This Week in Auto Heritage

On January 18, 1918, with German U-Boats taking a terrible toll on American and international shipping during World War I, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels telegraphed Henry Ford with a government order to build 100 submarine hunters called Eagle Boats.

Ultimately, due to difficulties converting Ford's mass production techniques from Model Ts to boats, only 7 Eagle Boats were completed in 1918. The end of the war prompted the order to be cut to 60, and the balance of the boats were commissioned in 1919.

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Events Coming to the MotorCities

Sunday: Presentation of "Henry and Friends" at the Detroit Public Library

This Sunday at 2 p.m., immerse yourself in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship with a look into the lives, achievements, and friendships of three legendary figures: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone. Discover the stories behind these inventors and the friendships that shaped their success with the help of local professional reenactors from the MotorCities National Heritage Area!

This program will be presented by Russ Dore, a member of MotorCities' speakers bureau, and will take place within the Galleria in the Main Detroit Public Library on Woodward Avenue (across from the Detroit Institute of Arts)!

For more information, click here.