MARQUETTE – Day 13

Return to The Henry Ford and then Dearborn to Bay City, 131 miles.  As it was a short driving day, we returned to the Henry Ford complex this morning and took in a few things that we had missed previously.  After lunch we navigated to the Piquette Ford Plant, where the Model T was born.   Arriving on the second floor in the freight elevator. Even before the Model T and the moving assembly line, 100 cars a day were produced in this building. The building interior is unrestored and is pretty much as it was when Ford production was here.  The building was special made to Ford’s specifications and each floor was split into four bays with self-closing fire doors and an overhead sprinkler system and big freight elevator.  Cars were manufactured on the second and third floors, bottom floor was machine shops.  Each finished car was driven twice around the block, and if that was successful was then loaded into a railcar on a siding at the back of the building. Each bay between the poles was a workstation producing two cars.  The cars on the floor are on display in exchange for storage in the plant. Pat did find a non-skid tire and was looking for ink when I reminded her that it would print a mirror image.One of the real curiosities was a bonafide 4WD Model T.  The ladies feigned interest.  But we know what they were really thinking,,,, After the most interesting tour, we hit the road and are in Bay City, MI tonight.  Onward and northward……