dsmWeekly - September 3, 2025

By Dave Elbert

The 1936 Stout Scarab will be a “star car” at this weekend’s Concours d’Elegance in Western Gateway Park. It rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, and resembles a stretch version of the original Volkswagen Beetle with a rear-mounted, rear-facing V8 engine.

Aviation engineer William Stout used aircraft technology to design his “car of the future,” which originally sold for $5,500 — ten times the price of a Ford sedan.

This year’s display of vintage and classic cars is set for 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday around the Pappajohn Sculpture Park (where local car dealerships once lined “auto row” for most of the 20th century).

Did you know that Des Moines played a key role in automobile history? Here are three locally made vehicles that were ahead of their time. (Sorry, none are in this weekend’s show.)

Des Moines’ original “car of the future” was the world’s first electric vehicle. Local chemist William Morrison worked on the nine-seat, electric carriage for three years before its public debut on Sept. 4, 1890. “The electric buggy met with great applause” from 85,000 spectators as it rattled and wobbled down Walnut Street in the Seni Om Sed parade, according to Bill Jepson’s authoritative 2007 book, “Made in Iowa: Iowa’s Automobiles, An Entertaining and Enlightening History" (from which all three black and white photos came).

Morrison’s innovation was the “24 storage battery cells placed beneath the seats” that powered a trolley car motor. “The cells were charged without being removed, the process taking ten hours.” The batteries reportedly could drive “about 100 miles, without recharging, at a rate of six to 12 miles an hour.”

As many as 12 electric carriages were made in Des Moines. None survive, although in 2021 Boone County farmer David Junck created a replica of Morrison’s EV, which Junck now drives in parades.

Des Moines’ most successful automobile venture was the Mason. The vehicle was designed in 1906 by Fred and August Duesenberg, the brothers who went on to design race cars and luxury automobiles in Indianapolis.

The Mason was manufactured in Des Moines from 1906 until 1909, when Fred Maytag (of washing-machine fame) bought the company, rebranded the car as the Maytag-Mason and moved operations to Waterloo, where production ceased in 1914.

While the Duesenbergs were still in charge in 1906, the brothers staged a famous publicity photo of their Mason climbing the steps of the Iowa Capitol.

Des Moines’ third “car of the future” was the 1952 Saturn. Yes, nearly four decades before General Motors claimed the Saturn name plate in 1990, an Ames contractor named Lloyd Templeton hired a Des Moines body shop to build his personal dream car of the same name.

Templeton’s Saturn looked vaguely like the original (1953) Chevrolet Corvette, but the Saturn was 4 feet longer with much bigger tail fins. It also had two asymmetrical doors of different lengths. The Frankenstein creation was made of parts from eight cars and two boats, according to Jepsen.

Templeton drove his Saturn to California and showed it to Bob Hope, prompting the comedian to say that when he lifted the 90-inch hood it was “like looking into Martha Raye’s mouth.”

Jepsen devoted six pages of his book to Templeton’s Saturn. After Templeton died in 1991, the car ended up with Illinois auto collector Joe Bortz, who told Jepsen the Saturn was “the most important non-Detroit car built between 1948 and 1952.”

Dave Elbert has covered local history and Iowa business news for more than 40 years, first for the Des Moines Register and then the Business Record. Read more of Elbert’s Backstories at dsmmagazine.com.

Friends and vendors gather at the annual Boss Babe Pop Up at Jasper Winery. (Photo: Britt Fowler Photography)

BEST BET

At the Boss Babe Pop Up, she means business

The Boss Babe Pop Up is back and bigger than ever. The outdoor market hosts a variety of vendors selling handmade jewelry, small-batch sweets, artisanal soaps and so, so much more.

The pop-up was envisioned as a vendor fair where businesses owned by women and minorities could sell their goods in a space that was accessible and welcoming.

At this year's fair, there are estimated to be 65 vendors and 2,000 visitors. The pop-up resembles more of a community bazaar than a vendor fair, with a DJ and live performances from local artists, yoga sessions, a flash tattoo artist, kids’ activities, nonprofit booths, food and, this year, even dog contests.

This year’s event is set for 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday at Jasper Winery. Admission is free.

The Week Ahead

“Robert Rauschenberg: Currents, 1970,” Friday through Dec. 14, Des Moines Art Center. A new exhibition features 17 prints from the permanent collection, plus an audio piece on loan from the artist’s namesake foundation. A gallery tour is set for 1 p.m. Sept. 20.

Kennel Club Dog Shows, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Iowa State Fairgrounds. A stunning showcase of furry friends graces Des Moines making for an exciting weekend.

First Friday: “Bienvenidos a Iowa,” 5-8 p.m. Friday, Mainframe Studios. Check out a captivating curation of artwork celebrating immigrant, Latino and Indigenous cultures, highlighting their immense impact on Iowa.

Touchdown Tailgate, 9 a.m. Saturday, Cowles Commons. Football season is in full swing as fans gather for Des Moines’ biggest tailgate party. Kickoff is at 11 a.m.

Fall Renaissance Faire, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sleepy Hollow. The freewheeling festival continues for two more weekends of music, feasting and general merriment.

Closing soon: Two exhibits at the Des Moines Art Center are wrapping up their time in the spotlight. Check them out before they’re gone.

“Light Within Ourselves: Haitian Art in Iowa,” through Sunday. The exhibition (pictured) showcases highlights from the Waterloo Center for the Arts, which houses the largest collection of Haitian art in the United States.

Firelei Baez, through Sept. 21. The Dominican artist whose installation made from emergency tarps was part of last year’s “Hurricane Season” exhibition gets a whole show to herself this time, showcasing work that explores anthropology, geography, folklore and other Afro-Caribbean crosscurrents.

Accessible ballet: Ballet Des Moines announced their new accessibility initiative “Ballet without Barriers” in partnership with The Harkin Institute, the Iowa School for the Deaf, ChildServe, Variety, Iowa Radio Reading Information Services (IRIS), Dance without Limits, and Value Inclusion. The company-wide, season-long program creates a library of resources and engagement opportunities celebrating all abilities and exploring different perspectives both on and off the stage. Plans include adaptive dance classes, written and recorded narratives of each performance, a new sensory-friendly matinee performance of The Nutcracker, and events exploring how our senses impact our experience of art. Learn more.

By Rylie Smith

When Malique Miller graduated from college in 2020, he decided it was time to bet on himself. “It was was kind of like the best time to start something if I’m going to start it,” he said.

Miller’s relationship with clothing started long before he created the Ken Supply Co. After a pivotal shopping trip in middle school, Miller became fascinated with how style could shift perception. In high school, he worked at a local suit store, learning how proper fit could transform someone’s confidence. As he put it, “It was like watching people see themselves for the first time."

So when Miller decided to create his own brand, he sat himself in a corner booth at St. Kilda in Des Moines and started jotting down names, hoping something might stick. The one he landed on was already close to home: Ken — his father’s name.

“He was always the one to do the right thing, and he always just took care of people,” Miller said. “He always honored people really, really well. He was always really consistent. He always came through.”

That kind of quiet integrity shaped not just the name, but the ethos of the entire brand.

Ken Supply Co. began that December with just a few graphic tees, sold one at a time — often face-to-face at local farmers markets. “In our first year, we sold maybe 20 shirts,” Miller said. “But every one of those sales meant something.” At the time, he screen-printed each by hand in the living room of his apartment.

Miller’s steady, relational approach has become core to the brand. Today, Ken Supply Co. operates out of Mainframe Studios. There, Miller leads a small but growing team of designers, production help and inventory support. "I used to do everything: bag stamping, fulfillment, Instagram," he said. "Now I'm learning how to let the brand grow through other people, too."

The storytelling behind each shirt has remained intentional from the beginning. “Let Your Dreams Drive You” features a classic Mustang and a woman inspired by 1940s actress Sheila Guyse. “It’s a reminder to trust the direction you’re being pulled in, even if you can’t see the whole road,” he said.

That design remained the brand’s best-seller until recently, when the “No Luck Needed” tee surpassed it. Miller has restocked it four times just in the last month. “People think it’s just a bold statement, but there’s a reference to Psalm 127 hidden in the design,” he said. “It’s my way of saying I don’t believe in luck. I believe in purpose.”

Five years in, Miller is beginning to stretch the brand into new categories, including leather wallets, cut-and-sew garments and various small goods that are already in development. But he’s also dreaming of something bigger, a lifestyle label rooted in taste, craftsmanship and care.

“I want to create beautiful, useful things — objects designed so intentionally you treat them differently.”
He paused. “I used to want to sell a lot. Now I just want to build something that lasts.”

Explore the collection and vision at kensupplyco.com or follow along on Instagram @kensupplyco.

Contributing writer Rylie Smith is a local fashion designer and owner of RÜTD clothing brand. She writes about style, trends, and other designers and artists for dsm. You can find her designs at @rutdstudio on Instagram, or in her studio at Mainframe.