CORONA, Kan. — While an exact number is not known, automotive experts and historians estimate that around 50,000 to 300,000 Ford Model Ts survive worldwide today. Geffrey Bland, a Springfield, Mo., native and a 1915 Ford Model T Touring owner, is one of the lucky few who own and operate this classic car.

Bland said his passion for Ford Model T vehicles started at the age of 11 when he lived in the south, before moving to Chicago and then Springfield.

“I was born into it,” he said. “... My parents were like a lot of parents from the south. They moved to the Chicagoland area back in the ‘60s. They could get out of the cotton fields and get jobs in factories and better themselves. Both of my parents' families were from the south, and a lot of those southern guys that moved up north would find Model Ts cheap. Back in those days, my dad paid $475 for a car. Now, mind you, it was in pieces.

“... Its’ not a hobby to me, it’s a culture. It’s a part of American culture that’s dying because younger people are not getting into this hobby. (Model) Ts are relatively expensive. You can get a good, running Model T now for five or six grand. I mean five or six grand is still quite a bit of money, but what’s a new bass boat cost? What’s a new ATV cost? You can get into a (Model) T fairly reasonable.

“... The coolest thing, when you do a parade, they make the old people smile, they make the kids smile. You go to a family reunion and you’re the cat’s meow because you’re taking everybody for a ride in the car.”

But what goes into maintaining a 111-year-old vehicle?

“I learned a lot in the culture from the older guys,” said Bland. “I learned patience because when you’re working on a 100-year-old car, it really makes you want to pull your hair out ... You’ve got to have a homework list. You always check your coolant, your gas. Your gas is gravity fed, so you want to make sure your gas is full.”

Bland joined alongside 63 Ford Model T cars and around 130 people Wednesday evening for a stop at The Old Parita in Corona as part of The Heart of the Ozarks Chapter of the Model T Ford Clubs of America’s “Hillbilly Tour.”

The yearly event began on Tuesday and ends on Saturday as Ford Model T enthusiasts from Canada, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Texas, Michigan, and more are touring the Four-State area. The group began the trip in Joplin on Tuesday by visiting the Rotary Sculpture Garden, Murphysburg district, Mining and Mineral Museum, Schifferdecker Park, and, of course, the home where Bonnie, Clyde, and the Barrow gang had a deadly standoff with law enforcement.

On Wednesday, the group visited the Crawford and Cherokee County areas, noting the rich mining history of the local area. The group first visited Big Brutus before making their way to Corona to visit The Old Parita, formerly The Gay Parita, an iconic dance hall that remains standing and serves as an event venue. Attendees didn’t have to walk or drive too far for the next stop, visiting the Heartlands Railroad Museum.

“We are stationed out of Joplin, Missouri, and every day we have a drive that goes a different direction,” said committeeperson Tina Still. “... Tomorrow (Thursday), we take Route 66 west and then the following day, Route 66 east. The last day, we are going to Neosho (Mo.). We try to plan drives that are between 80 and 100 miles because these cars max out at about 30 miles per hour on a good day.

“... This is a national tour, so they are from everywhere ... This year, it’s a much bigger event than we had in the last five years. I think this is our 43rd year doing it ... They loved Big Brutus today (Wednesday) ... Most of the time, it’s just at your leisure. The thing with Model Ts is that they drive so slowly, so we tend to not travel in big groups ... Typically three to five traveling together.”

For Bland, a 27-year member of The Heart of the Ozarks Chapter, there is beauty off the beaten path.

“The biggest advantage about being in a Model T club is that we see the intimate parts of America nobody else sees,” he said. “This (The Old Parita) is not big-time commercialized, but it’s really cool. Can you imagine some of the music and dances that went on inhere? ... And we do a lot of good in the community, too. When we set up a tour, this place is getting income off of us, but we are getting a really nice meal out of it.

“We’ve done that with a lot of churches in the past where the church ladies would come in and cook, we pay them a certain amount of money to feed us, we made sure they made some money off of it to go into whatever activities in the church they wanted to do. We are not just taking a piece of history and making it ours, we are also giving back in a little way, and I think that’s what everybody should do. You have to reinvest in the country to make it good for the next generation.”

This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews.