Check out the trailer for Legends of the Lake for free here!

You can find pictures of Gar Wood and Chris Craft boats in the Scenesfromthepast.com Photo Galleries.

Technorati Tags: Chris Craft, Concours d’Elegance, documentary, Gar Wood, KNPB, Lake Tahoe, legends, Nevada, PBS, Reno, speedboats

Afterwards, stop on by our Zazzle galleries for some great vintage prints and gifts of old Ford cars. (Please note that I have not verified any of the credited sources or any of the facts mentioned within the email and have left all of the source names and URLs intact from the original email).

Did you know this history of the Ford Proving Grounds?
Ford Airport, Dearborn, MI
(West of Detroit, MI)

N 42° 17.829 W 083° 13.636
17T E 316399 N 4685171

Michigan Historical Marker Ford Airport

A 1925 photo of an airshow at Ford Airport (courtesy of Mike Denja),
showing several unidentified biplanes & monoplanes.

According to Michael Kuentz, Henry Ford had become an investor in William Stout’s airplane manufacturing firm, which built single-engine aircraft. However, Ford was not happy with his investment, so in an attempt to control the company he bought into, he had a 2nd Stout airplane factory built on the corner of Oakwood & Village Road.

The 20,000 square foot Stout Metal Airplane Company factory opened in 1924. In 1925, the Ford Airport was dedicated, with 2 grass runways & flood lights for night landings. It was widely touted as being the first “modern” airport in the world. The airport was the first in the US to operate a regularly scheduled passenger airline in continuous domestic service, with the Ford Air Transportation Service providing a route between “Detroit” (Dearborn) & Chicago. Ford Airport was also the first in the US to have an airline terminal for passenger use, the first in the world to have a hotel (the Dearborn Inn) designed & built for the air traveler.

The Ford Motor Company Airplane Division manufactured aircraft at this location starting in 1925. Henry Ford erected the largest, most modern and only privately owned permanent dirigible mooring mast in 1925. From 1925-31, the Annual National Air Tour (to demonstrate the safety and the reliability of commercial aviation) started and ended at Ford Airport.

In 1926, Ford Airport operated the world’s 1st flight of a commercial airliner guided by radio, using system developed by Ford Motor Company.

The Army’s RS-1 blimp, moored at the Ford Airport in 1926.
Ford Airport’s dirigible mast was reportedly only used twice.

An undated view of Ford Airport’s dirigible mooring mast (from Wayne State University’s Virtual Motor City web site).

A 1926 photo of the passenger terminal at Ford Airport.

According to Michael Kuentz, Stout aircraft had a poor flight record and suffered many crashes. Ford was losing money rapidly, and on the night of January 27, 1926 a fire mysteriously started in the all-brick & steel plant, destroying the building. Shortly after the fire, Henry sent Bill Stout on a nation-wide public relations tour and then contracted with Albert Kahn to design and build two new buildings; one a new 62,000 square-foot Ford Tri-Motor airplane factory, and the other the world’s first airport hotel (The Dearborn Inn).

Shortly after Bill Stout left for his PR tour, Henry was overheard telling one of his executives, “For the first time in my life, I have bought a lemon, and I don’t want the world to know about it”, regarding the puzzling fire. Never again would the Stout name appear on an airplane factory. Eventually Henry Ford bought out William Stout and turned his transportation company into Ford Air Transport.

From 1928-29, Ford Airport’s grass runways were paved giving the field the first concrete runways in the world.

A 1931 aerial view looking northwest at Ford Airport.

According to the Michigan Historical Marker website, Henry Ford built the Dearborn Inn (opening in 1931) to accommodate overnight travelers arriving at the Ford Airport. Located opposite of the airport along Oakwood Boulevard, the 179 -room inn was the world’s first airport hotel. The guest quarters along Pilots Row originally were used by the airlines’ crews.

A July 25, 1931 view of a Goodyear Blimp over Ford Airport’s dirigible mast
(from Wayne State University’s Virtual Detroit website). (Note also the 3 balloons visible at the top of the photo.)

Unfortunately, Henry Ford lost more than $10 million on his airplane division, which closed in 1933. A total of 199 Ford Tri-Motors were eventually built at the Dearborn facility. The Tri-Motor was the 1st American all-metal, multi-engine, commercial airliner. However, the airport itself continued to operate for several years more.

Ford Airport, as depicted on the 1935 9M Night Flying Chart.

In 1938 the 1st automobile test track was laid down on the Ford Airport property.

Ford Airport was still depicted as an active private airfield in the 1946 MI Airport Directory. It was depicted as having 2 concrete runways (3,700′ & 3,200′). By this point, the airport had been converted to simultaneously serve as an automobile testing ground, with an automobile test track extending beyond the runways. Ford Airport’s dirigible mooring mast was demolished in 1946.

The Ford Air Transport Office moved to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in 1947, and the Ford Airport was closed. By the time of the 1948 Detroit Sectional Chart, the airport was no longer depicted at all.

1946 MI Airport Directory

The Ford Air Transport Office moved to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in 1947, and the Ford Airport was closed. By the time of the 1948 Detroit Sectional Chart, the airport was no longer depicted at all.

1949 aerial photo of Ford Airport (2 years after it was closed)

Both paved runways remained intact, and note the lettering Closed X Airport which was barely discernable on the middle of the former northwest/southeast runway. A number of paved aircraft parking spots were located just east of the runway intersection. The circular clearing for the former dirigible mooring mast was still visible on the east end of the field, but it appears the mast itself had already been taken down.

Ca. 2001 aerial photo, the remains of 2 paved runways (the longest is 3,300′) were still discernible in the middle of the auto proving grounds.

Along the south end of the former airfield, the building farthest to the left is a Ford Engineering facility
that was built in part of the old Ford Airplane Factory. Looking at it today you could never tell what it was in a former life. Moving to the right, the next small building is all that remains of the powerhouse for the former Ford Airplane Factory. Today this building houses garages for prepping cars for the test track. The next building to the right is a 123′ x 300′ sandstone & steel hangar,
where the first Ford Tri-motors were first assembled while the big factory was still being built.
The hangar was later used to house the Ford Tri-Motor airplanes. It still exists today but houses a small wind tunnel for experimental vehicles. To the south of this hangar is the Dearborn Inn.
The 4th building moving to the right was built back in the 1970’s and is another testing facility.
Located north of the 3rd & 4th buildings is a small structure that has been heavily added onto -
that is the former Ford Airport passenger terminal. Just beyond that is a concrete circle where the dirigible mast used to be.

A 2004 photo by Greg Steinmayer “of the original Ford Airport hangars”.

The building is now used for ‘Experimental Engines’ by the Ford Motor Company. The original Ford hangars, complete right down to the original hangar doors, still exist on the Southwest side of the former airfield (along Oakwood Boulevard). They are currently used as testing labs. Directly across from the hangars is the Dearborn Inn, constructed as the world’s first specific airport hotel. It is still in operation as the premier hotel in Dearborn.

It was reported in 2005 that Ford Airport, which became the Ford Proving Grounds, is no more. Ford has completely restructured the proving grounds and eliminated all traces of the former runways, which were still extant as part of the proving ground’s roadway system. The former runways are at least covered, if not gone altogether.

A March 2006 aerial view by Paul Freeman, looking southeast at the site of the former Ford Airport.

The Ford Airport site is located north of the intersection of Oakwood Boulevard & Rotunda Drive. The Henry Ford Museum is adjacent to the airport site.

Dearborn Proving Ground facts

360 acres in Dearborn, Mich., with approximately 25 miles of test roads
First test track is laid in 1938 around Ford Airport runways. It is actively used as an airport until June 1947.
Tracks include two oval tracks at 2.8 miles around, a straightaway nearly 1 mile long, a Ride and Handling track 1.1 miles around, two hills with 11 percent to 30 percent grades, a wet skidpad and a variety of test surfaces for development of steering, brakes, NVH, ride and handling, powertrain and durability.

Test vehicles drive approximately 2 million miles per year.

Grounds include four wind tunnels, cold test rooms, Automotive Safety Center and Crash Barrier, Product Review Center and two vehicle service garages and offices.

Approximately 800 employees

Gas station supplies specialty fuels for powertrain calibration and emissions certification.

Ford Airport facts

1924: 20,000-square-foot Stout Metal Airplane Company factory opens
1925: Ford Airport is dedicated as the first modern airport, equipped with two grass runways and flood lights for night landings
1925: Henry Ford builds the largest, most modern and only privately owned permanent dirigible mooring mast. It was only used twice and demolished in 1946.
1925: Ford Air Transportation Service between Detroit and Chicago begins – the first regularly scheduled airline in the United States
1925-31: Annual National Air Tour to demonstrate safety and reliability of commercial aviation starts and ends at Ford Airport.
1926: First successful radio guided flight, using system developed by Ford Motor Company.
1926: Stout factory is replaced with a 62,000-square-foot facility to build new Ford Tri-Motors using assembly line production for the first time.
1928-29: Grass runways are paved– the first concrete runways in the world.
1931: Dearborn Inn opens – one of the first hotels built to service the air traveler.
1938: First vehicle test track is laid down.
1947: Ford Air Transport Office moves to Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ending Ford Airport operations.
2003: Five vintage airplanes, including two Ford Tri-Motors, fly into Dearborn Proving Ground – the first time in 56 years the test track is used as an airport.

(Facts Courtesy of Ford Media’s website)

Michigan Historical Marker Ford Tri-Motor

View Larger Map

Technorati Tags: airplanes, airport, Detroit, flight, Ford, Ford Motor Company, Ford Tri-Motor, Ford's, Henry Ford, history, Michigan, pilot, proving grounds, Stout Metal Airplane Company, tri-motor

The Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Recomended Readings

Gifts

“Remember” print of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Mouse Pad

Coffee Mug

Ringer Tshirt

Hooded sweatshirt

Technorati Tags: Edmund Fitzgerald, Gales of November, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Lakes, Lake Superior, Michigan, shipwreck, tribute

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior they said never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early

The Crew:
Ernest M. McSorley, 63, Captain, Toledo Ohio
John H. McCarthy, 62, Mate, Bay Village, Ohio
James A. Pratt, 44, second mate, Lakewood, Ohio
Michael E. Armagost, 37, third mate, Iron River, Wisconsin
Thomas Bentsen, 23, oiler, St. Joseph, Michigan
Thomas D. Borgeson, 4l, maintenance man, Duluth, Minnesota
John D. Simmons, 60, wheelsman, Ashland, Wisconsin
Eugene W. O’Brien, 50, wheelsman, Toledo, Ohio
John J. Poviatch, 59, wheelsman, Bradenton, Florida
Ranson E. Cundy, 53, watchman, Superior, Wisconsin
William J. Spengler, 59, watchman, Toledo, Ohio
Karl A. Peckol, 20, watchman, Ashtabula, Ohio
Mark A. Thomas, 2l, deck hand, Richmond Heights, Ohio
Paul M. Rippa, 22, deck hand, Ashtabula, Ohio
Bruce L. Hudson, 22, deck hand, North Olmsted, Ohio
David E. Weiss, 22, cadet, Agoura, California
Robert C. Rafferty, 62, steward, Toledo, Ohio
Allen G. Kalmon, 43, second cook, Washburn, Wisconsin
Frederick J. Beetcher, 56, porter, Superior, Wisconsin
Nolan F. Church, 55, porter, Silver Bay, Minnesota
George Holl, 60, chief engineer, Cabot, Pennsylvania
Edward F. Bindon, 47, first assistant engineer, Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Thomas E. Edwards, 50, second assistant engineer, Oregon, Ohio
Russell G. Haskell, 40, second assistant engineer, Millbury, Ohio
Oliver J. Champeau, 4l, third assistant engineer, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Blaine H. Wilhelm, 52, oiler, Moguah, Wisconsin
Ralph G. Walton, 58, oiler, Fremont, Ohio
Joseph W. Mazes, 59, special maintenance man, Ashland, Wisconsin
Gordon F. MacLellan, 30, wiper, Clearwater, Florida

Lost Mariners’ Remembrance

Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Monday, November 10
6 p.m.

The event takes place on the 33rd anniversary of the sinking of the Great Lakes ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald in a furious storm on November 10, 1975 off Whitefish Point in Lake Superior – claiming the lives of 29 crewmen. The William Clay Ford was the first boat to arrive on the scene. Artifacts from these freighters, the Fitzgerald bow anchor and the Ford pilothouse, are displayed at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum.

In addition, this year’s event will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of the loss of the self-unloading steamer Carl D. Bradley, which sank in Lake Michigan during a fierce storm on November 18, 1958 killing all but two of its crew of 35 – most of whom hailed from the northern Michigan port of Rogers City.

Technorati Tags: 1975, Carl D. Bradley, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Edmund Fitzgerald, Gales of November, Lake Superior, Michigan, Michigan History, November, remember, ship, shipwreck, storm, tribute, Whitefish Point, William Clay Ford

We miss you, John.

Bill Miller and the folks over at JohnnyCash.com post an awesome podcast every week that showcases interviews with Johnny’s family, friends, and colleagues as well as musical rarities, trivia, and some good history lessons. I have yet to miss an episode! It is a true memorial for a man that was larger than life. (You can also subscribe to the podcast via )

You can help keep Johnny Cash’s eternal flame burning by visiting and shopping at the Johnny Cash General Store. (Your purchases help them to keep the podcast going!)

Technorati Tags: bluegrass, country, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Man in Black, memorial, music, Walk the Line

On Friday evening, we went to the famed Rex Theater in Galax, Virginia. From the Crooked Road website:

“Since 1999, radio station WBRF-FM 98.1 has broadcast its weekly “Blue Ridge Backroads” live music show from Galax’s historic Rex Theater on Grayson Street. It is one of only three live bluegrass and oldtime radio shows in the country. With a powerful 100,000 watts of power the signal reaches listeners in 4 states and over 50 counties. The live show hosts local, regional and national bluegrass and old-time musicians on the stage every Friday at 8pm. Visitors come from all over the world to be a part of the audience and participate in the live radio broadcast.”

I think it is usually free, but the show we attended was $5.00 a person to see the Master Musicians from the Crooked Road. It was a pretty amazing show. They did some Carter Family songs and some old time mountain music and bluegrass standards. Our favorite of the night was hearing “No Speed Limit” perform “Ruby”. The band is led by Steve Barr, a stunning banjoist from Galax, and features the fine vocals of Amber Collins.People clogged and played the spoons down front and at times the whole audience sang and clapped along. It was a great evening of affordable fun. I wish I lived close enough that I could go every Friday. Please visit the Rex’s official website to find their schedule, directions, and other information.

On Saturday, we followed the Crooked Road and made our way over to the famed Carter Family Fold in Maces Springs/Hiltons, Virginia. The original Carter Family, consisting of A.P., Sara, and Maybelle, is considered the “First Family of Country Music”. Younger people are most likely familiar with them because of the marriage between Maybelle’s daughter, June Carter, to music legend (and one of my biggest music idols), Johnny Cash.

I’ve been talking about visiting here for a long time now and I finally made it. It was worth the wait! The show featured the Wild Turkeys who did a number of Carter Family songs (including the song title whose name I took for this post) and other old time standards. This time, the floor in front of the stage got down right crowded with cloggers and dancers of all ages.

The history of the place is just so exciting for me. The museum, which used to be A.P. Carter’s country store, now serves as the Carter Family museum. Admission to the museum is covered in the $5.00 ticket to the show. The museum has all kind of pictures, records, awards, personal items like A.P.’s pocket watch, and his favorite chair. I really enjoyed seeing the suit that Johnny Cash wore to the White House in 1970. You can also visit the restored cabin and birthplace of A.P. Carter right next to the museum.

If you can’t make it to the Fold yourself, you can still enjoy a show via streaming video and help support The Carter Family Fold by paying a mere $5.00 to watch online.

More Resources to Explore from Scenes from the Past:

“Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone?” by Mark Zwonitzer

“Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash” by John Carter Cash

“The Carter Family - Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” a documentary from PBS home video

The Carter Family on

“Walk the Line” DVD (widescreen edition) featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Reece Witherspoon

The Carter Family Wikipedia Page

No Speed Limit on

Jack W. Lewis’ Bluegrass and Old Time Music Radio podcast (featuring the history of old time music and bluegrass and performances from the Rex) on

Crooked Road Picture Gallery at Scenes from the Past

Technorati Tags: bluegrass, Carter Family, Crooked Road, Galax, history, Johnny Cash, music, music heritage, Virginia

A daguerreotype is a one-of-a-kind photographic image that could not be copied because it was a positive-only process alowing no reproduction of the picture. The process involved polishing a silver-plated sheet of copper. It was then sensitized with iodine vapors, exposed in a large box camera, developed in mercury fumes, and fixed with hypo (sodium thiosulphate/salt water). Since its inception, photography served as both a medium of artistic expression and as a powerful scientific tool. Daguerre’s earliest plates were still-life compositions of plaster casts.

It is a common misconception that the daguerreotype was the most commonly used method of photography into the late part of the 19th century. Daguerre’s process was only used for about 10 years, before it was overtaken by other processes:

In honor of Daguerre’s pioneering gift to the world, Scenes from the Past would like to share these resources:

The Daguerreian Society’s Galleries

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Timeline of Art History” essay on Daguerre and the Invention of Photography

The Daguerreian Society’s essay, “A Thumbnail History of the Daguerreotype” by Kenneth E. Nelson.

The Library of Congress - “America’s First Look into the Camera: Daguerrotype Portraits and Views, 1839 - 1864″

The Library of Congress - Timeline of the Daguerreian Era

The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre

Technorati Tags: Albumen, Ambrotype, Anniversary, Daguerre, Daguerrotype, Ferrotype, France, Library of Congress, Louis Daguerre, Photo, photography, portraits, Still life, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I’ve recently discovered that the George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film, has a series of free podcasts. They have a really cool 5 minute podcast on restoring the Abraham Lincoln glass plate negative. Gene has mostly transferred his glass plate stuff to all 35 mm (and some other assorted sizes) and the digitization effort is a very straightforward process. It boggles my mind to think about what goes into restoring something as damaged and as historically significant as the Lincoln negative.

Grant Romer discusses his department’s conservation of the Lincoln glass plate negative. Mr. Romer is the director of the Advanced Residency Program in Photograph Conservation Photo Conservation Department at George Eastman House, International Center of Photography and Film. His discussion of the Museum’s work with the negative helps us understand the importance of preserving historically significant and unique photographic artifacts from our past, for our future.

You may or may not know, but I love the history of the American Civil War. (I have an earlier entry on the new visitor’s center at Gettysburg and I also plan a visit to President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldier’s Home in Washington D.C.). So, this podcast really intersects two of my interests very nicely. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hesler, Civil War, conservation, George Eastman, glass plate negative, photography, restoration

You can purchase hard or soft copies from the Government Printing Office or you can read the PDF version available on the FBI’s site for free.

Also, you can read some fun trivia at the The Top Ten Myths in FBI History. Most of these are believable, however despite their claims, I still think they have Tesla’s Death Ray. (It’s locked up in the same warehouse as the Ark of the Covenant.)

In the FBI’s 100 years, 51 Special Agents have given their lives while performing their duties. Enjoy this special video tribute by jjlingjunjie

Technorati Tags: FBI, FBI history, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Government Printing Office, Special Agents

I was very pleased yesterday to get an email from the B&O Museum in Baltimore, Maryland announcing the First Annual National Train Day sponsored by Amtrak. From the event website:

What is National Train Day?

On May 10, 1869, in Promontory Summit, Utah, the “golden spike” was driven into the final tie that joined 1,776 miles of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railways, ceremonially creating the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. And America was transformed.

Suddenly, the country was united in a way it never had been, and train travel sparked imaginations in small towns and big cities, among folk who desired adventure and businessmen who saw fortunes to be made. The sound of a train whistle was the soundtrack of happy reunions and tearful farewells. It heralded the arrival of mail, supplies and change.

The train became more than the go-to mode of transport for people and goods. It was a proud achievement of engineering vision, technical ingenuity and sweat. It was a cultural force that sparked the creative imaginations of storytellers in songs, movies and novels. Railways provided jobs for thousands of Americans. The train station became a focal point of every community, from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station to the tiny stations that dotted rural America.

Now, 139 years after the golden spike connected east and west, there’s never been a better time to take the train. Huge crowds and the frustrations that go with them burden our highways and airports. And at a time when we all share the same pressing concerns about ecology and energy conservation, trains are a more energy-efficient mode of travel than either autos or airplanes. Riding the rails is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Not to mention meet interesting people and see breathtaking scenery.

So mark May 10th on your calendar for a coast-to-coast celebration of the way trains connect people and places. In New York’s Penn Station and Union stations in Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles, there will be simultaneous National Train Day festivities that are a treat for all ages.

A Golden Opportunity

The spirit of National Train Day resides at the Golden Spike National Historical site in Utah, which commemorates the achievement of those who created the national’s first transcontinental railroad. It was there that the final spike was driven into the tie that joined the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869, and it’s part of a network of nearly 400 important sites that’s cared for by the National Park Service. And like all of the places you can visit within the National Park System, the Golden Spike National Historical site is alive with history, recreational adventures and beauty.

There will be celebrations in Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The largest event will be in D.C., though.

On May 10, 2008, in Washington DC’s Unuion Station, National Train Day Activities will inlcude:

Speaking of the Golden Spike National Historical site, I found this cool movie on YouTube posted by SkipW. It features a condensed version of the Golden Spike Celebration for the completion of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad held on October 23-25, 1914 at Cain Rock, Humboldt County, California.

Because the film has no audio, I thought I’d try streaming my own soundtrack. One of my favorite train songs is Neil Young’s Southern Pacific from the Reactor album. (I know, I know. Southern Pacific doesn’t quite fit because the film is about the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, but it’s cool anyway). You have to hit play for the movie and the song individually, but I think it’s worth the effort.

Technorati Tags: Al Roker, Amtrak, Golden Spike, National Park Service, National Train Day, Neil Young, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Railroad, Southern Pacific, trains