Gillett is a small town northwest of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with a whooping population of 1,303 people, but it loves big trucks. This is the 6th year this small town has hosted the Roy Hubbard Memorial Truck Show at Zippel Park in the center of town. The show was created in late 2018 to honor Roy Hubbard and his lifetime of work in the Gillett area. Roy founded Roy Hubbard Rental Truck in the 1930s and spent 45 years trucking in the area until his death in 1987.
At one time, Roy’s company was the sole hauler for the Gillett Canning Company. This company cans green beans that are trucked in from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and large fields near Antigo and Gillett, Wisconsin, and is still in operation today. The park where the truck show is held also hosts a big annual Fourth of July celebration and the Oconto County Youth Fair. It’s a really nice venue for an event like this, and this was the first year John and I were able to attend and show our trucks.
Our dear friends Mike and Katie Lambrecht invited us to what they said was just a laid back and fun truck show… and they were right! At this event, the kids are the judges, and they pick their favorite truck. The truck they choose is also the one that will be featured on the shirt for the show the following year.
We had a few people tell us that they looked forward to the show, adding, “It’s such a nice event, and thank you for coming.” We got to spend time in a part of Wisconsin we hadn’t really been to, and it was awesome. Getting there a few days early, we got to spend time with Mike, Katie, and their kids – Carson, Addie and Monroe – and it felt more like a vacation than being at a truck show.
One of the places we got to visit was The Boarding House in Suring, WI. It was a real treat, and John was ready to go back the next day. The building was originally constructed in 1896 by Menomonee Indians from the nearby Menomonee Reservation. The historical frontier-style building was originally built as a boarding house for railroad workers and later lumberjacks who began harvesting the region. The Hotel Wisconsin was attached, as well as a livery stable, and traveling salesman stayed at the hotel and rented rigs to call on surrounding farmers.
This building has endured for over 100 years with only minor updates and is a testament to the “early Main Street” architecture and lifestyle of the past. Today, it is a supper club that still has the original bar and rooms with vintage lights, tables, and mismatched chairs, all adding to the charm of going back in time, with food that makes you want to come back again and again. After dinner the little ice cream shop next door (Nifty Cone) was awesome, and all seven of us had ice cream for under $20. Back in the day, the railroad used to run by, until the early 1980s, when it was changed to a walking, bike, and ATV trail.
Many of the store fronts on Main Street in Gillett date back to the 1920s and 1930s. The oldest businesses in town are the Gillett Milling Company, the Canning Company, Gillett Cement, and Lambrecht Service Garage. This place is “Little Town America” for sure and is about four blocks long. The show was scheduled for June 14-15, 2024, and the weather got the memo. Friday, it was beautiful, in the 70s with fluffy clouds, as the first of 90 trucks started rolling in and parking. Most of the trucks were parked on the grass, which made a nice backdrop for pictures. Inside the Fairgrounds Pavilion vendors were set up, including a booth for show merchandise, as well as Beam Truck Parts, Halron Lubricants, someone selling freeze dried candy, Tara Kelliher (a local artist who was face painting), a Tupperware booth, and a few others.
The show wouldn’t be possible without the sponsors and volunteers, and they would like to thank Joe Arndt Trucking, Falling Star Transport, WEL Companies, Arrowhead Trucking, Greg Beilfuss Trucking, Midwest Carriers, Kevin Thomson Trucking, Extreme Transportation Specialized, Roxy & Rosie’s Railway, Trio Fishing Charters, Dennis and Sandy Hubbard, Kevin Voigt Trucking, Linzmeyer Farms, RDM Trucking, Gueller Veterans Memorial, and Jody and Traci Crocker. The live entertainment included Eight Second Ride, Homegrown, and Kenny & Kris.
Both the Gillett and Underhill fire departments have been running a food stand since the first show in 2019 and became well known locally for their Friday night fish fry that always sells out 200 plates. They also serve hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, french fries, and a chicken vegetable soup locally known as booyah. I had a bowl, and I can’t really pronounce it, but I can say it’s really good. They run the stand as a fundraiser to help purchase additional fire equipment.
On Saturday mid-day the kids who are running around between the bouncy house and face painting are given ballots to vote for their favorite truck. When they bring the ballot back, they are given a ticket and entered in a raffle for one of the eight bikes they were giving away this year. Local businesses and families donate money towards the bikes, and then they are purchased from the local hardware store (Gillett Hardware). This year the Kid’s Choice was the WEL Autism Awareness rig driven by Danny Tankersley. His son Riley accepted the award. This truck will be featured on next year’s show shirt.
The show ended on a rainy note, as Mother Nature missed the memo for Saturday. But after the rain stopped, the scheduled parade went on. We really thought it would be canceled, but it wasn’t, and it was amazing how many people filled Main Street to watch the trucks roll by. It has to be the shortest truck parade John and I have ever been in, as we both made two laps and didn’t go one mile, but it was a lot of fun.
All and all it was a great time, and we look forward to the show next year, which is scheduled for June 13-14, 2025. We encourage you all to take a drive to northern Wisconsin next year to have a good time in a small town that really appreciates the truckers who come – you won’t be disappointed. To stay informed about the event throughout the year, visit www.rhmts.com often.
