‘Marvels of Automotive Design’: Newly Opened Museum Features Classic Cars
Graham Motor Museum in Lake Hallie showcases a century of amazing autos
Tucked inside a nondescript building in commercial area of Lake Hallie is a treasure trove of automotive history that will get any car buff’s motor running. Outside, the only indication of what’s within is a sign labeling it The Graham Motor Museum. Step inside, and you’re transported through more than a century of American automobile history.
"We calls these cars marvels of automotive design,” explained Mike Markin, an automobile enthusiast and founder of the museum, which began its first full season of operation this May. Inside are about 15 classic cars – ranging from an instantly recognizable 1957 Chevy to an ultra-rare 1949 Kurtis Sport Car – as well as a collection of unique automobile memorabilia.
Markin’s cruise toward overseeing a museum began more than 20 years ago when he got interested in car restoration, which he figured would be a retirement hobby (although he was years from retirement then). At the time, Mike bought three unrestored cars, two of which are now part of the museum collection: He says he cut his teeth restoring a 1940 Studebaker and a 1941 Plymouth with the help of mentorship from members of the Indianhead Car Club.
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It’s like every car is a big jigsaw puzzle, and you’ve got to finish the puzzle.
MIKE MARKING
GRAHAM motor museum
But Markin truly sunk his teeth into car restoration after buying the engineless shell of a 1938 Graham Model 97, whose innovative cut back grill design earned it the nickname “Sharknose.” Starting in 2010, Markin oversaw six years of restoration work by several teams of craftsmen that turned the four-door sedan into a one-of-a-kind two-door hot rod. “Restoration” isn’t really the right word: A better term is “transformation,” considering the vehicle went through more than 200 modifications. (The only untouched parts are the headlight lenses.)
“I built this as a piece of art,” Mike explains. The car, now known simply as The Shark, made its debut at the Detroit Autorama in February 2016, and for the next four years collected trophies and accolades at car shows across the continent, from Winnipeg to Atlanta to Pittsburgh to Houston. “It’s like a Johnny Cash song,” quips Pat Markin, Mike’s wife.
The Shark was retired from competition after winning the grand championship at the International Show Car Association Finals in March 2020 – just days before the COVID-19 lockdown began – and the following year the Markins officially incorporated The Graham Motor Museum as a way of sharing their collection (as well as others’) with the public. The museum was opened limited hours last fall and began its first full season this spring. (The museum will be open through Sept. 30 – usually on weekends, but sometimes on weekdays – and visitors are asked to book their visits online at grahammotormuseum.org/book-your-visit.)
Naturally, The Shark has a place of honor in the center of the museum, but it’s far from the only eye-catching vehicle on display. While the cars in the museum represent a broad swathe of automotive history – from a 1923 Buck Roadster to a 2001 Audi Quattro – it’s easy to recognize that Markin has a soft spot for art deco body styles of the late 1930s and early 1940s. There are a number of cars with big fenders and aquatic curves with nary a right angle in sight. In addition to The Shark, these include a 1937 Cord 812 – once dubbed “The Single Most Beautiful American Car” – a trailblazing vehicle with the front-wheel drive system pioneered by Menomonie native Harry Miller.
While some of the vehicles belong to the Markins, others are on loan from collections near and far. Among the latter group is the Kurtis Sport Car, one of only a few dozen produced, which was featured on the very first cover of Motor Trend magazine and is on loan from the Richard H. Driehaus Automobile Collection in Chicago.
Visitors are only allowed to touch one of the vehicles at the museum, a 1930 Ford Model A that was owned by Markin’s father. Visitors are actually encouraged to climb in and have their photos snapped while inside the venerable vehicle.
In addition to getting the museum off the ground, Mike’s latest project is restoring a 1935 DeSoto Airflow Coupe, another aerodynamic prewar beauty.
“It’s like every car is a big jigsaw puzzle,” he says, “and you’ve got to finish the puzzle.”
The Graham Motor Museum, 12949 35th Ave., Lake Hallie • grahammotormuseum.org • thegrahammuseum@gmail.com • 715-861-3208 • Open May-September • Entry by appointment only. Book your visit online at https://grahammotormuseum.org/book-your-visit/ • Tickets: Adults $15, students (13-17) $12, children (3-12) $8, children under 3 and active military are free
