The Henry Ford Museum

The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan is one of the finest museums in the nation. Of course, with a name like “Ford” they have a fine collection of automobiles, but the museum’s collections include civil rights, history, and Americana. The complex in Dearborn is actually two sites: The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village. I attempted to do both in one day and I found that really wasn’t enough time to enjoy it thoroughly.

Collecting tangible evidence of America’s pre- and early industrialization history become one of Henry Ford’s greatest passions. In the early 1900s he began collecting many items of his lifelong hero, Thomas Edison. His collections soon grew to other key inventions and innovations in American history and began filling offices at Ford headquarters. Ford had the vision of creating a museum to give people a true picture of the industrial history of America. After years of collecting, planning, and building, Ford opened the Edison Institute – the original name – on October 21, 1929 to honor his friend on the 50^th anniversary of the light bulb. Now known as The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the museum houses numerous noteworthy collections.

The museum houses an impressive collection of presidential vehicles. Teddy Roosevelt was not fond of automobiles and still preferred his 1902 Brougham horse-drown carriage. They have one of the first armored presidential limousines, a 1939 Lincoln used by FDR and Truman. Probably the most jaw-dropping part of the collection is the 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential Limousine that President Kennedy was assassinated in on November 22, 1963. Amazingly, this limo was refurbished with more armor, new interior, a hard roof, and placed back in service carrying LBJ and Nixon.

What would a museum bearing the name of Henry Ford be without cars! There is an impressive collection showcasing the evolution and design of the automobile. They have the first automobile ever built by Henry Ford in 1896, a Ford Quadricycle. They also have an impressive collection of early production Fords including Model A and Model T. One of my favorite displays was an “exploded” Model T showing all the components of the car suspended: very cool. The museum also houses one of the rarest automobiles in the world: a 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Convertible. Only six of these automobiles were ever built and the lineage of this one traces back to a businessman who purchased it in Germany and then fled the Nazis to America. They also have the Ford GT that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1967 and was the subject of the Ford vs. Ferrari movie.

Certainly, the airplane has to be included in a museum of American innovation and they pay tribute in their Heroes of the Sky collection. They have a replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer with the original being housed permanently at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. In addition, they have a 1928 Ford 4-AT-B Tri-motor airplane that was flown over the south pole with Richard Byrd.

Inside the museum they also have a collection of locomotives. The largest item in the museum by far is the 1941 Allegheny steam locomotive. This behemoth was one of the largest steam locomotives every built, 1.2 million pounds, and was built to haul coal car trains measuring 1.5 miles in length! They also have a beautiful 1858 Rogers steam locomotive which is a fine example of the type used in American during the second half of the 19^th century.

Something that I had heard about and was really excited to see was the Dymaxion House. It was designed by visionary architect R. Buckminster Fuller to be strong, lightweight, and cost-effective housing post WWII. The concept was to manufacture these 1,096 square foot homes in a factory and then ship them to customers around the country. It is no surprise that these homes were to be built in the factories that built airplanes for WWII with its prominent aluminum shell. The home had two bedrooms with revolving closests, two bathrooms, a galley kitchen, and spacious living room with a fireplace. The concept never caught on and the Dymaxion House inside the Henry Ford Museum is the only one remaining. The concept and design interests me as I see this as a possible solution to our housing crisis.

One of the more dramatic items in the museum is the actual rocking chair that President Abraham Lincoln was seated in when he was assassinated at Ford’s Theater! They have a fine collection of Americana neon signs and the Oscar Myer Wiener Mobile! An item that I found particular interesting is probably overlooked by most visitors. It was a hand-written letter addressed to Henry Ford praising the reliability and power of the Ford V-8 engine. The letter was from Clyde Barrow, the outlaw of the Bonnie & Clyde fame, and he claimed the Ford engine always got him out of a jam with the law.

Henry Ford never forgot his childhood in rural America. He was keenly aware of the impact that the automobile and industrialization would have on the rural life he loved so much. Greenfield Village was his way of preserving that way of living. The village encompasses 80 acres of working farms, artisans’ workshops, historic buildings, sidewalk-lined streets, and a railway. Admission to Greenfield Village is separate from the museum and I found the 2.5 hours I had before closing really not to be enough, but I did the best I could to experience it.

I’ve always enjoyed watching artists work and while at Greenfield Village I watched a potter make mugs and a glassblower make drinking glasses: all these items were for sale in the museum shop. The village has a pretty big railroad that runs around the perimeter of the property. I enjoyed touring the roundhouse and taking a ride on a train pulled by the locomotive Edison. One of the memorable experiences of the day was riding in a 1921 Ford Model T. They offer rides to guests around the grounds and I learned a lot about the Model T like the throttle is on the steering column and you have three pedals: (left to right) gear selection, reverse, and brake. It was a blast to ride in one of these historic automobiles.

Greenfield Village has many historic buildings on the property which were all moved to Dearborn for preservation. Although I ran out of time and didn’t get to visit it, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey laboratory where he invented the lightbulb is on the property. I did get to visit the home of the Wright Brothers and their original bicycle shop from Dayton, Ohio before closing. I also saw the farmhouse in which Henry Ford was born and grew up. I had a wonderful day at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village. If you are ever in the Detroit area, then I would highly recommend a day there.

Finally, while I was in the Detroit area I stayed at Camp Dearborn which is actually owned and operated by the city of Dearborn but in Milford Township, Michigan near the GM Proving Grounds. The camp was opened in 1948 and offers 626 acres of recreation including numerous lakes, golf courses, and camping. When I pulled into the camp I was greeted by the official welcoming committee: a family of beautiful sand hill cranes.