Our History

After working for $12.00 a week for fourteen months at a gas station in Farmer City Claude Walker made one of his biggest business decisions of his life. In 1935 he and his wife Myrtle purchased that station which is located on Route 54. After several requests for tire repairs, he hung a sign that stated: "We fix flats~25cents". This is how Walker Tire evolved 76 years ago.

In 1955, Claude sold the gas station to his son-in-law Bill Maxwell and his brother-in-law Wayne Copley. At this time they expanded their services by working on brakes and selling tires along with selling go carts and camping trailers. In 1968 Bill bought Wayne out and became sole owner of the business while bringing his four sons in as employees.

In 1978 Bill and his wife Marilyn had realized that they had out grown the gas station side, so they purchased the property across the highway and erected a building. It is here that they did their mechanical, exhaust and front end repairs.

The business was expanded to 400 Illini Dr. in Clinton, IL in October 1984. With Grandpa Claude Walker’s approval the new business was named Walker Tire & Exhaust. David and his brother Philip started out with services of brakes, exhaust, selling and repairing tires. As more warehousing was added, front-end work and alignments were added to their services. With keeping up with the demand of the automobile industry, Walker Tire carries a substantial inventory of tires ranging in size from lawn mowers to passenger to farm and over the road, in addition to industrial large equipment. As the saying goes, " A TIRE FOR EVERY BUDGET".

Fire and blizzards have wreaked havoc on both business locations. In 1999 the big snowstorm caved in the Farmer City business. Thank goodness it was on a Sunday and no one was working at the time. The business relocated east of the Farmer City State Bank while remodeling was being done.

In 2009 the Clinton Store warehouse and back warehouse on the main building had a major fire and burned to the ground with most of the inventory going with it. They were able to open their doors the same day and work with their existing inventory to service their clients.

Tom, with his wife Kim, and Doug Maxwell are owners of the Walker Tire store in Farmer City. In 2006, David Maxwell and his wife Sandra became the sole owners of the store in Clinton. Their son, Wyatt, has joined his father in the Clinton store and is the youngest Maxwell to carry on the Walker Tire tradition.