Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863. He was the first born of his mother's and father's [Mary & William] six children. He grew up on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan. He showed interest in mechanical objects, and disliked chores strongly.
At 16 years old, Henry went to Detroit to become apprenticed to a mechanic. He stayed for three years, and returned to Dearborn. Within the next couple of years Henry worked on repairing steam engines. When he got married to Clara Brayant in 1888, he supported them both by running a sawmill.
Henry Ford became chief engineer of The Edison Illuminating Company in 1893. This gave him enough time and money to take the time to work on his experiments with combustion engines.
The experiments led to the invention of the Quadricycle. This machine had four wheels. The Quadricycle also was steered like a boat with a wooden stick called a tiller. The vehicle only had two forward speeds and no reverse. Henry Ford wasn't the first, but one of several to invent a gasoline engined vehicle that was self propelled.
Soon after the invention of the Quadricycle, Henry Ford invented the Model T, on October 1, 1908. The Model T was easy to handle, operate and maintain. Immediately, the Model T was a big hit!
Henry Ford's Model T came on popular demand. Henry's motor company opened a large factory in Highland Park, Michigan in 1910. This became the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.
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