporate in 1955. Invitations were sent to representatives of the Road Knights from Cedar Rapids and the Ignitors, a group from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to a meeting to explain the purposes and practices of their organizations. Both were national association clubs. President Robert Willis of the Slo-Pokes invited those in attendance to join whether they owned a hot rod or not. Each person was placed on a 30-day probationary period before becoming a member. (3) In 1955 a proposal for a safety campaign using bumper slogans was rejected. Members decided that a safety check on all member cars was as important and Robert Willis was named director of the car check committee. (4) The same year members of the Dubuque club and a Buchanan County highway patrolman helped form a new hot rod club in Jesup. (5) Since there was no local drag strip on which to test their cars, drivers had to travel to Chicago, Cordova, and Lawrenceville, Illinois. Although they lobbied unsuccessfully, the Slo-Pokes organized Safety Belt Drives and held auto safety inspections for the public. Local police officers supervised the Go and Whoa. The event called for a driver to drive a short distance on a local street and then stop before crossing a line on the pavement. Trophies were supplied to winners of reliability runs covering distances between 30 to 70 miles. Drivers followed a hand-drawn map while obeying all traffic signals and perhaps changing a tire along the course. A picnic was held at the end of the event. Club members also handed out courtesy cards after helping another driver. (6) Club members wore their flue and white Slo-Poke uniforms with the club emblem designed by Joe Dennendorf. Soon after organizing an auxiliary of wives and girlfriends was formed. The Poke-Ettes occasionally attended races and assisted in record-keeping. (7) --- Source: 1. Day, Mike, "Pedal to the Mettle," Telegraph Herald, June 27, 2024, p. 7A 2. Ibid. 3. "Slo-Pokes Hot Rod Club Seeks Incorporation," Telegraph-Herald, June 12, 1955, p. 6 4. "Slo-Pokes Turn Down Slogan Plan; Prefer Car Check," Telegraph-Herald, September 18, 1955, p 3 5. "Slo-Poke Visitors Organize Jesup Auto Enthusiasts," Telegraph-Herald, November 3, 1955, p. 2 6. Day 7. Day
Wow.......that is really good stuff. I even recognize some of those names like Bob Willis and of course John Riley. Thanks again for a very definitive background on the Slo Pokes. Let's stay in touch
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