Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Mary Litogot O?Hern Ford, and Father, William Ford, had six children. Henry was the oldest. The entire family was farmers and learned how to take care of the family farm. Although Henry wanted to go and work in the machine shops he stayed and helped on the farm until he was seventeen. He then moved to Detroit working at the Michigan Car Company for $1.10 a day. He was fired because he upset the other employers because he finished repairs in a half-hour when it usually took five hours to complete. So he went back home. In 1885 he met Clara Jane Bryant at a party. On April 11, 1888 they married. Edsel was their only son and was born on November 6, 1893. In 1891 Henry and his wife moved back to Detroit and he began working for the Detroit Edison illuminating Company.
Portrait of Henry Ford (ca. 1919)
English: Ford Motor Company Headquarters, Dearborn...
1896 Ford Quadricycle photographed at The Henry Fo...He completed the Quadricycle which had four wire wheels, was steered with a tiller like a boat and only had two forward speeds with no reverse in 1896. Henry met Thomas Edison and he was introduced as ?the young fellow who?s made a gas car?. Edison thought his ideas had merit and this made Ford proud. By 1899 Henry produced an operable car that ended up in the Detroit Journal. His work making automobiles conflicted with his position at D.E.I.C They gave him a choice and he decided he was going to make automobiles. In 1903 Ford Motor Company became officially incorporated. On June 16, 1903 he completed the Model T car. It was first marketed in October 1908. Ford sold more than half the cars in the industry in 1918-1919 and 1921-1925 because of his development of the assembly line used to mass produce automobiles. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison became best friends and visited each other whenever they could. In 1919 Edsel B. Ford is named president of Ford Motor Company. In 1932, Ford built his first V-8 Ford car. In 1937, ?Battle of the Overpass? occurred between Ford security staff and United Auto Workers union organizers. The court ordered Ford not to interfere with union activity. Ford Motor Company signed a contract with the United Auto Workers in 1941 even after what happened in 1937. In 1943, Edsel B. Ford dies at age 49. Less than three years later Henry Ford dies on April 7, 1947 at age 83 at his Dearborn home, Fair Lane. He was praised as a patriot, philanthropist, philosopher, reformer, economist, teacher, productive genius and depicted as a symbol of individualism. It seemed like he did a lot of things, and the people showed their appreciation to him with editorial tributes. Henry Ford had a long life and did things that made him significant and different from others. He showed America that you can make your dreams come true like he did. He never gave up on his dream of a ?horseless carriage? and that is why he succeeded and made money in his lifetime.
Edsel Bryant Ford (1893 – 1943), president of Fo...
Edsel Ford, Charles Lindbergh, and Henry Ford pose...
English: Henry Ford grave, Ford Cemetery, 15801 Jo...