Edison Illuminating Company in Greenfield Village

9 artifacts in this set

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The staff at The Henry Ford

Henry Ford’s version of the Edison Illuminating Company’s Station A in Greenfield Village was quite different from the original installation, where he’d worked in Detroit in the 1890s. Dedicated in 1944, it was reduced in scale and scope, included equipment from the Willis Street substation, and included one of the most important Edison artifacts—the only surviving Jumbo dynamo from New York City’s Pearl Street Station.

Detailed Description

Edison Illuminating Light Station, Detroit, Michigan, circa 1891

Photographic print

In 1891, Henry Ford left his small lumber business to work for the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. Within two years, he would become chief engineer. During his time at the Edison Illuminating Company, Henry Ford also built his first automobile -- and had his first meeting with Thomas Edison.