FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Knox County Historical Sites, Inc. to sponsor Gypsy Coed Presentation, book signing and historic car exhibit
“Illinois Girls Like Jalopy Jaunt” read the headline of the Saturday July 13, 1940 Oklahoma City Times newspaper. “Fifth Annual Argosy Takes Venturesome Quintet to Pacific Fair (They Hope)”, it continued. The California trip would be the most ambitious yet for the fiercely independent girls who called themselves Gypsy Coeds and traveled in an old Tin Lizzie. One of those Illinois girls was actually from Knoxville, Illinois, and the faithful old Tin Lizzie was a 1926 Model T Ford the girls affectionately called “Silver Streak”. Author John Butte will make a presentation about the Gypsy Coeds, conduct a book signing and have the Silver Streak on public display May 7 at the Old Historic Knox Courthouse, 33 Public Square in Knoxville. The car has never been restored.
The story of the Bradford Model T Girls (or Gypsy Coeds as they were more famously known) had all but slipped into obscurity in 2011, when author John Butte began an emotional search for the 1926 Model T. It had carried these single girls mostly from the farming community of Bradford, Illinois on summer vacations filled with hilarity and adventure for nine consecutive summers from 1934 thru 1942. The passing of his mother, who was one of these Gypsy Coeds, stirred a fervent desire within him to know what had happened to that old car, often referred to as a “fugitive from a junk heap!” The trail had gone cold. The car had not been seen around Bradford since the 1980’s. Not only would John find the car, buy it and return it to Central Illinois in 2012, over the next three years he would research and knit together the wonderful story of the 9 historic trips and the sisterhood of girls who went on those trips. In 2015, he published the book, Darlene’s Silver Streak and The Bradford Model T Girls.
While the “Silver Streak” is a key part of the story, it is much more the inspiring story of the antics and adventures of the group of gutsy single girls who traveled in the Silver Streak on all those trips. Darlene Dorgan, a “twenty something” beautician from Bradford owned the car and began organizing summer vacations at a time when young single women usually didn’t venture out on such camping trips. Their travels would become legendary as they crisscrossed the continent from New York to California and Mexico to Canada searching for adventure and seemingly finding it at every turn. Their Depression era travels included sleeping in country schoolyards, churchyards, and jails by night, and by day meeting celebrities, movie stars, and even Henry Ford…twice!
John Butte and his wife Carmen will be bringing the Silver Streak, a true piece of Americana to Knoxville as a tribute to one of those Gypsy Coeds who actually hailed from Knox County! Her name was Patricia Moffett, and she grew up in Knoxville, married Maury Bjorling and spent her adult life in rural Gilson. Patricia, now deceased, was a Gypsy Coed on that 1940 trip to California. Many in the area will recall her exquisite quilts, several of which were displayed over the years at the Knox County Courthouse.
The Silver Streak will be on display in front of the courthouse starting at 3:00 pm Sunday, May 7. The presentation will start at 4:00 pm in the Henry Knox Room with the book signing immediately following. This program is being sponsored by the Knox County Historical Sites, Inc.
We have been invited to do a book signing at the prestigious Edison & Ford Winter Estates Museum in Fort Myers, Florida on Saturday, February 4, 2017. The book signing will be in conjunction with the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Annual Antique Auto Show. Over 100 antique autos will be on display. The Silver Streak will NOT be one of the cars in the show. Traveling and pulling a trailer at this time of year is too “iffy”. Looking forward to our first visit to the museum.
http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/events/annual-events/antique-car-show/
The current running episode includes a review of the book at the 14:14 mark.
The “Happy Ladies Book Club” in Central Illinois perhaps should be called the “Crafty Ladies Book Club”. After selecting and reading the book, Darlene’s Silver Streak and The Bradford Model T Girls, they took full advantage of their local proximity to get up close and personal with the story. For their final meeting and discussion of the book, they created a poster map detailing the routes of all the trips, and held their meeting in the retirement center where Jean Turnbull Campbell (1942 trip) one of two surviving Gypsy Coeds lives. Jean was able to add some real color from her recollections of that 1942 trip, leaving the group early to dash home by train to prepare for her wedding! They also invited Carmen and myself to participate in the open discussion, answer questions and sign their books. Several then stopped by our home to get their picture taken in the “Silver Streak” (all waving in true Gypsy Coed form) and go for a quick ride thru the neighborhood. A wonderful time was had by all! 
September 8, Bureau County Republican Newspaper, page 7A.
Located on Route 40 on the north side of Peoria
We will be at Snyder Village in Metamora on Monday, August 22, at 2:00 pm for a presentation and book signing. The Silver Streak will be on display as well both before and after the presentation and book signing. The event is open to the public. Snyder Village address is 1200 E. Partridge, Metamora. Check out the August 2016 Snyder Village Newsletter, page 7! August-2016-Newsletter
Jeff Peek, of Hagerty Insurance has published a review of the book, Darlene’s Silver Streak and The Bradford Model T Girls, which can be accessed at the line below:
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2016/07/13/adventurous-gypsy-co-eds
Hagerty Insurance is an insurance company specializing in classic car insurance based in Traverse City, Michigan. The company is the leading insurance agency for collector vehicles in the world and host to the largest network of collector car owners.
The Silver Streak will be in the Galva, Illinois Freedom Fest Car Show, Saturday August 13, less than a week after returning from its 4 month stay at the Model T Museum in Richmond, Indiana. A presentation and book signing will follow the car show at 4:00 pm in the Galva First United Methodist Church sponsored by the Galva Chapter BR POE. Public is welcome!
The Silver Streak 