Muscling into Monmouth

Annual cruise fills downtown with all sorts of cars

Saturday, August 4, 2007

By Stephen Geinosky

GateHouse News Service

MONMOUTH - The 2007 Maple City Cruise is estimated to have attracted around 1,800 cars this weekend, three of which were brought by Ken Barnhart, Elgin Sports Hall of Fame member.

Barnhart proudly displayed his bright orange trio, which included his 1969 ZL1 Camaro and his 1992 ZL1 Camaro. What stands out even more, is that Barnhart's Camaros both have the same serial number, 16 out of 69.

"I wanted an orange four-speed with black interior," said Barnhart, the original owner of the '69 ZL1. "I didn't like the blue or the green, I just liked the 'Hugger Orange' color."

A friend eventually called Barnhart when the '92 Camaros were being built so he could buy one if he wanted. The 1970 Super Stock B Champion asked if he would be able to have the same exterior colors, interior colors and serial number to match his '69 Camaro.

Even more astonishing is Barnhart's truck he uses to pull his '69 Camaro, the original truck he used to haul the car back to Elgin when he bought it from Fred Gibb in LaHarpe.

Barnhart said he takes his car off the truck just once a year, at the Maple City Cruise. However, this year Barnhart has gone a different route. He left the car on the truck with a framed collage of pictures the day he bought the car with the truck. This way, Barnhart feels viewers will be able to view the nostalgia of the truck, along with the significance of his Camaros.

Maple City Cruise organizers try to take visitors back to the heyday of muscle cars by inviting them to look at cars, such as Barnhart's, the way local car clubs have done during unofficial cruises for generations.

Taking up Monmouth's entire Public Square and a few extra blocks, the cruise is the largest of its nine-year lifetime. Cars started lining up as early as 5:30 a.m. Friday.

"I got here this morning at 6:30 and they were here before that," said Randy Reimolds.

The Maple City Cruise started out as a small event for the Maple City Street Machines car club.

"We started out in the McDonald's," said Reimolds. "We had around 20 cars and (the cruise) has continued to grow."

The event has stayed true to its roots, by allowing any car to park on the side of the street without having to register or call ahead. And while the group has only had to turn away cars once, three years ago, Reimolds foresees the possibility of having to turn away cars in the future due to the growth of the event.

For those interested in more than looking at cars, the event has become involved in the Monmouth community. Monmouth's other car group the Balcony Watchers, who prefer to be called a family instead of a club, had a 50/50 raffle to benefit Relay for Life.

"We keep no money from it whatsoever," said the Watchers' unofficial "Queen," Pam Zyburger.

The Watchers also have placed a pink ribbon on the back of each of their cars for Relay for Life.

What both groups find to be the most important part of the Maple City Cruise is how it helps the Monmouth community.

"We've had great support over the years," said Reimolds. "Monmouth bends over backwards to help us out (with the event). It's the best thing that's happened to Monmouth."