Automobiles

NORTHVILLIANS,

It’s been an incredible week, with masks starting to come off and changes in COVID policies bringing us one step closer to normality. We truly can see the light at the end of the Pandemic tunnel.  A few weeks ago, we started a series on Trains, Planes & Automobiles in Northville. Today we will talk about Northville’s love affair with “Automobiles” and how that has shaped the fabric of this community.  We’ll look at Dealerships, personalities and vehicle manufacturers in town.  Without question, vehicles played a big role in this area through time.

Our Town has been part of the fabric of the automobile culture in North America.  This info is based on stories from family & friends and various other writings from The Record, snippets from Michele Fecht’s articles and personal observations.

Vehicles in Northville – During the early 1900’s, the first reported vehicles appeared in town. Among those were a Maxwell purchased by prominent business owner Marion Porter and Mr. William Ambler’s 1908 Jackson automobile.  In 1918 Northville formed the Northville Automobile Club, known today as AAA. This local chapter was one of the first in the country and was organized by Frank Neal, C. C. Yerkes, T. G. Richardson, L. A. Babbitt and others.

Local Auto Manufacturing – Vehicle manufacturing in Northville began in 1916 by the Globe Furniture Factory (at one time the largest furniture manufacturer in North America).  They converted one of their lines to produce a three-quarter ton truck that ran “round the streets like a bird” on its test drive, according to The Record. The Globe Furniture Company produced vehicles until the 1930’s, along with seats for Ford and the streetcar industry.

Auto Suppliers in Northville – Many auto parts were produced locally, mostly in our industrial area. A company called Foundry Flask produced flasks for the auto industry, and Haller Corporation pioneered powdered metal works in Northville (at the time, vehicles had roughly 25 pounds of powdered metal parts).

HENRY FORD bought the old Dubuar Union Manufacturing & Lumber Company at Griswold & Main in 1919 and converted it to manufacture valves for his Fordson tractors and Model-T’s. Valves for Ford engines were built here for the next 6 decades. The Albert Kahn-designed manufacturing building is now the Water Wheel Centre (where Planet Fitness is located). Henry, who spent his Honeymoon here in the 1880’s, delivered a new vehicle every year to his relatives on Center Street.

Testing – Northville, being the highest point in Wayne County, was frequently visited by auto manufacturers who would come out to Buchner Hill (back of Hillside School) to test their vehicle’s ability to climb. This area became famous for its large gatherings of engineers, auto executives, potential customers and curious town folk who lined up on summer days watching vehicles climb the steep incline.

Car Dealers – Dealers in Northville at the middle of the last century made quite a list:

• Kaiser/Frazer on South Main St. by the Car Wash
• A Packard/Mercedes/Studebaker dealer next to the Wagon Wheel Restaurant
• The Chrysler-Plymouth Dodge dealer (Miller’s) was across from City Hall and also on Hutton St. next to where the Exchange (previously Poole’s) is today.
• The Ford dealer was where Northville Square is presently on Main Street and the Chevrolet dealer was across from Joseph’s Coney Island.  They both moved across from Custard Time/Good Time Party Store in the 1950’s & 60’s.
• When I was young, the dealers in town were: John Mach Ford, Rathburn Chevrolet, and Miller’s Dodge – Plymouth.

Auto Shows in Northville – The town was also a pioneer in auto shows. In September 1929, one of the grandest displays of new vehicles took place at the largest fair in the state (the Wayne County Fair at Northville Downs). A huge circus-type tent housed over 50 new vehicles from every manufacturer in Michigan, with other vehicles displayed outside the tent. According to the Northville Record, it was the largest exhibit ever shown in the Detroit area, featuring models from Ford, Plymouth, Dodge, Buick, Chevrolet, Packard, REO, Hupmobile, Chrysler, Pontiac, Studebaker, and many more. In the 30s, as the economy slowly recovered from the Great Depression, automobiles were given as prizes to contest winners at the annual Fair.

In conclusion, you can see our community fabric has always included ties with the auto industry. As we start to de-mask and see a glimpse of more normal times, I encourage you to spread HOPE for the future. Reach out to those around you and share your time & talents with those in need. As our history has shown, we all stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us, and it is up to us to leave this Community a better place than we found it.

Keep that Northville Faith & Let’s move forward together…ready to shift into high gear for the future!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
BTurnbull@ci.northville.mi.us / 248.505.6849

(Reach out to me anytime or forward this communication to others interested.)

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