Greenfield Village

In Dearborn, Michigan is The Henry Ford. There are two parts, Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum. There are more parts, but those were the two we went to.

Greenfield Village has a working farm using the technology of the farm where Henry grew up, some demonstration factories and shops where they sheer the sheep, 

card the wool, spin it into thread, and weave it into finished goods. Henry also bought homes of people he admired and moved them here, including Noah Webster and George Washington Carver. He also brought the Wright brothers' cycle shop and Thomas Edison's lab, where the light bulb was invented. And lots more.

At 16, Henry left the farm and went to work in a factory. He had been fascinated by the farm machinery he had been using, and machines of all types. He founded two car companies that failed before starting the Ford Motor company. The story of his production line is well-known, but the other thing he did differently from others of his day was to pay his employees twice as much as other companies.

Ford was a great admirer and friend of Edison, and they shared many traits that made them both successful. Irony of ironies, the day we went to Greenfield Village and learned all about Ford, and Edison, and the Wright Brothers and others of their age that did remarkable things, was the day after President Obama's famous “You didn't build that” speech.  

A few more pictures here.  Should have taken more of this place.