Henry FORD's 150th birthday is a great time to celebrate his legacy - notably his FORD Motor Company and its iconic FORD brand cars and trucks. But here in our area, we also have scores of other reminders of Mr. FORD and his work. . . .His family came here from Cork, Ireland, home of the original Fair Lane, which gave its name to the FORD Fair Lane Mansion, located on Fair Lane (the road) just next to the Fairlane development which is home to the Fairlane Center mall, the Fairlane Club and the University of Michigan Dearborn's Fairlane Center, home to its education and business colleges. . . .But back to Mr. FORD. The Henry FORD birthsite is at the SE corner of FORD Road and Greenfield, where a state historical marker explains the farmhouse owned by FORD's parents William and Mary. The FORD home is now located at Greenfield Village at The Henry FORD, the outstanding museum of American history a few miles away. And the family farm site is now Henry FORD Village, a top-end senior living facility. Across M-1
53 or FORD Road is a major city park, FORD's Woods, and just a little west, near Henry FORD Community College, is a major outpatient center of Henry FORD Hospital, which, they tell me, has the busiest ER in the area. . . .Henry FORD High School is a bit north in Detroit, but two of the city's three high schools are named for his son, Edsel - FORDson High and Edsel FORD High. Actually, FORDson was named for the City of FORDson, which was named for FORD's son Edsel. (FORDson, Greenfield Twp. and "old Dearborn" merged after a controversial close vote in 1929 after FORD and his minions wanted to create a city incorporating his FORD Rouge Factory, his home and his engineering center.) . . . FORD Field is a huge recreation area (site of the annual city Homecoming) on the Rouge River in west Dearborn, not to be confused with FORD Field downtown Detroit, home of the Detroit Lions Football Team, owned by FORD grandson William Clay FORD. The old FORD Auditorium downtown, former home of the Detroit Symphony, doesn't exist anymore, but the Dearborn Civic Center's latest iteration is now the FORD Community and Performing Arts Center. . . .It is next door to the Henry FORD Centennial Library, a gift to the city from the FORD Foundation to mark FORD's birthday 50 years ago. By the way, the FORD Foundation, a global philanthropy originally funded by FORD stock, is not affiliated with the FORD Family, FORD Motor or the company's own philanthropic arm, the FORD Fund, which supports lots of local causes such as the FORD Freedom Award, the FORD Research and Engagement Center, the FORD Mobile Food Pantries, the Henry FORD Academy Schools and the FORD Education Center at the Detroit Zoo. . . .Speaking of the FORD Foundation, don't confuse it with the Springwells Park neighborhood at Greenfield and Rotunda which is often referred to by that name. We also have the FORD Homes neighborhood in central west Dearborn - delightful homes built for FORD managers. . . .The FORD world HQ, at Michigan and Southfield, is named Henry FORD II World Center after FORD grandson Henry (Hank the Deuce), and the research center at The Henry FORD (the museum) is named after his brother Benson FORD. The library in downtown west Dearborn is named after Henry FORD's wife, Clara Bryant FORD, as is one of our great public schools. . . .I think the American Legion still has a post on Maple named after FORD, and the Post Office has an office called TeleFORD. One of the last drive-ins in America is the FORD-Wyoming, and when east Dearborn's Bob FORD FORD was looking for a name change, they got real creative; it's now Fairlane FORD! (The other FORD dealer in town, formerly Stuart Wilson, is now Village FORD.) . . .The FORD Motor Company has all sorts of buildings and divisions around town with and without its globally-known FORD Blue Oval (which, by the way, it hocked to carry it through the recent auto crisis and celebrated when it took back uncontested ownership recently), but it also supports the public FORD Conference Center across from The Henry FORD on Village Drive. The Dearborn Inn was conceived by Henry FORD and its impressive lobby showcases a huge FORD portrait over the fireplace mantle. Likewise the spirit of Henry FORD is evident at the Dearborn Country Club which he built in the '20s with renowned architect Albert Kahn. And every Welcome to Dearborn sign boasts "Hometown of Henry FORD." . . . This is top of mind stuff - did I miss anything? Happy Birthday Mr. FORD!
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