#First Car Built by Henry Ford

[automotiveamerican]

Our Most-Viewed Digitized Artifacts of All Time - @The Henry Ford

Interesting stuff from The Henry Ford, especially having visited and seen many of these artifacts in the flesh. In fall 2020, The Henry Ford digitized its 100,000th artifact. As part of a month-long celebration of that happy event, we assembled this set of the 100 artifacts most-viewed online since our first collections website was launched in the early 2010s. Many are fan favorites from Henry…

[splatooshy]

tvdu headcanons

yes these are completely correct, no i do not take criticism. either compliment me and my clever thoughts or walk away.

damon

- pretends his initials stand for ‘damon fucking salvatore.’

- Humanity isn’t something Damon lacks. He ignores it sometimes, but he did that when he was human too

- shy. so PAINFULLY shy. that didn’t change until post 70s.

- fav colour is jade green.

- born in italy, then lily had multiple miscarriages over 5 years and giuseppe decided they would move to america for better prospects, and stefan was born in mf.

- giuseppe despised anything ‘foreign’, and would lock damon in the cellar when he slipped up. never mind that damon didn’t really know any english.

- named his first horse (a shetland pony) sir handsome. loved his horses. hated people, loved animals.

- bibliophile. brains over brawn.

- gets banned from new orleans every few decades. marcel HATES him. also was in nola in 1914, freya and kol both took pity on him/ befriended damon after he managed to piss off the witches AND marcel in one day.

- always had the most inconvenient crushes as a human. the first was the daughter of some middle class storekeeper when he was eight. the second was emily bennett (his secret bff) and the third was a dude with a horse when he was a teenager. stablehand/riding instructor/ young gent passing through, named sebastian. giuseppe caught the boys fooling around one day and promptly shot sebastian in the head, before beating damon within an inch of his life (WOAH I WROTE THIS SO CASUALLY). damon never fully recovered.

- finds grimoires to bring to his favourite witch at the time. often the spells are super wacky and mostly useless.

- chatty and clingy drunk.

- after augustines, physically cant sleep alone, and half the time wakes up only to realise he’s killed his bedpartner (strangling, decap., suffocation etc.)

- in the 30s, he became a professional dancer.

stefan

- fav colour is an icy, glacial blue.

- nobody knows what his first language is. His first few words were either Italian or French, but it’s not certain which one. of course, giuseppe locked damon in the cellar for that.

- first horse was sir handsome, a hand-me-down from damon. loved both people and animals, but most of all loved when damon was introducing him to the animals.

- actually the cutest little child ever. big green eyes and floppy blonde-ish hair. looked like a five-year-old until he was 13? 14? and then suddenly shot up really quick.

- bull in a china shop. brawn over brains.

- the ‘ripper��� was created by lexi. she isolated and abused stefan, manipulating him into whatever she wanted.

- chronic migraine sufferer.

- as a human, he physically could not eat when nervous, which just so happened to be 80% of the time.

- rarely gets drunk but is a very outgoing and slutty drunk.

- lizard brain blood lusty ripper stefan only speaks italian.

- model aeroplane / train / car kind of guy.

- tumbled down into a well twice as a human.

- built the engine for the first automobile, passed it onto henry ford.

enzo

- likes the challenge of getting his way without resorting to compulsion (which is cheating.)

- has the stickiest fingers. he didn’t become a little street urchin in london without picking up some skills.

- turned by jack the ripper in 1888. approached him mid-murder.

- physically incapable of hating damon. and believe me, he’s tried.

- after augustines, physically cant sleep alone, and half the time wakes up only to realise he’s killed his bedpartner (strangling, decap., suffocation etc.)

klaus

- went to college a few times to study art. ended up stabbing the teacher [with a paintbrush] because they critiqued his work.

- was tsar nicholas 2 as a joke, purposely ended the dynasty.

elijah

- slipped ecstasy into klaus’ drink in the 80s just to see what would happen.

rebekah

- had a habit of accidentally wandering as a kid.

- clairvoyant / clairsentient.

- very partial to throwing knives.

kol

- bffs with charles 2, gets knighted (inspired by that episode of parks and rec where ben and andy meet the rich british guy)

- refers to stefan as klaus’ estranged paramour

- mixes vervain and wolfsbane into joints and such to get klaus to chill the fuck out. and mixing vervain into other drugs and stuff so that they’d affect him - damon joins the operation in 1914.

- was jack the ripper in 1888, saw a man drowning in his own blood in an alleyway, just watching as kol disemboweled a prostitute, before approaching him like ‘please sir, can you spare any change?’ and kol was delighted.

- damon pissed off marcel in 1914 and kol decided at that moment they were best friends.

- BIG fan of the ottoman empire. it only collapsed because kol was daggered.

- has grimoires full of odd spells.

alaric

- owns vervain coated knuckle dusters

- basically begs damon to talk history with him.

elena

- pre-accident: queen bee and she knew it. at her core, she is self-centred and used to getting her way. this only changes with her parents’ accident, but eventually elena reverts back into her old self.

- refers to katherine as her identical grandmother

[ - bitchy stares. not even an rbf, her face is just super expressive and you can tell when she’s judging you ]

caroline

- was second to elena all her life, and elena knew how to fuel that envy of caroline’s. but then elena’s parents died and caroline was finally #1, except stefan shows up and it’s back to the elena show again.

[ - well-meaning but tone deaf ]

both elena and caroline are just those bitchy popular girls.

[ bonnie ]

[ i have so many for her but a lot are completely against canon so here’s the ones that could be ]

[ - best cheerleader on the squad // the older girls adopted her as their flyer from day 1 ]

[ - because she’s tiny, yanno? ]

[ - known as the ‘i dunno her but she seems nice’ one, the ‘quiet, seems really sweet but i think she hates me’ one and ‘elena’s minion’ ]

[ - but she’s actually more popular overall ‘cause she does all the volunteering / xtra curricular stuff with caroline and she’s not in your face about it ]

[ - has very weirdly specific daily rituals as to what she eats and when on which day (waffle wednesday), what pyjamas she wears, how her pillows are arranged, etc. ]

[ - she didn’t even notice she did all of that until she was at a sleepover and the other kid’s mum made a different breakfast to what she would usually have on that day and bonnie was like ‘hmm. i seem to be uncomfortable with this. why is that?’ but sucked it up and ate her breakfast without saying anything ]

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1955 Lincoln Futura

Did you know this?

Before the Batmobile: Benson Ford Drives the 1955 Lincoln Futura

Benson Ford Sr. is the least well known of Henry Ford’s three grandsons. His older brother Henry II (1917-1987) was Ford Motor Company’s emperor, serving as president or chairman from 1945 to 1980, while his younger brother William Clay Ford, Sr. (1925-2014) was the chairman of Ford’s design committee and the father of current Ford executive chairman Bill Ford, Jr. Middle brother Benson (1919-1978) served a number of lesser roles in the company and passed away, sadly, at only 59. At the time of this filming he was a Ford vice-president and general manager of the Lincoln-Mercury division.

In these photos from 1955, Benson pulls rank for some sweet PR duty: He takes the fabulous Lincoln Futura for a spin through Manhattan, around Central Park and past the front door of the United Nation headquarters on First Avenue. True to its name, as the Futura cruises alongside all the conventional 1950s cars and trucks on the streets of New York, it looks like something shot straight out of a time machine.

The dream car, designed by John Najjar and Bill Schmidt of Ford Styling, built on a prototype Continental Mark II chassis, and constructed by Ghia of Turin at a cost of $250,000, was a genuine show-stopper in its day. In an interesting historical twist, Ford said the car’s lines were inspired by two marine creatures, the manta ray and the mako shark. GM would later claim the same influences for two memorable Corvette concepts, with remarkably different results.

Of course, we all know the fate of the Futura: After appearing in the 1959 MGM movie It Started With a Kiss with Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford, the show car was discarded by Ford, eventually ending up on the back lot of California customizer George Barris. In 1966, Barris transformed the Futura into the far-out TV Batmobile, eliminating the bubble canopy and adding a kitschy bat-themed paint job and other gimmicks. The Hollywood version certainly has its fans: Countless tributes and copies have been built, and Batmobile no. 1 sold at auction in 2013 for $4.62 million. But Lincoln purists prefer to remember the car in its original Futura state.

The Original 1966 Batmobile Was Bought For $1 From Ford.

This article written by Northtowne Lincoln in KCMO..

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Simca Vedette Presidence Cabriolet, 1957, by Chapron. The V8-engined Vedette was Simca's large luxury car that had its origins in Ford's French subsidiary which Simla acquired in 1954. The Simca mimicked American styling with some sales success. French coachbuilder Henri Chapron built this 4-door convertible based on the second generation Vedette for President Charles de Gaulle and subsequently the Presidence model name was used for the flagship version of the car featuring a luxurious interior, a radiotelephone (a European first).

[iamrupalihere]

The Evolution of Automobiles: A Journey Through Time

Introduction

The history of automobiles is a fascinating tale of innovation, determination, and human ingenuity. From the earliest steam-powered contraptions to the sleek electric vehicles of today, cars have shaped our lives, economies, and landscapes. Let’s embark on a journey through time to explore the milestones, inventors, and revolutions that define the world of automobiles.

1. The Pioneers

a. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot and the Steam Carriage (1769)

In a small workshop in France, Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built the first self-propelled vehicle. His steam-powered carriage, known as the “Fardier à vapeur,” could carry passengers and cargo. Although slow and cumbersome, it marked the birth of the automobile.

b. Karl Benz and the Benz Patent-Motorwagen (1886)

Fast-forward to the late 19th century. Karl Benz, a German engineer, unveiled the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. It was the first true automobile powered by an internal combustion engine running on gasoline. With three wheels, a single-cylinder engine, and a top speed of 16 km/h (10 mph), the Motorwagen revolutionized transportation.

2. The Model T Era

a. Henry Ford and the Model T (1908)

Henry Ford’s vision was to make cars accessible to everyone. In 1908, he introduced the Model T, an affordable, mass-produced vehicle. The assembly line revolutionized manufacturing, and soon, millions of Model Ts rolled off the production line. The car became a symbol of progress and freedom.

3. The Roaring Twenties and Streamlined Designs

a. Art Deco and Streamlining

The 1920s witnessed a shift in car design. Art Deco influences brought elegance and symmetry to automobile aesthetics. Streamlining, inspired by aviation, emphasized sleek curves and aerodynamic shapes. Cars like the Chrysler Airflow and the Bugatti Type 57 exemplified this trend.

4. Post-War Boom and Muscle Cars

a. Post-World War II Boom

After World War II, car production soared. Families embraced sedans like the Chevrolet Bel Air and the Ford Fairlane. The 1950s saw tailfins, chrome, and optimism. Drive-in theaters and roadside diners became part of the American dream.

b. Muscle Cars and Horsepower Wars

The 1960s brought muscle cars—powerful, V8-engine beasts. The Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Dodge Charger ruled the streets. The horsepower wars escalated, and drag racing became a cultural phenomenon.

5. Environmental Concerns and Innovations

a. Oil Crisis and Compact Cars

The 1970s oil crisis shifted priorities. Compact cars like the Volkswagen Beetle and Toyota Corolla gained popularity. Fuel efficiency and emissions control became critical.

b. Hybrid and Electric Cars

In the 21st century, environmental awareness led to hybrid and electric vehicles. The Toyota Prius pioneered hybrid technology, while Tesla’s electric cars redefined performance and sustainability.

6. The Road Ahead: Autonomous Vehicles and Beyond

a. Autonomous Driving

Self-driving cars are no longer science fiction. Companies like Waymo and Tesla are pushing the boundaries of autonomy. The future promises safer roads and shared mobility.

b. Sustainability and Beyond

As we move forward, sustainability remains paramount. Hydrogen fuel cells, solar-powered cars, and urban mobility solutions will shape the next chapters in automotive history.

Conclusion

From steam carriages to electric supercars, the automobile’s evolution mirrors our progress as a society. Each turn of the wheel brings new challenges, innovations, and dreams. So, fasten your seatbelt—we’re still on an exhilarating ride

[historysnapped]

Henry Ford and wife Clara pictured in 1946 in the first car his company built back in 1896.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By KATHY McCORMACK and ROBERT F. BUKATY

November 21, 2023

HINSDALE, N.H. (AP) — Geoffrey Holt was unassuming as the caretaker of a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, where he lived a simple, but curious life.

Residents would see Holt around town in threadbare clothes — riding his lawn mower, headed to the convenience store, parked along the main road reading a newspaper or watching cars pass.

He did odd jobs for others but rarely left town. Despite having taught driver’s ed to high schoolers, Holt had given up driving a car.

He opted for a bicycle instead and finally the mower.

His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture — no TV and no computer, either. The legs of the bed went through the floor.

“He seemed to have what he wanted, but he didn’t want much,” said Edwin “Smokey” Smith, Holt’s best friend and former employer.

But Holt died earlier this year with a secret: He was a multimillionaire.

And what’s more, he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people.

His will had brief instructions: $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation and culture.

“I don’t think anyone had any idea that he was that successful,” said Steve Diorio, chairperson of the town selectboard who’d occasionally wave at Holt from his car.

“I know he didn’t have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in ... It’s a tremendous gift.”

The money could go far in this Connecticut River town sandwiched between Vermont and Massachusetts with abundant hiking and fishing opportunities and small businesses.

It’s named for Ebenezer Hinsdale, an officer in the French and Indian Wars who built a fort and a grist mill.

In addition to Hinsdale’s house, built in 1759, the town has the nation’s oldest continually operating post office, dating back to 1816.

There’s been no formal gathering to discuss ideas for the money since local officials were notified in September.

Some residents have proposed upgrading the town hall clock, restoring buildings, maybe buying a new ballot counting machine in honor of Holt, who always made sure he voted.

Another possibility is setting up an online drivers’ education course.

Organizations would be be able to apply for grants via a trust through the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, drawing from the interest, roughly about $150,000 annually.

"Hinsdale will utilize the money left very frugally as Mr. Holt did,” said Kathryn Lynch, town administrator.

Holt’s best friend Smith, a former state legislator who became the executor of Holt’s estate, had learned about his fortune in recent years.

He knew Holt, who died in June at age 82, had varied interests, like collecting hundreds of model cars and train sets that filled his rooms, covered the couch and extended into a shed.

He also collected books about history, with Henry Ford and World War II among his favorite topics.

Holt had an extensive record collection too, including Handel and Mozart.

Smith also knew that Holt, who earlier in life had worked as a production manager at a grain mill that closed in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont, invested his money.

Holt would find a quiet place to sit near a brook and study financial publications.

Holt confided to Smith that his investments were doing better than he had ever expected and wasn’t sure what to to do with the money. Smith suggested that he remember the town.

“I was sort of dumbfounded when I found out that all of it went to the town,” he said.

One of Holt’s first investments into a mutual fund was in communications, Smith said. That was before cellphones.

Holt’s sister, 81-year-old Alison Holt of Laguna Woods, California, said she knew her brother invested and remembered that not wasting money and investing were important to their father.

“Geoffrey had a learning disability. He had dyslexia,” she said.

“He was very smart in certain ways. When it came to writing or spelling, he was a lost cause. And my father was a professor.

So, I think that Geoff felt like he was disappointing my dad. But maybe socking away all that money was a way to compete.”

She and her brother grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Their father, Lee Holt, taught English and world literature at American International College.

Their mother, Margaret Holt, had a Shakespearean scholar for a dad.

She was an artist who “absorbed the values of the Quaker Society of Friends,” according to her obituary.

Both parents were peace activists who eventually moved to Amherst and took part in a weekly town vigil that addressed local to global peace and justice issues.

Their children were well-educated. Geoffrey went to boarding schools and attended the former Marlboro College in Vermont, where students had self-designed degree plans.

He graduated in 1963 and served in the U.S. Navy before earning a master’s degree from the college where his father taught in 1968.

In addition to driver’s ed, he briefly taught social studies at Thayer High School in Winchester, New Hampshire, before getting his job at the mill.

Alison remembers their father reading Russian novels to them at bedtime.

Geoffrey could remember all those long names of multiple characters.

He seemed to borrow a page from his own upbringing, which was strict and frugal, according to his sister, a retired librarian.

His parents had a vegetable garden, kept the thermostat low, and accepted donated clothes for their children from a friend.

She said Geoffrey didn’t need a lot to be happy, didn’t want to draw attention to himself, and might have been afraid of moving.

He once declined a promotion at the mill that would have required him to relocate.

“He always told me that his main goal in life was to make sure that nobody noticed anything,” she said, adding that he’d say “or you might get into trouble.”

They didn’t talk much about money, though he would ask her often if she needed anything.

“I just feel so sad that he didn’t indulge himself just a little bit,” she said.

But he never seemed to complain. He also always wasn’t on his own, either.

As a young man, he was briefly married and divorced.

Years later, he grew close to a woman at the mobile home park and moved in with her. She died in 2017.

Neither Alison nor Geoffrey had any children.

Holt suffered a stroke a couple of years ago and worked with therapist Jim Ferry, who described him as thoughtful, intellectual and genteel, but not comfortable with following the academic route that family members took.

Holt had developed mobility issues following his stroke and missed riding his mower.

“I think for Geoff, lawn mowing was relaxation, it was a way for him to kind of connect with the outdoors,” Ferry said.

“I think he saw it as service to people that he cared about, which were the people in the trailer park that I think he really liked because they were not fancy people.”

Residents are hoping Hinsdale will get noticed a bit more because of the gift.

“It’s actually a forgotten corner in New Hampshire,” said Ann Diorio, who’s married to Steve Diorio and is on the local planning board. “So maybe this will put it on the map a little bit.”

[mariacallous]

For almost two decades after it opened in 1913, Michigan’s Central Station was a major stop on the nation’s interurban rail network. Then the private car took over the US, and Detroit declined. By the 1970’s, auto jobs were leaving the state and the country and local corruption was soaring.  At the turn of the century, the train depot and the 18-story office towers behind it had been abandoned for 30 years, the faded exterior looming over Detroit’s Corktown and Mexicantown neighborhoods, a sign that things were going very poorly in Detroit. 

By 2018, the city and Ford Motor Company were ready to tell another story. That year, Ford announced that it had acquired the station and the area surrounding it, a monument to the kind of transportation past that the automaker and its manufacturing brethren had all but killed.

Today, Ford executives and city government and community leaders will hold an opening ceremony for one building on the station’s new campus, part of a $950 million project it is calling Michigan Central. (The state of Michigan contributed some additional $126 million in new and existing financing to the project.) The new building, called the Book Depository, will serve as an innovation collaboration space for transportation entrepreneurs and researchers.

Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford, says the campus’ redevelopment is a sign. “Michigan Central will go from being a story about Detroit’s decay to the story about Detroit’s rebirth,” he says, a second act that will see the city become home to tech- and auto-centric jobs that will build the next generation of transport. “This will be the first tangible evidence that that vision is coming to life,” says Ford, who is also a great-grandson of both company founder Henry Ford and tire magnate Harvey Firestone.

Ford is part of a broader movement to revitalize downtown Detroit, though its effects are not yet clear. Detroit lost almost half of its population between 1950 and 2000. Though new downtown sports stadiums, restaurants, and housing developments have strengthened the case of local optimists who see a resurgence underway, recent US censuses suggest that the region continued to bleed residents in the past decade, perhaps due in part to the Covid-19 pandemic. (The city has sued the US Census Bureau over the results, alleging that feds undercounted minority residents, which affects government funding.) 

Ford expects many other businesses to move onto the 30-acre Michigan Central campus, which includes 14 acres of park space open to the public. Today’s opening focuses on the Book Depository, a nearly 100-year-old building across the street from the Central Station that once played host to the Detroit public schools’ store of books, records, and supplies. Now, it will serve as a 270,000-square-foot maker and startup space focused on mobility, a potential spawning ground for future Ford partners. Even before the building’s official opening today, more than 25 companies representing 150 employees have taken up residence at the Book Depository, Michigan Central officials say, representing firms working on autonomous and electric vehicles, roadways built just for robot cars, and air pollution. They are all associated with an organization called Newlab, a manufacturing incubator that has already launched an innovation space in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard. 

The Book Depository’s space is designed to encourage collaboration, says Joshua Sirefman, who as CEO of Michigan Central has led the project’s development and programming. Although the building’s general structure has been preserved, changes have been made to bring it in line with contemporary expectations of premium office space. One example: A series of small skylights that collapsed during the 35 years the structure was vacant were replaced by one large skylight, creating what Sirefman calls a “really extraordinary, naturally lit central space, which I think gives us an incredible communal energy.”

The campus’ opening represents Ford doubling down on its side of a long-simmering conflict between Detroit and Silicon Valley. One origin of the dispute is the moment in 2003 when a bunch of guys got together in San Carlos, California, in Silicon Valley, to found a company called Tesla Motors. Since then, Tesla has used its software chops and a move-fast-and-break-things approach to auto manufacturing to become the most valuable car company in the world. Ford wants to prove that it can do the tech stuff too.

When the Michigan Central project was announced in 2018, “Detroit wasn’t even in the game,” says Ford of the race to infuse autos with tech. “But we are now, and what we provide at the Book Depository building and in the region is the ability to bring together hardware and software in a way that can’t be done elsewhere.” 

Office workers will begin to move into the updated Michigan Central towers behind the historic station in 2024, says Sirefman, though exactly who will work out of the renovated space isn’t yet clear.

Ford announced in 2018 that 5,000 people, half of them the company’s own employees, would work out of the updated train station. But the automaker has moved to a hybrid working model since the pandemic, spokesperson Daniel Barbossa says, so “we have opened up our Ford spaces to be focused on flex space and collaboration.” Updated occupancy numbers will come later this year, he says. Ford has announced that local high school students in a Google-sponsored mentorship program will work out of a lab in the station; 50 students are already enrolled in the program, which is temporarily housed in another building on the campus.

Corktown, the neighborhood to the east of Michigan Central, is a trendy district that was once home to Tiger Stadium but has since become a nightlife destination. Housing and rental prices there have jumped since the announcement of the Ford project. But Ford, the company’s executive chair, believes the project will be beneficial even to those who don’t work on the campus. “In some ways, a rising tide lifts all boats,” he says. 

Rohani Foulke, owner of Folk, a cafe and wine shop that has for almost a decade sat a 10-minute walk from the Central Station, is hopeful the project can boost local businesses that have suffered during the pandemic. “We’re very excited about the project, really in the hopes that it helps bring some regular foot traffic into the neighborhood,” she says. Foulke will also be glad to see the constant construction abate—not only of the Michigan Central campus, but of other developments in the area. “There are insane amounts of noise and dust,” she says. “I can’t tell you how much dust we have to deal with.”

All that dust is a reminder that there is plenty of other work left to do in Detroit, where nearly a third of residents still live in poverty. Brian Boyer, who directs a new degree program in urban technology at the University of Michigan, finds Ford’s ambition—making Detroit the center for transportation innovation—a good one, but insufficient. The city’s future must be broader than cars, trains, and wheels, says Boyer, who is a consultant on one part of Ford’s Michigan Central project. “No matter how successful we are with mobility, the apex for that was the beginning of the 20th century,” he says. “The region needs to have a bigger purpose—a bigger story that we’re asking people to be part of.”

[aiautos]

The 1899 Hammnicar, invented by John M Hammond II, was a wooden car built in, well, 1899, by John to see what one of those newfangled automobiles could be used for, John used a two stroke inline 2 engine that made 14 horsepower, to power the Hammnicar to a whopping 15 mph on land, and 3 knots on the water. The Hammnicar was miraculously preserved through both world wars in a shed outside the M. Hammond estate from 1909-1987, and was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1988, after nearly 90 years of sitting unloved, and was restored for the 1990 "American Wild World of Wheels" Exhibit, displayed next to things like the first JFSA (Jorge Fink Submersive Autos) Catfish prototype, and the 1972 Cadillac-Jacuzzi Barcelona prototype, on loan from the Henry Ford Museum. This exhibit would help found the "Smithsonian Museum of American Automotive Innovation", inaugurated in 1995.

[agentbluefox]

If I see one more post like this I’ll start fighting people.

Context matters. Context changes everything. I don’t have any special interest in Henry Ford or in the progression of capitalism (or the work week or anything related) in the US, but things like these are so simple to learn just the bare minimum. Open up a history book and use your brain once in a while, I’m sure it would appreciate the exercise.

Working conditions were shit for the majority of people up to this point, in particular for blue collar and middle class workers. He adopted the five day work week which was a more humane workweek and made major steps in ensuring people were actually paid adequately for their time and craft. He also basically pioneered a functioning assembly line that cut down a HUGE amount of workplace related injuries or deaths. People rushed to work for him. That’s why the automotive industry boomed during this period as he expanded to accommodate more workers and, in turn, more demand for his cars.

He also wanted to ensure that everyone working for him would be able to afford the product they built.

For a LOT of people this was the first time ever that an employer was paying fairly and offering livable working conditions. Which also meant that a lot of those men took pride in what they were creating.

Which in turn fed into why the US is such an automobile-centered country. It is part of our culture, not just capitalist-driven greed.

[len1nb]

Journal 7

Downtown Fort Myers

The history of Downtown Fort Myers is that people have lived there for at least 14,000 years, dating back to the end of the last great ice age. Back then, the water was held in glaciers, the sea levels were lower than they are today and peninsular Florida was twice as wide as it is today, extending into what is now the Gulf of Mexico.

In the early 16th century, Spanish explorers encountered the Calusa, a powerful Native American group in Southwest Florida. The Calusa controlled much of the region, including the Miami area, and thrived on fishing, shellfishing, and hunting. They resisted Spanish efforts to settle, with the first attempts resulting in hostility and deaths, including that of Ponce de Leon. Spanish Jesuit missions were established but failed due to the Calusa's resistance.

By 1763, following European diseases, the Calusa population had dwindled significantly, with many fleeing to Cuba. The Caloosahatchee River, named by the Seminoles, means "River of the Calusa."

Fort Myers, originally established in 1841 during the Second Seminole War as Fort Harvie, was reoccupied and renamed during the Third Seminole War. It later played a role during the Civil War, being occupied by Black Federal troops. Monuments around the town commemorate the area's military history.

Cattle ranching in Florida began with early Spanish settlers who brought cattle to the New World. These cattle, known as "scrub" cattle, survived Florida's harsh climate and were later herded by pioneers to Jacob Summerlin's ranch near Punta Rassa. From there, cattle were shipped to Cuba for better prices. It wasn't until 1908 that Fort Myers passed an ordinance requiring cattle to be kept outside city limits, as they had previously roamed the streets. Today, cattle ranching remains an important part of Florida's economy.

Fort Myers was a busy working waterfront from the late 1800s to the 1920s, with citrus, vegetables, and fish shipped from river wharves. River transportation was key before the railroad reached the city in 1904. The Caloosahatchee Canal, completed in the 1890s, connected the river to Lake Okeechobee. Today, the city's waterfront focuses on parks and recreational areas like Centennial Park and the Yacht Basin.

The "Fathers of Industry" in Fort Myers, including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and George Sanders, played key roles in the area's development. Edison sought ways to produce rubber locally for Firestone tires, which would then be used on Ford cars. George Sanders designed the Edison Mall, which opened in 1964 and shifted shopping from downtown.

The Old County Courthouse, built in 1915 in Classical Revival style, now houses the county commissioners' offices. In contrast, the modern courthouse/justice building has a more contemporary design reflecting the evolving needs of the community.

During the Great Depression, WPA projects like Centennial Park, the Yacht Basin, and the Old Post Office (now the Sydney and Berne Davis Art Center) helped provide jobs and boost the local economy.

The "City of Palms" features two Palm Parks showcasing palms from around the world, and public art is integrated into various downtown buildings, such as the Caloosahatchee Manuscripts and a mosaic on the new Federal Building.

Downtown Fort Myers, once a hub for shopping and socializing, has evolved with the rise of shopping malls, leading to a shift in retail activity. The city now promotes "Smart Growth" to encourage sustainable, mixed-use development with diverse housing, cultural venues, and walkable spaces.

Fort Myers' history also includes the painful legacy of segregation, highlighting the city's complex and often less visible past. The importance of voting and understanding local politics is emphasized for active community participation.

Learning about the city relates to the readings and course objectives because the history of Downtown Fort Myers provides us details on the ups and downs the State and City went through. With our course, we learn the history of Sustainability and how it was sustainable then and now. The importance of this information helps us understand that life is about overcoming obstacles to better the future of the world for future generations and having a long-lasting world with having knowledge of sustainability.

[its-a-wicked-twisted-road]

Henry Ford in the first car he ever built, 1896

[melbmemories]

Lewis T Bandt with his 1934 V8 Coupe Ute.

The Coupe Utility was invented by 22 year old Bandt when working with Ford in Geelong after a letter from a Gippsland farmer's wife to Ford in 1933 asking for a vehicle which could take them to church on Sunday and then take pigs to market on Monday.

Bandt's concept integrated elements of cars and trucks to take advantage of the best of both worlds. By redesigning the vehicle's trick bed, he made it larger and improved the vehicle's exterior appearance. He started off by sketching his designs on a 10-meter-long blackboard. For a "truck" that's supposed to look like a "car," his design would allow for a very respectable 545-kilogram payload. Before putting the car into mass production, Ford built and tested two prototypes. The outcome was so good that even Henry Ford praised it. The original Ute came equipped with a V8 engine and a manual transmission with only three gears.

Bandt's innovative solution was a Model 40 with a four-door cab and a wooden truck bed surrounded by smooth panels instead of the usual truck space. It spread like wildfire, and soon everyone in the farming community had one. In the fifteen years that followed, over 22,000 copies were sold, and the ute quickly became a staple of Australian culture.

The lack of a back seat in these coupe utilities was of no consequence. Until the late 1960s, it was common practise in Australia to seat as many people across the front as possible, with those who couldn't be accommodated being given a blanket and cushion to ride in the back.

The ute concept later became very popular in America (initially dubbed "kangaroo chasers") and other areas of the world where it became known as a pickup truck.

The first Holden utility, the 50/2106, was released in 1951, the lines between coupes and utilities began to blur even more.

[lboogie1906]

Frederick Douglas Patterson (September 17, 1871 - January 18, 1932) was the first African American to build motorized cars. His father, Charles Rich Patterson, a former enslaved person, created C. R. Patterson and Sons Company, located in Greenfield, Ohio. Beginning in 1865, the company built fashionable carriages. He inherited the company upon the death of his father and began building motorized vehicles. The first Patterson automobile, the Patterson-Greenfield, rolled off the line on September 23, 1915. Henry Ford debuted the Model T on October 1, 1908, and by that point had captured most of the American car-buying market.

He was born in Greenfield, Ohio, the fourth of five children born to Josephine and Charles Richard. He attended Ohio State University where he played football and may have been the first Black player at the school on the varsity team. He left the university and taught school in Louisville, Kentucky for two years. His passion, lay in the family business so he moved home and joined his father and brother Samuel at C.R. Patterson and Sons.

The Patterson-Greenfield sold for $850 and was reputed to be a higher quality automobile than Henry Ford’s Model T, known as a “Tin Lizzy.” The Patterson-Greenfield car had a forty-horsepower Continental four-cylinder engine and reached a top speed of fifty miles per hour. The Model T had cornered the automobile market. It sold for $825 in 1908 when introduced to the public, but by 1915, the price had decreased to $360.

The company produced 150 Patterson vehicles of two styles, the two-door roadster, and the big four-door touring car. The company slogan, “If it’s a Patterson, it’s a good one” described the company’s carriages as well as the motor vehicles. C.R. Patterson and Sons, could not obtain capital to continue manufacturing the automobiles. By 1920 it had shifted production to buses and trucks, and he renamed the company to the Greenfield Bus Body Company.

In 1939, the company that had manufactured carriages, automobiles, buses, and trucks, closed its doors after 74 years of providing fine transportation. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[tigermike]

1954 Kaiser Darrin Roadster designed by Howard "Dutch

The Kaiser Darrin, also known as the Kaiser Darrin 161 or in short as the Darrin, was an American sports car designed by Howard "Dutch" Darrin and built by Kaiser Motors for the 1954 model year. Essentially a revamp of Kaiser's Henry J compact, the Kaiser Darrin was one of its designer's final achievements and was noted for being the first American car equipped with a fiberglass body and doors that slid on tracks into the front fender wells. The car was named both for Henry J. Kaiser, head of Kaiser Motors, and Darrin.

The Darrin was conceived as part of a movement in Detroit to compete head-to-head with European roadsters being imported to and sold in the United States in the post–World War II period. Among other products developed were the Ford Thunderbird in its initial two-seat form and Chevrolet Corvette. While the Darrin was designed attractively, it was also underpowered and, while a good performer overall, did not measure up to foreign vehicles such as the Nash-Healey or Triumph TR2. The Darrin's high price tag, lack of consumer confidence in Kaiser's viability and practical challenges with the car's design resulted in low sales, though sports cars at the time were generally not fast sellers.

Only 435 production Darrins and six prototypes were built. Crumbling corporate finances, pending loss of assembly facilities and a freak snowstorm that reportedly ruined 50 of the cars all conspired to terminate the program. Darrin bought those 50 vehicles and whatever others Kaiser had left in storage and sold those from his Hollywood, California showroom. Many of the cars' engines were retrofitted with superchargers and multiple carburation to improve performance. Six were re-engined with Cadillac Eldorado V-8 units; one of these was reportedly raced.

[jackbeauregards]

Fun Facts About My Grandpa, Mack McCoy

Was a good friend of Roy Disney

Ran moonshine during prohibition when he was 9/10 years old

Lived in an old farmhouse without running water until his late 20's.

Was classified 4F during the war, so he joined the Forest Service. The Forest Service was used to build roads and fight forest fires. Ever see a movie where fire fighters parachute out of air planes into the middle of burning forests? That's what he did during the first half of the 40's.

While he was in the Forest Service he met and became lifelong friends with a young man named Francis McCown, who would later be known as the actor Rory Calhoun. (My dad tells a story of meeting his dad's friend "Frank" sometime around 1966. Frank was in town to pick up a new car from the Ford dealership and also wanted to take my grandpa out to lunch. My dad tagged along. Boy, was my dad surprised when Frank turned out to be the guy from the western movies.)

He built engines and chassis for Indy cars, Sprint cars and Midgets. His work was said to be very high quality and because of this he became well known in racing circles.

After 2 years of building cars he started racing. They say he was fast, especially in midgets. One quote I've heard about him, "If Mack passes you, that's it. You won't be able to get in front of him."

AJ Foyt had a bad habit of physically fighting anyone who beat him. When he tangled with my grandpa though, he regretted it.

One of the cars that my grandpa built was used in the Clark Gable movie To Please A Lady (1950). It can be seen in the first race sequence around 9 minutes in. It is car #36 with the square grille and "M" insignia. He never knew that his car was used in a movie, but he would have been honored.

Among the racers that have driven his cars are Bill and Eli Vukovich, Parnelli Jones and Bobby Unser.

He retired from racing and became a mechanic for a Ford dealership around 1960 because his wife requested that he change careers. He never really talked about racing ever again after that.

He was also a rodeo rider for a time in the 1930's and 40's.

Also among his well known friends were Henry Hull and Arthur Hunnicut, but I don't know how he met them.

That's all I can really remember at the moment. I'll probably update this later as I learn more. Bonus Facts:

Bill and Eli Vukovich and Parnelli Jones (who went by the name Rufus) used to spend weekends at my family's house when they were racing near town. They used to get drunk on cheap beer, start good natured fist fights and break up my grandmother's furniture. But they never failed to replace the broken coffee tables and chairs.

Bill Vukovich was at my family's house for dinner just two weeks before his fatal crash at Indianapolis on May 30 1955