Archivist sells history on ebay

Interesting read about a New York archivist who sold off historical documents to pay his household bills. Wow, apparently he's been doing this for five years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080128/ap_on_re_us/artifact_arrest

Henry Ford: The dancing driver & automotive icon and his wife's pretty feet

Race car driver and celebrity Helio Castroneves is reaping tons of publicity for his soft-shoe on Dancing with the Stars. Well, dancing and driving isn't something new. Henry Ford, a one-time race car driver as well as an automotive empire builder, liked to dance too.

People attribute Henry Ford's success to his business savvy and engineering prowess. Smart guys, however, are a dime a dozen and Henry Ford needed something make him stand out from all the other smart guys seeking corporate financiers.

Things were going badly for Henry Ford in the summer of 1901. His first car company, the Detroit Automobile Company, had failed, and his financial backers had doubts about his talents as an engineer and as a businessman. Building and racing a succesful race car could re-establish his credibility!

Ford and associates entered a car called Sweepstakes, named after the race itself, on October 10, 1901, at a horse racing track in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Henry's opponent in the race was Alexander Winton, a successful auto manufacturer, and the country's best known race driver.

No one gave the inexperienced, unknown Ford a chance. When the race began Ford fell behind immediately, trailing by as much as 300 yards. But Henry improved his driving technique quickly, gradually cutting into Winton's lead. Then Winton's car developed mechanical trouble, and Ford swept past him on the main straightaway, as the crowd roared its approval.

Henry's wife Clara described the scene in a letter to her brother: "The people went wild. One man threw his hat up and when it came down he stamped on it. Another man had to hit his wife on the head to keep her from going off the handle. She stood up in her seat ... screamed "I'd bet $50 on Ford if I had it.'"

Henry Ford's victory had the desired effect. New investors backed Ford in his next venture, the Henry Ford Company. (Information obtained from The Henry Ford)

NOW THAT I'VE ESTABLISHED HENRY FORD AS A RACE CAR DRIVER, IT'S ON TO THE DANCING

"I am not thinking so much of teaching children to dance, but of teaching children courtesy and conduct that go with dancing." Henry Ford

Henry Ford had a great passion for old-fashioned dancing. Yes, he would have thought the Samba vulgar! Ford's passion for dance is the reason behind the establishment of Lovett Hall, a beautiful reception center on the grounds of Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford.

Ford believed dancing taught people much needed social skills that would help them not only socially but in the business world as well. Therefore, all his chief staff members had to learn to dance and attend dancing socials regularly. Even Ford thug Harry Bennett!

A newspaper reporter once saw a lady purchasing boxes of dance slippers from a local exclusive retailer. When the reporter inquired "Who would buy all those shoes?" the clerk responded:

"Don't you recognize her? That is Mrs. Henry Ford. She comes in twice a year. She has pretty feet, and her husband likes her to wear dainty slippers. They dance together quite a lot, you know."

Read more about this aspect of the legendary Henry Ford in:
Henry Ford and Benjamin B. Lovett, The Dancing Billionaire and the Dancing Master,
Eva O'Neal Twork,
Harlo Press, 1982

Happy History! Remember, History is all around you. Seek it out!

Karin Risko,
The Happy Historian

Heinz Prechter: Gave America the sunroof and George W. Bush

Preston Tucker isn't the only automotive luminary buried at Michigan Memorial Park in Flat Rock. So is Heinz Prechter.

Founder of the automotive aftermarket company American Sunroof, you could easily argue that Prechter gave America the sunroof. Prior to establishing ASC (Southgate MI) and landing contracts with several major automotive companies, the sunroof was found mostly on VW imports. Prechter's company put a sunroof in Lyndon B. Johnson's personal limousine enabling Johnson to stand up and hunt from his car.

Dubbed the "Duke of Downriver, Prechter was a charismatic cheerleader for the southeast Michigan region and put lots of dollars into the community as well. He even proposed a bridge uniting the Downriver area and Canada. When he proposed it, people loved the idea. Years later, when the bridge might actually have become a reality, people opposed it in droves,

For better or worse, Prechter was a cheerleader for the Republican Party and his financing efforts helped put George W. Bush into office.

One online source said:" Prechter hosted a hunting get together for Bush and 12 top GOP fundraisers at his 10,000-acre Texas ranch the next year. Bush emerged from this hunt as the GOP moneyed elite's candidate. Prechter and two other Michigan Pioneers, Suzie Mitchell and Paul Welday, organized American Dreamers an effort to raise money for Bush from minorities who are rarely sighted among the Pioneers. Prechter's zeal for Bush fundraising is so great that he reportedly made a pitch when he found himself standing next to a potential donor at a urinal."

Prechter was very good friends with George Sr.

Tragedy struck the family of Heinz C. Prechter on July 6, 2001. The legendary business leader fell victim to suicide after battling intermittent bouts of manic depression for most of his adult life. He was only 59 years old.

Happy History! Remember, History is all around you. Seek it out!

Karin Risko,
The Happy Historian

History Happenings (2008 Calendar of Events)

May 9 - 10
Michigan Historic Preservation Network Annual Convention
Dearborn
www.mhpn.org

May 15 - 18
Sing Jubilee! The Story of the Fisk Jubilee Singers
Presented by the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit
Detroit Film Theatre (inside the Detroit Institute of Arts)
313 833-4005

May 22
Historic Preservation, Economics, and Downtowns by award winning Free Press Business Writer and Architectural Critic John Gallagher
Gallagher is the author of the AIA Detroit publication, The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture (WSU Press, 2003).
Lincoln Park Historical Museum
7 PM
313 598-3137

May 24 - 26
Civil War Remembrance Weekend
The Henry Ford / Greenfield Village
http://www.thehenryford.org/events/civilWarRemembrance.aspx

June 19
Tucker Club Convention
Ypsilanti
www.tuckerclub.org
Keeping the legend alive online!

June 20 - 21
The 2nd Annual River Raisin International Fife and Drum Muster
10 corps in attendance
Friday, 7 PM - concert in Loranger Square
Saturday, 10 AM - parade through downtown Monroe
1 PM - Muster at Historic River Raisin Battlefield
Call 734 240-7780 for information

August 22 - September 1
The Great 2008 Michigan State Fair
www.michiganstatefair.com

October 3-11
Custer Celebration Event – General George Armstrong Custer’s Monroe, His Family and Friends
http://blogsmonroe.com/custer
Annual event honors Monroe, Michigan’s most famous resident General George Armstrong Custer, a Civil War hero and America’s most controversial historical icon. Presented by the Monroe County Historical Society, the 2008 event theme is Custer’s Western Years.

Visit historic Monroe County, Michigan and enjoy an exciting living history experience that draws visitors from all across the nation as well as throughout the world. Attend presentations by prominent historians and guest speakers such as Ernie LaPointe, great-grandson of Chief Sitting Bull, and Dakota Goodhouse, acclaimed Native American author and chief of interpretation at North Dakota’s Fort Abraham Lincoln.

Meet major historical figures including General Custer, Libbie Custer, Buffalo Bill, Russia’s Grand Duke Alexis, Mark Twain, etc.
View first-class exhibits of rare Custer era artifacts on loan from leading national private and public collections displayed at the Monroe County Historical Museum. The museum houses the nation’s second largest exhibit of Custer artifacts.
Stroll through the streets of downtown Monroe and walk where the General once walked. Visit the church where Custer wed Elizabeth (Libbie) Bacon, the shoe store (still in business) where he purchased his boots, the restored home where he and Libbie once lived and the church where Custer’s final memorial service was held following his death at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Tour Woodland Cemetery and view the Custer family plot.

Revel in period family amusements throughout the week such as concerts in the park, contra dancing demonstrations, fireworks, a buffalo burger reception and a grand ball.
Most events are free of charge!

Flat Rock MI earns Preserve America designation

The city of Flat Rock, Michigan will soon post a road sign designating it as a Preserve America city. City officials in conjunction with members of the Flat Rock Historical Society are seeking $150,000 in grant funds to preserve historic and commercial buildings and promote local tourism (heritage tourism) through a federal program called "Preserve America."
The historical society already has begun restoring the Smith Hotel and Bar, Lang-Wagar Home and other buildings in an historic village behind Flat Rock Public Library.

The city is one of 13 communities in Michigan to be designated with that honor.

Source: Monroe Evening News.

Great news for Downriver / southeastern Michigan history! Do you have news concerning the preservation of local history? Please post your news here.

Happy History! Remember, History is all around you. Seek it out!

Karin Risko

The Happy Historian column debuts. Articles on automotive legend Preston Tucker and George Custer (Monroe years)

Been some time since I've set up this blog and actually posted anything. Here are some updates.

The Happy Historian will launch as a regular monthly column in Downriver Profile magazine, a regional pub covering the communities of southeast Michigan (dubbed Downriver by locals).

The first column covers Preston Thomas Tucker, the Lincoln Park "kid cop" turned legendary automotive icon. This column debuts in the January/February issue due out soon. To reserve your copy, send a $5.50 check or money order to: Downriver Profile, 150 Maple, Wyandotte MI 48192. ($5.50 includes postage)

My March column covers General George Armstrong Custer and his Monroe Michigan days. Again, you can reserve your issue now by sending check/MO to Downriver Profile at address listed above. A year subscription (10 issues) costs only $18.00.

I'm thrilled to finally launch The Happy Historian as a monthly column. Southeast Michigan has such a rich, diverse history. I want everyone to know about it.

Photos: Preston Tucker's final resting place (Michigan Memorial Park, Flat Rock, MI). Cornerstone of the The First Presbyterian Church (Michigan's oldest Presbyterian church) where George Custer and Elizabeth Bacon wed on February 9, 1864 in what Custer authority Steve Alexander coins "Custer's Wedding of the Century."

Steve Alexander has published several booklets on Custer's days in Monroe. Titles are: Custer's Wedding of the Century, When Custer Walked the Streets of Monroe, and The Civil War Writings. Publications are available at the Book Nook in Monroe. Call 734 241-2665 for further information.


Happy History! Remember, History is all around you. Seek it out!

Karin Risko,
The Happy Historian