Henry Ford didn't produce the first car, but he did begin mass-production of affordable cars. Ford produced the Model A, Ford's first car,in 1903, but it was far from being affordable for the majority of the population. The Model N followed a few years later, but again, was not the affordable car that Henry Ford was dreaming up.

Then, in 1908, it happened, Ford Motor Company had discovered a way to produce a simple, affordable motor vehicle! Mr. Ford's Model T cost $825.00. 10,000 Model T's were sold in 1908, and by 1912, Ford Motor Company had lowered the price to $575.00. Two years later, Ford sold 48% of the cars on the market.

It is also a misconception that Henry Ford created the assembly line, this is false. It is said that Mr. Ford "perfected" the previously conceived assembly line idea.

It was Ford's ability to mass produce a dependable vehicle at a cheaper rate than his competition that propelled Ford Motor Company to the front of the industry.

The rest is history...

Click on the picture of the Model T above to find another article about the famous car.

Kitty Litter

In 1947, Ed Lowe of Cassopolis was working for his father who manufactured absorbent materials for industrial companies. A neighbor approached Ed about buying some sand to use as kitty litter because their cat was tracking ash (the "kitty litter" of the day) around the house! Ed suggested that they try using bits of clay. A new invention had been born!

Ed thought that this was going to be a pretty good idea. He filled ten paper bags with five pounds of clay and wrote "Kitty Litter" on them. He called the local pet store and told them of his new idea. The store owner hardly believed that anyone would be willing to pay Ed's asking price of $.65 for a five pound bag; Ed's reply "So give it away!". He did, and soon people were willing to pay for Ed Lowe's "Kitty Litter".

The rest is history...

Click on the picture above to read more about Kitty Litter.

Vernor's Ginger Ale

In the 1860s, ginger ale was being imported from Ireland. Americans loved the great taste of ginger ale and craved it. It was America's favorite soft drink for more than seventy years.

In 1862, Detroit pharmacist James Vernor was working on creating his own soda pop with nineteen ingredients, two of which were ginger and vanilla. He enlisted as a Union solider and forgot about his experiment, he set off to fight in the Civil War (also known as the War Between the States). However, before his departure, Mr. Vernor stored his ingredients in an oak cask. When he returned in 1866, he bravely tried the brew. He was surprised at the great taste! The aging process had done wonders!

Mr. Vernor opened up his own drugstore and what did he serve? Vernor's Ginger Ale, of course! It was a hit with his customers, but not an overnight success. It wasn't until some thirty years later that he was able to close up shop and live off of the profits of his ginger ale. He bought a building and he and his son began aging (for four years, remember!) their product. The company has been passed down to family members through the decades but was sold to American Consumer Products in 1971 and then to various corporations since then.

Vernor's isn't as big as it once was, but this American-made ginger ale may still be purchased in select areas! Vernor's is still produced till this day, still stored in oak casks too!

The rest is history...

Click here for more information about Vernor's, or also on the picture above.

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Sources
Article about Ford's History

The Model T's web page

There are more links to sources that may be found by clicking on the pictures above.

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This page was last updated on August 3, 2007