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AUTOMOBILES: Americans eagerly looked forward to the start of a new century in 1899. There were signs of brighter things to come—electricity was beginning to light up towns and cities. And something new called an automobile would soon send the horse and buggy out to pasture. Michigan’s son, Henry Ford, started the revolution in 1896 when he drove his newly invented gasoline powered automobile on the streets of Detroit. The automobile changed everything in America—where we lived, where we worked, and where we vacationed. The family car opened up the whole country for people to visit. Part of Henry Ford’s dream was to make a family car affordable for anyone. To do this he revolutionized manufacturing with an assembly line production. Ford also reduced the working day from 9 hours to 8 hours with a minimum wage of $5 a day—a better wage in those days. Saugatuck and Douglas’ tourism businesses all benefited as travelers from near and far could more easily visit the area for a weekend or the summer. It’s interesting to note how many electric cars (including a few gas and electric hybrids) were around in the early 1900’s. There were even electric tour busses in Douglas. It seems sometimes we have to reinvent the past. by Rob Carey

Remembering WhenTransportation: highway and road infrastructure

Winthers, Sally

[email protected]

01/02/2022

[email protected]

11/18/2023