Interesting Facts About Henry Ford
Henry Ford was the industrialist founder of the Ford Motor Company, and innovator of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. He was born in the American state of Michigan to William and Mary Ford.He was not the inventor of automobile, which is generally accredited wrongly to him. However, he manufactured an affordable automobile for many middle-class Americans. He and his company famously introduced the ‘Model T’ automobile, which revolutionized American industry and transportation. Well you may know the man but you never knew these facts.
1. Repairing Watches : When he a young man, Ford repaired watches for his friends and family—and he made his own tools to do it. He used a filed shingle nail as a screwdriver and a corset stay as tweezers.
2. Inventor of mass production : He is considered to be the inventor of mass production. He made use of this concept in his motor company, which drastically brought down the cost of automobile ownership in America at the time.
3. Working on the farm : After the sad loss of his mother in 1876, his father wanted Henry to take responsibility and work on the farm. However, Henry disapproved of this and said that he was not interested in farm work. In his earlier years, he was willing to perform farm work due to the fact that his mother was present. However, he had no interest in the farm apart from his mother.
4. Chief Engineer : Ford became Chief Engineer of the Edision Illuminating Company's main plant in 1893, and was on-call 24 hours a day to keep Detroit's electricity running. He left the position 6 years later—with Edison's encouragement to work on his plans for a gasoline automobile.
5. Incorporating the company: In 1903, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated with a mere 28,000 USD from the public. However, soon the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers stopped his company’s production because Ford was not a licensed manufacturer.
6. Museum of American History : Long before Colonial Williamsburg, Ford tried to turn Sudbury, Massachusetts' Wayside Inn—where Longfellow penned Tales of a Wayside Inn—into a living museum of American history. He purchased the Inn, and 3000 surrounding acres, in 1923, and built eight buildings on it including a working grist mill.
7. The Coal Company : Using wood scraps from his plants, Ford found he could make charcoal briquettes. When Ford’s brother-in-law E.G. Kingsford brokered the site selection for Ford’s charcoal manufacturing plant, Ford named the company Kingsford Charcoal in his honor.
8. Model A and Model N: Ford built the ‘Model A’ the company’s first car followed by the ‘Model N’ in 1907. The cost of the Model N was approximately $600. Now, his vision was to build a cheaper car so that everyone could afford it.
9. Ford Airplane Division : During World War I, Ford tried his hand in the aviation business and started the Ford Airplane Company. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission ecognized Ford as a pioneer of aviation in 2002, but the Ford Airplane Division shut down in 1933 due to lackluster sales.
10. Inventor of Automobiles : Karl Benz from Germany is credited as the inventor of the first automobile.He did so in 1885/1886. However, it is a matter of opinion to credit the invention of the automobile to one inventor. The automobile was first conceptualized by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 15th century when he was working on the designs and models of transport vehicles. Ford just made the most affordable automobile for the masses.
3. Working on the farm : After the sad loss of his mother in 1876, his father wanted Henry to take responsibility and work on the farm. However, Henry disapproved of this and said that he was not interested in farm work. In his earlier years, he was willing to perform farm work due to the fact that his mother was present. However, he had no interest in the farm apart from his mother.
4. Chief Engineer : Ford became Chief Engineer of the Edision Illuminating Company's main plant in 1893, and was on-call 24 hours a day to keep Detroit's electricity running. He left the position 6 years later—with Edison's encouragement to work on his plans for a gasoline automobile.
5. Incorporating the company: In 1903, the Ford Motor Company was incorporated with a mere 28,000 USD from the public. However, soon the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers stopped his company’s production because Ford was not a licensed manufacturer.
6. Museum of American History : Long before Colonial Williamsburg, Ford tried to turn Sudbury, Massachusetts' Wayside Inn—where Longfellow penned Tales of a Wayside Inn—into a living museum of American history. He purchased the Inn, and 3000 surrounding acres, in 1923, and built eight buildings on it including a working grist mill.
7. The Coal Company : Using wood scraps from his plants, Ford found he could make charcoal briquettes. When Ford’s brother-in-law E.G. Kingsford brokered the site selection for Ford’s charcoal manufacturing plant, Ford named the company Kingsford Charcoal in his honor.
8. Model A and Model N: Ford built the ‘Model A’ the company’s first car followed by the ‘Model N’ in 1907. The cost of the Model N was approximately $600. Now, his vision was to build a cheaper car so that everyone could afford it.
9. Ford Airplane Division : During World War I, Ford tried his hand in the aviation business and started the Ford Airplane Company. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission ecognized Ford as a pioneer of aviation in 2002, but the Ford Airplane Division shut down in 1933 due to lackluster sales.
10. Inventor of Automobiles : Karl Benz from Germany is credited as the inventor of the first automobile.He did so in 1885/1886. However, it is a matter of opinion to credit the invention of the automobile to one inventor. The automobile was first conceptualized by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 15th century when he was working on the designs and models of transport vehicles. Ford just made the most affordable automobile for the masses.
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