10 Interesting Facts About the Life of Henry Ford

1) Henry Ford made extra money as a pocketwatch repairman when he was in his early teens. A mechanical genius from a young age, Ford taught himself the craft of watch repair by repeatedly taking apart and putting back together a pocketwatch given to him by his father. He even made his own tools to work on watches, including tiny screwdrivers he laboriously filed from old nails, and tweezers made from the spring steel “bones” from a discarded corset.

2) When he was only 20 years old, Ford was promoted to Chief Engineer of the Thomas Edison Illumination Company’s main electrical plant in Detroit, which provided electrical power for the city. He worked there for six years before Edison himself encouraged Ford to follow his dreams of creating an affordable, reliable, gasoline-powered automobile.

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3) Among many, many other innovations Henry Ford brought to his manufacturing plants was a willingness to hire handicapped people, including the blind, deaf and those who had lost limbs in combat or in accidents. By 1919, more than 20 percent of Ford Motor Company’s workforce had some form of disability.

4) After being convinced he should seek a life in politics by his friend President Woodrow Wilson, Ford ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 1918. He only lost by 4,500 votes, even though he didn’t spend a dime on his campaign.

5) Henry Ford was America’s second billionaire, after oil magnate John D Rockefeller.

6) Still an innovator well into old age, Henry Ford debuted a prototype of a plastic-bodied car in August 1941. Even more amazing, the car’s body was biodegradable, with the lightweight panels made entirely from soybeans. While Ford hoped to include the soybean panels in production Ford cars and trucks to lighten weight and lessen the cost of new vehicles, the outbreak of World War II sidelined the project.

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7) One of the stranger objects on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan is a vial containing the last breath of Ford’s idol and former employer Thomas Edison. As the great inventor was dying, Ford convinced Edison’s son to sit beside Edison’s bed a glass test-tube, then capture his last breath and seal the tube with a cork.

8) Among Ford’s many inventions over the years is a summertime staple: the compressed charcoal briquette. With Ford plants turning out the Model T, which featured many parts made of oak, Ford found himself awash in wood scraps. Ford’s Brother-In-Law E.G. Kingsford suggested they create a charcoal manufacturing plant, and Ford named the product Kingsford Charcoal in his honor, with Kingsford still being a top producer of briquettes to this day. Talk about some cool Henry Ford facts!

9) During World War I, Ford took to the skies when he founded the Ford Airplane Company. While the company didn’t achieve the success Ford had hoped, it did create the sturdy and now-iconic Ford Tri-Motor airplane, which was produced between 1928 and 1933. A Ford Tri-Motor even appears in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”

10) Ford designed and built his first operational steam engine in 1878, when he was only 15 years old!

As we wrap up these interesting facts about Henry Ford, it’s like uncovering hidden treasures! His story is full of fascinating twists and turns, showing us the power of determination and innovation. Let’s carry these facts about Henry Ford with us as we forge ahead, inspired by his incredible journey.