Ford - history

The history of the Ford works is bound together inseparably with that of its namesake, Henry Ford. He was born in 1865 in Dearborn near Detroit. His forefathers were farmers who originally came from Ireland. His father was a carpenter with the railways, before he worked his own farm in Michigan. This area had a certain attraction because of the favourable property prices. The Ford clan were able to achieve considerable land ownership. The first generation of immigrants helped the second generation to establish themselves.

Dearborn was, at this time, little more than a "one horse town", far from current European standards. Henry attended the single-class village school. His father, William Ford, held various important honorary posts. Social contacts and a certain amount of respect would also, in the future, prove to be important for Henry Ford. Among the farmers and (former) carpenters, talent was rare for (precision) mechanical machines. Thus Henry Ford had a certain special status. As an adolescent he repaired the clocks in his neighbourhood. Already at the age of 16, he left his parents home and took off in the direction of nearby Detroit, the third biggest town in the USA.

For a short time he worked for the James Flower & Brothers Machine shop as a sort of apprentice, he then became an employee of the Dry dock Company. After approx. three years the, more farmer with a leaning towards mechanics than vice versa, returned to Dearborn. Here, one summer long, he helped with the work using a small steam engine made by Westinghouse. The following year he was already a travelling representative and repairman in the same company. In 1885 he met Clara whom he married in 1888. They first lived on a farm, until he was drawn, once again, in 1891, to Detroit. In 1893 their son Edsel was born here.

He was successfully employed in Detroit at the Edison Illuminating Company servicing the turbines. This allowed him enough time to, follow his hobby, the building of an engine/motor-car in a small garage. As long as the turbines ran trouble-free. He climbed the career ladder and became a leading engineer earning at least 100$ a month. He was given a staff and a separate place for his project. Karl Benz was able to get his first (Two-stroke) engine running on New Year's Eve, for Henry Ford it was Christmas when, with the assistance of his wife, he was able to coax a regular heart-beat from his copy of a two-cylinder engine for the first time. The abilities of Henry Ford lay in the successful imitation rather than in the developing engineers work. Some time later the small team moved into a shed behind the Fords city apartment. Unfortunately, the car which came in as single parts, had to leave the shop as a complete unit. So, it turned out, before the first test run, that the door-opening was too small and had to be made larger by force. In the same night the vehicle made, for the first time, the streets of Detroit unsafe...