Motorcops: A 100 Year Love Affair Between Police And The Motorcycle

MAGGIE VALLEY, NC – The Wheels Through Time American Transportation Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina has announced plans to open its final exhibit at its Smoky Mountain location highlighting the history of motorcycle police in America. The museum, which houses the world’s premier collection of rare and historic American motorcycles and unique automobiles, will open the 60-day exhibit, Motorcops: A 100 Year Love Affair Between Police and the Motorcycle, on September 26, 2008.

Scattergood Sets A Speed Trap
"Scattergood Sets A Speed Trap"
Featured in the main gallery of the museum’s 38,000 square foot facility, Motorcops will tell the story of the long-lasting relationship between law enforcement and the motorcycle. Dating back one-hundred years to 1908, police forces across the country began using motorcycles to protect and serve. From the rutted, dirt roads of rural America to heavily populated urban cities and towns, the motorcycle became the motorized vehicle of choice, offering greater maneuverability and a reputation for reliability unparalleled by auto manufacturers of the day. From the first official police motorcycle patrol in 1911 to the operation of over 3400 motorcycle law enforcement units today, the rich and colorful history of police and motorcycles remains as strong as ever.

"Through this historically significant exhibit, the Wheels Through Time Museum will pay tribute to the men, women, and machines who have patrolled the American cities, towns, highways, and byways over the past 100 years," says museum curator and founder, Dale Walksler. "We are eager to share, from past to present, the fascinating history of these two- and three-wheeled uniformed patrol officers, and look forward to telling the story of the relationship that has evolved into what it is today."

MotorCops will feature the sites, sounds, and stories of that hundred year love affair, presenting countless machines, memorabilia, artwork, and stories from the past century. Several rare machines from the early- to mid-1900s will be displayed, including a 1937 Harley-Davidson California Highway Patrol motorcycle, a 1942 Harley-Davidson Civil Patrol EL Knucklehead , and a perfectly restored 1954 50th Anniversary Harley-Davidson Police Servicar, to name a few.

Young Tom Patton sits astride a '59 Harley-Davidson Police Model in Birmingham, AL in 1959
Birmingham, Alabama native Tom Patton sits astride a '59 Harley-Davidson police model in Birmingham in 1959
The exhibit will also feature hundreds of photographs, memorabilia, and works of art dating back to the earliest days of motorcycle patrol. Works by renowned Harley-Davidson licensed artist, David Uhl, will be on display, as well as priceless original works such as "Scattergood Sets A Speed Trap", which was featured as the cover art on the 1924 April issue of American Magazine. Original uniforms, a collection of patches from forces across the country, and countless stories from the men and women who patrolled the streets on two wheels will also grace the exhibit.

The creation, opening, and interpretation of the exhibit will be documented in the museum’s Time Machine video archives, featured on the museum website, located at www.WheelsThroughTime.com. The Time Machine will feature several videos on the exhibit, ranging from shows on motorcycle police history to features on the many machines housed within the exhibit.

The new exhibit will open on September 25, 2008 and will run for the final sixty days of the museum’s operations in North Carolina. Law Enforcement agencies, individuals, and groups from across the country will gather at the museum for the exhibit grand opening. All law enforcement officials will receive complimentary admission to the museum during the run of the exhibit and family members will be admitted at half-price. About the Wheels Through Time Museum

The Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina is renowned as the world’s premier collection of rare and historic American motorcycles and unique automobiles. The museum’s mission is to educate and inspire a diverse, multi-generational audience as to the history of American Transporation. Wheels Through Time has been in Maggie Valley, NC since July of 2002, and is currently considering opportunities for its relocation. Known as "The Museum That Runs", its collection spans nine decades of American Transportation, and contains approximately 300 of America’s rarest and most significant motorcycles and automobiles, all of which are in running and operating condition. Many of the machines in the collection are run regularly, to give visitors a glimpse into their purpose, usefulness, and capabilities.

Located at 62 Vintage Lane in Maggie Valley, the museum will be open at its current location through November 30, 2008. Hours of operation are 9a.m.-5p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit the museum’s website, located at www.WheelsThroughTime.com or call the museum at (828) 926-6266.