1900's Business and the Economy | Ford, Henry 1863-1947

INDUSTRIALIST

Early Aptitude.

Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he developed design concepts and production techniques that allowed its manufacture in such high volume and at such low cost as to bring it within reach of the average wage earner. His impact on American life in the twentieth century was enormous. Ford was born on a farm near Dearborn, Michigan. From his earliest days he displayed a marked mechanical aptitude, and all his life he loved working with machinery. In 1879 he became an apprentice in a machine shop in Detroit, repairing watches at night to make ends meet.

Farm to Factory.

In 1888 his father gave him a fortyacre tract of land in Dearborn on the condition that he abandon the machinist's trade and return to the farm. Ford built a house on the land and made a small income selling lumber and firewood. But he did not engage in farming and used his spare time to experiment with...