April 21st, 2023

McFarlan Park is the City of Flint’s first park, purchased in 1875. The park is named after Alexander McFarlan who was a Michigan politician and a prominent Flint lumberman and businessman. What makes this small park so unique from the other parks in the area, is that the park also has the designation as Genesee County’s official war memorial, dedicated on May 30, 1951.

Listed on the park’s memorial columns are the names of Genesee County veterans who gave up their lives in defense of our county from all wars, battles and conflicts dating back to the Civil War to the present day. In 2012, the City of Flint entered into an agreement with the Friends of McFarlan Park, Inc., whereby the city authorized FOMP to oversee park renovation, maintenance, and programming. Soon after entering into the agreement, FOMP began developing a master plan to address the physical deterioration of the park.

Over the past year, thanks to the tireless efforts and financial support from Sharp Funeral Home, Signs by Crannie, Goyette Mechanical, Curbco Inc., Home Depot, UAW Local 598, Genesee County Department of Veteran Services, Keep Genesee County Beautiful and scores of individual volunteers, the park has received new concrete, landscaping, electrical, replacement of the panels containing the names of the veterans, and the addition of six new flag poles and military service flags. And they are not done yet!

Friends of McFarlan Park, Inc., are excited to announce they are far enough along to now plan, and look forward to, a formal park rededication ceremony. Back to the Bricks® is proud to support their efforts and will support this rededication, so stay tuned for a fun cruise evening in July of 2023.

Visit their website below to learn more

By: Gary Fisher

President - Genesee County Historical Society

We took my Pops to The Henry Ford Museum a while back. My mom had just passed, and we were hoping for a distraction. Hard to be so happy in times like that, but we loved history, and cars, so it seemed a logical choice to try. As we walked around admiring the different classic and historic automobiles, we came upon a sleek and gorgeous 1963 Buick Riviera. Dad and I were the only people admiring it except for one other woman who was studying it.

Pops and I started talking about the car and dad began to tell me what it was like building the Riviera’s. He had spent all of his 30-year career as a Utility and Repairman at Buick. His first job was in 1962 when Buick had started to manufacture the ‘Rivvy’s’ as many called them. He told me all about the various intricacies of the car, including unique tiny details about things that only a guy who had to fix them as they rolled down the line would know and remember.

The woman standing next to us was clearly leaning in and eavesdropping on our conversation. She became positively electrified as she listened to my dad’s stories. “You actually built the Buick Riviera?” she said. “Well, I do not know if I built this one here specifically, but yes, I helped build the 63 Buick Riviera." At this point she identified herself, said she was Chinese American, and was escorting a group of Chinese nationals and automobile tourists that day. I told her I didn’t know that there was such a thing as an “automobile tourist.” “Oh yes,” she exclaimed with delight. “It’s a real thing.”

As it happened, her group of Chinese automobile tourists were in the cafeteria having lunch. “You know they absolutely revere the Buick in China,” she informed us. “The Chinese Emperors all drove Buicks.” Can you hold on a second?” she inquired. “Sure,” we said, exchanging quizzical looks.

Within a few minutes, she returned beaming with the entire group in tow. Pops was quickly surrounded by two dozen Chinese automobile tourists with cell phones turned to camera mode. “They can’t wait to meet you!” the tour guide exclaimed. The ‘Rivvy’, especially this first model was a very special vehicle indeed, particularly in China where we learned the Buick reigns supreme. “To meet a man who actually helped build them. Incredible!” she exalted. The tourists quickly circled around dad.

When they found out he built them in Flint, the ancestral home of The Buick*, their excitement ramped up. Only few spoke some English, and the tour guide filled in the blanks for the others as Pops waxed poetic about his days crafting iterations of the gleaming silver beauty in front of us.

The rest of the time was filled with hugs, autographs, and photos. Dad was a genuine celebrity! He was beaming, and so was I. Our first smiles since we lost Ma really. My wife and mother -in -law soon joined us in front of the display. When the last Buick fan left us, we turned to head home. After all, nothing could top what just happened. Dad was over the moon.

All the way home, he talked excitedly about the experience. “Can you actually believe it?” he asked. “Me a celebrity”? “Yea Pops I can. I saw it. That was impressive!” It was “one for the record books” Pops said, a day to remember.

My dad would always tell me how proud he was of me. “You went to college and started a business son. I just worked in the shop.” Of course, he and my mom were the reason I did any of that. It was their sacrifice and support that facilitated it all. So, it always bothered me that he didn’t think what he did was all that big of a deal. Well now he had been validated in a dramatic fashion. Not only did his work matter, but it also mattered all over the world, and through the decades.

So now he knew what I always wanted him to know. He, and all the other men and women who toiled on the line to build the gleaming American Dreams that rolled out of the factories did important work. World changing work. Most would not have the good fortune to meet a fan club from China, but I am so extremely glad Pops did. It made a sad time a lot happier, and it became a memory we spoke of often. I can hardly tell the story now without getting emotional, and that is a good thing. Because we only get emotional about things that matter. Pops work mattered.

Ultimately, I believe it is a collective saga with a unique individual story embedded for all who contributed at any level. It’s the softer side of the cold steel, rubber, and glass that make up the American automotive story. But perhaps it is the one we ought to remember most.

Our Pops, Gary G. “Big Gary” Fisher passed away unexpectedly on February 19, 2023. His toughness, belief in hard work, and pride in doing the job right every time is a legacy, we hold dear and aspire to emulate. He loved his family, his Buick stories, Flint history, and his “East Side Gang.” We miss him dearly.

*The company started in Detroit with founder David Buick but didn’t go into actual production until moving to Flint.

Gary L. Fisher

President 

Genesee County Historical Society

Big Gary building Buick Rivieras in 1962

Big Gary outside of the old Buick Factory before it was torn down

Big Gary and Little Gary

Big Gary at Back to the Bricks Main Event

Al’s Garage

Vol. 4, Issue #4

"Traveling the backroads of America"

The title of this month’s issue of ‘Al’s Garage’ should serve as a hint what this month’s issue is about. My wife suggested ‘why not take US-41 back home instead of taking I-75’. In the past we have traveled I-75 to Florida more times than I have fingers and toes. My reply was ‘why not’!

Gathering up road maps for the state of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, we highlighted US-41 with a yellow marker. Having driven ‘41’ in Florida many times, we drove I-75 up to Lake City, Florida which is about fifty-miles south of the state line with Georgia. Once we exited the freeway onto ‘41’ we were greeted by a highway that was not traveled much and in terrific condition. Passing through small towns and a lot of rural countryside, the drive was relaxing. The speed limit, for the most part, was 55 MPH via the entire route. The only times we made an exception to not follow ‘41’ was in Atlanta and Indianapolis. As for Chattanooga and Nashville, we followed ‘41’ straight thru the heart of the cities. You might be asking yourself how long is US-41? The highway runs from Copper Harbor, Michigan all the way to Miami, Florida. In its heyday, it was the major highway between the Midwest and the deep south. I-75 construction bypassed most of the small towns that ‘41’ went through. We found in Georgia and Tennessee ‘75’ and ‘41’ run parallel to each other, and if a decision to get back on I-75 were made, one could do so with relative ease.

Once we arrived in Evansville, Indiana, we made the decision to take I-69 the rest of the way home. Our reasoning was ‘41’ traveled north along the Indiana and Illinois state line and into Wisconsin and then into the upper peninsula of Michigan. All and all, it was a relaxing drive home and the two of us saw a lot of rural countryside. Stopping at a few antique shops along the way and having dinner at small town diners made the trip back home more enjoyable. Making that decision to take ‘41’ back home, we did a lot more travel time as we anticipated slower speed limits. Good roads with lower speed limits allowed the two of us to see just a little bit more of America and the memories are now etched into our minds forever.

Why do I want to relate this to you? The 13^th Annual Back to the Bricks® Promo Tour is coming up fast. Traveling with likeminded collector car enthusiasts is a wonderful way to travel and, even more important, is experiencing great fellowship, rural routes, small towns, and fantastic collection of collector cars. There is still time to register for the tour as May 1^st is the cut-off date for registration. Even if you only register for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you will get a feel for the importance of touring the backroads of America.

We are not getting any younger, and I am not of the mindset of saving my car for the next owner to enjoy. Keeping our cars in good driving condition is most likely the thing that holds back owners from taking their prized possession on long tours, not to mention concerns about stone chips and breakdowns. That is a story for another day! Hoping to see you down the road.

Keep on Rollin'

Al Hatch

Founder of the Back to the Bricks® 

Chairman Emeritus