henry ford's speed record & the chesterfield hotel
Event: Henry Ford Breaks the World Record For The Mile: One Mile In 39 2/5 Seconds at 91.37 Miles An Hour Event Date: January 12th, 1904 Location: New Baltimore, MI on Anchor Bay Directly Out From The Chesterfield Hotel One Mile Either Way
what can i see today?
Henry Ford built two identical "999" racers with the only difference being a change in the manifold. One of those is housed at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Address: 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI 48124 Phone: (313) 982-6001 Website: www.thehenryford.org/
The Chesterfield Hotel sponsored the event and was the location a celebratory dinner took place after the record was broken. The hotel building is no longer standing but was located at the corner of Washington and Main Street. Address: 50976 Washington, New Baltimore, MI 48047(Approximate)
The building where the car was stored after the record is no longer standing. It was located near the shore line about a block from the Chesterfield Hotel was. The record was broken on Anchor Bay which is an inlet of Lake St. Clair. Address: 36300 Front St., New Baltimore, MI 48047
You can find out more about this story and the history of New Baltimore through the New Baltimore Historical Society located in the Grand Pacific House Museum. Address: 51065 Washington St., New Baltimore, MI 48047 Phone: (586) 725-4755 Website: linktr.ee/nbhs/
the interview
We talk with Senior Collections Archivist Lauren Moore of the Ford Motor Company about the events leading up to and just after Henry Ford's speed record.
Henry Ford was very interested in engines at an early age, building his own when he was just 15 years old...
Henry would not only work for Thomas Edison but would be greatly influenced by him to start his first automobile company...
After the failure of the Detroit Automobile Company, Ford turned his attention to race cars...
Henry tries his hand at a second automobile venture called the Henry Ford Company but later leaves to focus on race cars once again and recruits a well known bicycle racer named Barney Oldfield. The Henry Ford Company would go on to hire Henry Leland and become Cadillac...
In 1903 the Ford Motor Company is formed with two other industry titans, the Dodge Brothers, and produces its first vehicle...
On January 12th, 1904 Henry breaks the world speed record on a frozen Lake St. Clair at over 90 m.p.h...
Ford puts the world on wheels...
Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone would together help usher in the Industrial Age and would spend many camping trips together to solidify their friendship...
the story
Henry Ford had worked for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit starting in 1891. By 1893 he had become head engineer...
Photos Courtesy of The Henry Ford
Ford tinkered with engines and on his own car when he would come home from work at night. It was during this time that he would develop his first vehicle called the Quadricycle...
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
Ford left Edison to start the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899 but unfortunately that venture failed...
Photos Courtesy of the Henry Ford Museum
His second attempt called "The Henry Ford Company" had investors that wanted Henry to build a car for the wealthy but Ford wanted to build a car for the common man and in 1902 he was forced out. The company was taken under new leadership from Henry Leland and became Cadillac...
Photos Courtesy of the Henry Ford Museum
. In June of 1903 Henry Ford started a new company forming the Ford Motor Company...
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
In January of 1904 Ford wanted to draw attention to his company and please the shareholders and so attempted to break the world speed record. The attempt was sponsored by the Chesterfield Hotel...
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
The feat was advertised to take place January 9th, 1904 but the actual run would take place on the 12th on a frozen Lake St. Clair...
Photos Courtesy of The Henry Ford
The feat was a success and Henry Ford along with his mechanic Ed "Spider" Huff broke the world record for the mile in just 39 and 2/5 seconds at the speed of 91.37 miles an hour. Henry posed with some of his shareholders in celebration...
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
A celebration ensued at the Chesterfield Hotel afterward complete with a muskrat dinner...
Photo Courtesy of the New Baltimore Historical Society
The car was stored in the nearby power plant building as seen here. The "999" racer had two versions with the only difference being the manifold in a "V" shape. This particular vehicle was known as the "Arrow".
Photo Courtesy of The Henry Ford
The next day an article appeared in the Detroit News sharing what Ford and his crew had done...
Not only did the event please the share holders, but it was used by Ford for promotion accomplishing exactly what he set out to do...
Photo Courtesy of the Henry Ford
At the time of the record, Ford was leasing a plant on Mack Avenue and building a new factory. This replica at Greenfield Village is built to a smaller scale...
Henry Ford would go on to develop the Model "T" at his factory on Piquette Avenue. The "Secret Room" as it was known was in the very back of the factory and Henry would meet with a select few of his workers to develop the vehicle...
Henry Ford would go on to put the world on wheels and along with friend and mentor Thomas Edison, usher in the industrial age...