Henry Ford
(1863-1947)

Died aged c. 84

Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863 in Greenfield Township, Michigan. The industrialist and automobile manufacturer owned his "country cottage," the Mangoes, in Fort Myers from 1916 to 1945. He purchased the property to be next door to his best friend, Thomas Edison. While in Fort Myers, Ford and Edison hunted, fished and went camping in the Everglades. It is conjectured that Ford worked on the development of his V-8 engine while visiting Fort Myers. Henry Ford died April 7, 1947 at his Dearborn, Michigan home. The City of Fort Myers purchased his estate in 1988 and restored the building to its 1920s appearance.

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Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford, he converted the automobile from an expensive luxury into an accessible conveyance that profoundly impacted the landscape of the 20th century. His introduction of the Ford Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As the Ford Motor Company owner, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism", the mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout North America and major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to permanently control it. Ford was also known for promoting antisemitic content, including The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, through his newspaper The Dearborn Independent, and his book, The International Jew. In July, 1938, four months after the German annexation of Austria, Ford accepted the highest medal that Nazi Germany bestowed on a foreigner, the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle.

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