HALPIN TIRE SERVICE

In 1957 Bill and Mary Halpin had the opportunity to purchase a tire shop in Elkader, Iowa. Where it continued in business until November of 1958 at which time one of those weather changing events (the clash of warm and cold) turned up a tornado that devastated that rural community and leveled Halpin Tire Service.

As there was nowhere to set up their business Bill and Mary found a corner grocery store that was vacant and started the process of starting over in Prairie du Chien, Wis. As the business started in the new building there was a old cottonwood tree just outside the building where Bill and his one employee, Herb Ellis, changed tires for a few years before building a carport to do their work.

In the early days of the tire business a lot of the shops would have a retreading department and Halpin Tire was no different. Taking old worn out tires buffing the tire to except new rubber and putting them into a mold and getting a new life out of the worn casings.

As the business went along the building faze began and at first there was a two stall garage erected, one stall for the retread shop and the other to change the tires inside. A few years later there was another two stalls added,one for tire work and one for an alignment machine for preventing premature tire wear to extend our customers investment. In 1979 with the demise of the bias ply tires and radials becoming the norm the retreading division was sold off and was invested in a brake lathe and a pipe bender for exhaust and more automotive services were offered to the customers of Halpin Tire. In 1984 there were four more stalls added on to the shop and also a Heavy duty alignment rack to take care of Halpin's commercial customers. In the same time period Bill bought a off the road (OTR) truck for our quarry and road building accounts.
Now after 54 years in business Halpin Tire has many service offerings for it's customer base and is proud to be taking care of the people in the "Driftless Area" of South West Wisconsin.