A total of 80 twenty-five year and older cars from 7 states and 50 Iowa communities will tour parts of western Iowa June 13-17 as part of the 17th annual MotorMemories spring vintage vehicle tour. Crime Scene Iowa (CSI) is the tour theme, taking a closer look at some of the better, as well as lesser known crime stories in the Hawkeye state.

The tour begins on Wednesday, June 13, with presenting sponsor CWG Insurance hosting an evening event on their Urbandale campus. First CSI stop is Villisca, Iowa, 100 years to the week after six members of the Josiah B. Moore family and two young houseguests were found bludgeoned to death with the Moore’s own axe. The murder spawned nearly ten years of investigations, repeated grand jury hearings, a spectacular slander suit, and murder trial. But after all that, and a century later, the murders remain unsolved. Prior to visiting the murder site, Dr. Edgar Epperly, retired Professor of Education from Luther College will present a lecture on the crime. Dr. Epperly has devoted over 50 years to meticulous research and qualifies as the foremost authority on the 1912 Villisca, Iowa Axe Murders.

Thursday, June 14, West Des Moines to Red Oak with stops in Prescott, lunch in Corning and an afternoon pit stop in Villisca

The next CSI stop is Templeton, Iowa in Carroll County. During the Prohibition Era, these west central Iowa farmers cooked whiskey in their barns and machine sheds to supplement their income in the harsh times. The finished product was much sought-after and sold as Templeton Rye or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know. It was of such a high quality that it quickly made its way to speakeasies in Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha through gangster Al Capone. For almost 80 years the product was considered illegal until it was introduced in 2006 as a legal brand of top shelf liquor.

Friday, June 15, Red Oak to Denison with stops in Griswold, Elkhorn and Templeton

The Denison stop includes a presentation by historian Alan Nelson about Fort Dodge, Iowa native Bill Tilghman, He spent a total of 51 years in law enforcement, was the last of the old time sheriffs and his career went well into the 20th century. His friend and fellow lawman Bat Masterson referred to him as “the greatest of us all”. In 1924, Tilghman aged 70, then marshal of Cromwell, OK was killed while trying to arrest a corrupt prohibition officer.

Saturday, June 16, Denison to Perry with stops in Carroll and Coon Rapids

The Perry stop includes a presentation by historian Rod Stanley, telling of Bonnie & Clyde robbing the bank in Stuart and the Dexfield Park shoot-out where Clyde’s brother Buck was mortally wounded. He also will provide details about an 1895 bank robbery in Adel and the surprising connection to Iowa’s revered football hero, Nile Kinnick.

Sunday, June 17, A drive on the White Pole Road, including stops in Adel and Stuart

The White Pole Road was one of Iowa’s earliest highways, and the Stuart stop includes the restored All Saints Church, destroyed by an arsonist in 1995.

The MotorMemories tours had their beginnings as the MotorIoway 1000, an Iowa Sesquicentennial celebration in 1996. It became an annual event, and has now evolved into multiple vintage vehicle tours each year. “ShineTimes”, where this “traveling museum” is on display for the public take place at formal stops. Tours are open to any licensed, insured motor vehicle manufactured in 1987 and before. Additional tour information can be found at www.motormemories.com.

Presenting sponsor, Continental Western Group (CWG(r)) has been providing insurance protection for collectible vehicles in the US for over 35 years. The CWG(r) program has been designed to insure most collectible vehicles, including classic cars, show cars, modified and exotic vehicles, farm tractors, motorcycles and even vintage military vehicles. Other supporting sponsors include Willis Auto Campus and Duffy’s Collectible Cars. Keep Iowa Beautiful is the charitable “riding partner” for the event.

Participating vehicles include:

First Name; Last Name; City; State; Vehicle

Sue; Adams; Creston; IA; 63 Ford Thunderbird

Gene & Ann; Adkins; Brooklyn; IA; 77 Lincoln Continental Mark V

Rich & Judy; Alston; West Des Moines; IA; 82 Lincoln Town Car

Ron & Marilyn; Ballenger; Moscow; IA; 77 Cadillac Eldorado

Dick & Sue; Boswell; Lincoln; NE; 56 Packard Patrician

Jon & Lindsay; Bratton; Cedar Rapids; IA; TBA

Dick & Dorothy; Brondel; Hiawatha; IA; 73 International Travelall

Floyd & Marie; Burton; Iowa Falls; IA; 51 Packard Patrician 400

Jack & Rose; Byers; Grinnell; IA; 68 Chrysler Crown Imperial

Charles & Joanne; Capper; Marengo; IA; 63 Ford Galaxie 500XL Convertible

Darrell & Beverley; Carson; Murray; IA; 63 Chevrolet Corvair

John & Jocelyn; Caskey; Omaha; NE; 63 Studebaker Lark

Jon & Barry; Christensen; Des Moines; IA; 73 Ford Mustang Convertible

Don & Susie; Christensen; Sergeant Bluff; IA; 50 Plymouth Special Deluxe Convertible

Doug; Clabaugh; Granger; IA; 58 Studebaker Silver Hawk

LaMonte & Jean; Combs; West Des Moines; IA; 56 Ford Thunderbird

James & Char; Cowden; W. Des Moines; IA; 65 Chevrolet Corvair Convertible

Richard; Cranmer; West Des Moines; IA; 65 Triumph Spitfire

Ken & Shari; Crouse; Lake Panorama; IA; 58 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

Dixie & George; Crouse; Lake View; IA; 78 Lincoln Town Car

Larry & Rose; Crouse; Burke; SD; 59 Chevrolet Suburban

Jim & Nona; Dahl; Washington; IA; 56 Ford Victoria

Fred; England; Grinnell; IA; 68 Cadillac Convertible

John & Rose; Fisher; North Liberty; IA; 63 Pontiac Catalina

Noel & Nancy; Friday; Osceola; IA; 58 Rolls Royce Cloud I

Jim & Bonnie; Gabriel; Columbus Jct.; IA; 67 Pontiac Firebird 400

Tom; Gayther; Waukon; IA; 48 Chevrolet Aero Sedan

Dale & Lynne; Gentry; Rockwell City; IA; 67 Pontiac GTO

Dave & Donna; Gilbert; Decorah; IA; 57 Chevrolet Bel-Air

Bob & Penny; Gilchrist; Springville; IA; 66 Triumph TR4A

Hans & Dorothy; Goettsch; Bettendorf; IA; 48 Chevrolet Convertible

Richard; Grieve; Ames; IA; 35 Ford 5 Window Coupe

Ron & Rita; Grimm; Cedar Falls; IA; 63 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

Donald; Hawhee; Bedford; IA; 57 Oldsmobile Holiday 88

Rick; Hickman; Des Moines; IA; 54 Packard Convertible

Jared & Carol; Hills; Cedar Rapids; IA; 49 Ford Custom

Ken & Kathy; Hunter; Clarinda; IA; 57 Ford Fairlane

Pat & Ginny; Hurley; Urbandale; IA; 70 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

Richard & Elaine; James; Newton; IA; 62 Ford Thunderbird

David & Donna; Jiruska; Cedar Rapids; IA; 67 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible

Bill & Connie; Joy; Perry; IA; 51 Kaiser DeLuxe Sedan

Bill; Kees; Norwalk; IA; 68 Buick Skylark Convertible

Gene & Marcia; Kemmann; Wheatland; IA; 72 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Earl; Klosterman; Ashton; IA; 72 Volkswagen SuperBeetle Convertible

Paul & Fran; Koets; Orange City; IA; 72 Chevrolet Custom 10 Pick-up

David; Krieg; Dubuque; IA; 49 Packard Custom Convertible

Steve & Judy; Kroeger; Casey; IA; 47 Fordor Sedan

Joe & Lyn; Land; Piedmont; OK; 71 Chevrolet Chevelle

Jerry & Sharon; Layman; Rockwell City; IA; 70 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible

Bill & Judy; Mally; Des Moines; IA; 66 Cadillac Sedan DeVille

Jim & Sharon; McDonald; Windsor Heights; IA; 57 Ford Thunderbird

Jim; Meyer; Dubuque; IA; 67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

Tom & Brenda; Moore; Solon; IA; 67 Ford Thunderbird

Bruce; Murphy; Chicago; IL; 62 Jaguar Mark 2

H. Wayne; Nelson; Keokuk; IA; 63 Mercury Monterey

Gloria and Lyle; Nelson; Luverne; MN; TBA

Jack & Bobbie; Nordyke; Ames; IA; 85 Dodge 600 Convertible

Chuck & Pat; Oxenford; Shenandoah; IA; 65 Ford Mustang

Jim & Lynn; Oxenford; Polk City; IA; 66 Pontiac GTO

Dave; Parsons; Iowa City; IA; 69 Jaguar XKE 2+2

Bruce; Philipp; Cedar Rapids; IA; 76 MGB

Terry & Chris; Reynolds; Iowa City; IA; 72 Chevrolet Corvette

Jim & Jean; Richter; Glenwood; IA; 64 Studebaker GT Hawk

Norman & Dee; Robinson; Knoxville; IA; 59 Pontiac Bonneville Tri-Power

Jerry & Cindy; Sale; Granger; IA; 58 Studebaker Silverhawk

Gary & Janet; Sanger; Ankeny; IA; 57 Chevrolet Bel-Air

Gerry; Schnepf; Johnston; IA; 59 Buick 225 Electra Convertible

Pat; Schnepf; Johnston; IA; 51 Studebaker Champion Convertible

Dale & Lois; Schramm; Atlantic; IA; 81 Mercedes Benz 240D

Ed & Judy; Shimkat; Manson; IA; 66 Dodge Charger

Warren & Karen; Steffen; Cresco; IA; 67 Ford Galaxie Convertible

John & Sherry; Swanson; Cedar Rapids; IA; 67 Alfa Romeo Duetto

Elvin & Shirley; Tannatt; Fontanelle; IA; 86 Cadillac Eldorado

Troy & Barb; Updike; Murray; IA; 69 Chevrolet Chevelle

Jim & Linda; Vogt; Ottumwa; IA; 57 Ford Thunderbird

Verne & Jane; Webb; Rockwell City; IA; 62 Pontiac Catalina Convertible

David & Arlene; Wenger; Wayland; IA; 61 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible

Bob & Reta; Westercamp; Cedar Rapids; IA; 64 Jaguar XKE

Ione; Wilkens; West Des Moines; IA; 85 Toyota Celica Convertible

John & Kasha; Young; San Antonio; TX; 78 Volkswagen Bus