Early Life

Ford was born in 1863 on a farm in a little town just outside Dearborn, Michigan. His father, William, was an Irishman who came to the United States in 1847. His mother's name was Mary Litigot. She died when Henry was 12. Henry only attended school until he was 15, and in any spare time he worked on machines. Henry became interested in cars at the age of 13. He was always eager to repair his father's and other peoples farm equipment. He didn't want to pay to have things fixed and always had a curiousity of how things worked. When Henry turned 16, he left home and apprenticed at the James Flower and Brothers Machine Shop, where he worked 10 hours a day.