Many Model T Fords in Chillicothe and Ross County on Labor Day Weekend

Get ready for about 100 Model T Fords to be on display in Chillicothe – and touring Ross County – on Labor Day weekend. A local collectors club is hosting the state gathering this year.

The “Ohio River Valley Ts,” based in Jackson, Pike, and Scioto counties, are hosting the 35th annual Ohio Model T Jamboree on August 30th through September 1st.

The Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau awarded the Ohio River Valley Ts with a Promotional Assistance Grant to help with the event. That was announced in the CVB’s Tourism Banquet & Pineapple Awards on Monday, and afterward I interviewed the couple who represented the local club.

Chip and Cathy Smalley of Jackson said this is the fifth time in only a few years where their small club of 12 to 15 people are hosting the state organization. They say the best time to see the century-old cars on display will be Friday night in Yoctangee Park when the jamboree has their ice cream social.

Otherwise, they will be driving around Chillicothe and Ross County, including a trip to the Frankfort area and Mound City. They say the Model T’s are like magnets, where other drivers will stop and watch – even to the point of causing accidents!

You do not need to have one of the cars or trucks if you want to join the club. They meet once a month, usually at a restaurant. For more information, you can contact Chip and Cathy Smalley at 740 / 988-2841.

They say Ford Model T’s were built from 1909 to 1927, and the cars driven by the club are very authentic and very operational. And…they are not all black!

The Model T Ford Club of America has a website and Facebook page, and also an event page for the 35th Annual “All Ohio Model T Jamboree.”

Find more in the article on the Scioto Post, including a video interview.

Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.