Iron Horse Cowgirls by Kate St. Vincent Vogl and Linda Back McKay

Kate St. Vincent Vogl’s IRON HORSE COWGIRLS is the story of Louise Scherbyn and the women motorcyclists of the 1930s and 1940s. Co-written with friend and colleague, the late Linda Back McKay, Vogl amassed an encyclopedia’s worth of stories, facts, photos, and memories from newspapers, family members and friends, and the Women’s International Motorcycle Association archives.

Louise Scherbyn began riding sidecar with her husband, George. The miles could be grueling and uncomfortable riding sidecar, and soon Louise longed to drive her own motorcycle. Ever the supportive husband, George found a small Indian motorcycle that was the right fit for 100 pound Louise. He sold his motorcycle and the sidecar and was able to buy himself a Harley, and the Indian for Louise. But owning and riding are two different things and for months, the Indian sat parked in the basement under a drop cloth before Louise gathered the courage to learn to ride. After three lessons, she was proficient enough to hit the road with George and not long after that, Louise took to the roads on her own.

Scherbyn paved the way for women motorcyclists the world over – forming the first women-only motorcycle association with chapters covering 225,000 miles and two decades worth of rides, rallies, and comraderie. It wasn’t always pretty. Consider that women in the 1930s wore dresses – which worked when riding sidecar but not for driving; consider also the stereotypical roles women played in the home which prevented many women from pursuing interests outside of their home and family. Scherbyn and the women riders she inspired had to overcome hostile attitudes from men and women, nearly impassable roads, and unfavorable and quickly changing weather conditions (all without windshields or helmets, and often inappropriate clothing to keep them warm.)

Vogl’s scholarship is remarkable and her writing clear and compelling. She invites us into not only Louise Scherbyn’s life but her world – a world that profoundly changed the landscape for the future of women motorcyclists. Vogl also co-authored a book about women referees released this fall, Lady Ref, with Shannon Eastin. It seems that she has carved a niche for herself writing about groundbreaking women. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Listen to my interview with Kate St. Vincent Vogl on Superior Reads November 23rd at 7pm and the 25th at 6am, stream it from the web on WTIP's website or listen to it later on superiorreads.com.