Remembering when gm employed half of flint, michigan. This month in business history, february business reference services. This southeast view over the original flint wagon works factory before it burnt on march 21, 1900 shows the site directly across the street wood storage above the word kearsley where the first buick factory would be built in late 1903. Carriage town gets its name from the flint road cart factory which it surrounds. Michigan automotive history starts in the 1890s, when inventors tinkered the idea.
History of the substantial africanamerican community is documented well in the papers of edgar holt and olive beasley in the ghcc. The rise and fall of flint, michigan beginning in the 1800s. The book examines the history of flint and the events and decisions that. This is from the 50th anniversary book put out by buick in 1953. Some of flint s early automobile history is located on the north side of the flint river, just on the other side of todays downtown, in the historic area known as carriage town. During the sitdown strike of 19361937, the fledgling united automobile workers triumphed over general motors, inaugurating the era of labor unions. Links to early automotive history, state of michigan official website. Biography american history biographymemoir history. Flint is a city with deep roots in the auto industry. The life of charles stewart mott university of michigan. Besides the uncommon sense, he also contributed articles for your magazine, the flint journal and downtown flint revival magazine. Today there are a mere 12,400 workers in manufacturing in flint. History flint, michigan is located in genesee county along the flint river about 60 miles northwest of detroit.
Flints early auto industry michigan state university. James hardy jim hardy as the auto industry and friends around the world mourn the loss of a true original, jims family recalls his genius for mixing the pleasure of friendship and. Inside a broken police department in flint, michigan in one of the nations poorest and most violent cities, law enforcement is, according to one officer, scraping the bottom of the barrel. Hidden history of flint, michigan by gary flinn, paperback. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 124,943. Flint, michigan is a city which previously relied on its auto industry, and still does to an extent. But according to a new book by andrew highsmith, demolition means progress.
The city was founded in 1819 by jacob smith, a fur trader, and was incorporated in 1855. What explains billy durants powerful influence on the auto industry during its early days. Original buick factory in flint michigan buick also built engines for the farm. Violence at work in the north american auto industry, 196080. This view is looking northeast across the pere marquette main line tracks and shows the location of the flint varnish works in relation to the imperial factory on hamilton avenue and st john street which today is. Executive with the general motors corporation, and flint civic leader and. At the same time in michigan, great unrest was unfolding among workers in the automotive industry, resulting in uprisings within the united autoworkers, including the most infamous of them all the 19361937 flint sitdown strike. Hidden history of flint by gary flinn the history press. For the last century, flints history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. For six weeks in 1937, workers at general motors flint, michigan, plant refused to. Here is a little different view of the same intersection taken from the roof of the w. Flint, mich it was a city that was integral to the birth of the auto industry.
The auto industry in michigan detroit regional chamber. Michigan automotive history starts in the 1890s, when inventors tinkered the idea of self. In a city that once boasted the highest median income in the state thanks to general motors, new u. There would be so much to it, from the history of technology and the rise of the auto industry, to labor history and the creation of the middle class. Flint, michigan and the fate of the american metropolis, the problem began long before that. I used to dream about getting a fat grant years down the road and taking a leave of absence to start research toward a complete history of the city of flint, michigan. The story of general motors through twentyfive years, 19081933 by call number. Social welfare history project flint sitdown strike 1936. As horsedrawn carriages gave way to automobiles flint grew into a major player in the automobile industry.
Brief guide to resources about the flint, michigan sitdown strike 193637, the first major labor dispute in the u. Over the past several decades, general motors plants in genesee county have experienced renamings, management shifts, openings, closures, reopenings, and spinoffs. Welcome to the michigan automotive parts association. General motors began essentially as a local flint business. Anyone who comes from, andor lives in flint is more than likely to know someone who works in the auto industry, or be a part of it themselves. Flint michigan is a place where the book the watson go to biringham. In the mid20th century, flint the birthplace of general motorswas the flourishing home to nearly 200,000 people, many employed by the booming automobile industry. It fell quicker and harder than any other midwestern city. A fascinating book and a sympathetic look at the man who glued general motors. As history demonstrates, the automobile industry has always been sensitive to. While the action takes place at a general motors plant in flint, hampers story, both in and out of the factory, says a lot about life in southeast michigan.
For the last century, flint s history has been dominated by both the auto industry and car culture. Originally, gm was started as a holding company for their other endeavor, called buick. Local civil war hero franklin thompson was actually sarah edmonds in disguise. Though detroit built its wealth and reputation on the automotive industry, michigan didnt start. Anyone who comes from, andor lives in flint is more than likely to know. Once teeming with auto plants, detroit now home to only a few nameplates. Everyone in flint has a story about general motors.
Heres how flint went from boom town to nations highest. Flint became second only to detroit in the manufacture of automobiles, auto parts, and supplies in the united states. The flint sitdown strike is known as the most important strike in american history because it changed the united automobile workers uaw from a collection of isolated individuals into a major union, ultimately leading to the unionization of the united states automobile industry. His lifeboth as a record of himself and as a reflection of his timesmakes for a good and important story that will be enjoyed by readers interested in michigan history and politics, the automotive industry, and global philanthropy. Buick factory history flint, michigan factory history. As the auto industry tanked, flint went from boom to bust. Gustin was a writer and editor for twentythree years at the flint mich.
Neither the flint water staff, nor the michigan department of environmental quality, nor an. Revisit the contributions of oftoverlooked david buick, the inventive and invaluable flint auto pioneer who lacked the business savvy to become an auto legend. Its population in 1998 was 1,000 people and it is the fourth largest city in michigan. Michauto the auto industry in michigan michigan s automotive industry is alive and well not only is the detroit region the birthplace of the automotive industry, it currently produces more cars and. During the sitdown strike of 19361937, the united automobile workers succeeded over general motors, inaugurating the era of labor unions. The loss of auto industry employment thats a big michigan story. Some of those answers would likely be related to the auto industry specifically, when general motors left the city in the 1980s. Hop in for a ride with local history columnist gary flinn to the halcyon days of flint. Flint s ethnic diversity increased markedly with the labor demands of the auto industry. A 150year timeline of the flint water crisis pacific. West, of the department of history, and william meyer, of the department of political science, and others, including students, began an oral history. Foundation fellowship and the author of several books on medieval art history. Automotive history bentley historical library university of michigan.
Inside a broken police department in flint, michigan the. This is flint, michigan, in all its pain and all its glory. Flint, mi almost half of the people in the city of flint are living in poverty. This vivid biography portrays a complex, brilliant, often contradictory, and ultimately fascinating man. University of michiganflint digital collections from. Also of interest are the papers of peter jacquette and roger townsend and the scrapbooks of the flint urban league. For more primary sources on flint automotive history try the following archives. How racial segregation and political mismanagement led to. What is population of flint michigan in 1963 answers. In 1978, neil leighton, of the department of political science of university of michigan flint, in association with kenneth b. The citys growth paralleled the success of the automotive industry, and by the 1950s it was the site of the largest single manufacturing complex of general motors. His earliest writings were for flint central high school publications the tribal times and the arrow head. Early in 1935 in flint, michigan, the united auto workers staged the first successful sitdown, forcing general motors to come to terms.
Whiting brought in durant to manage flints buick motor co. This link is to a scanned digital copy of the book from michigan county histories and atlases. By february 1937, gm recognized the uaw as the bargaining agent for its workers. Serving michigan s automotive aftermarket since 1953. The main focus of is on the early 20th century and the rise of the auto industry. The michigan journalist talks about her new book, the state of flint s water, and how we reckon with a negligent government. The following books are good places to start researching gm. Gary is the author of remembering flint, michigan, published by the history press. Sloan museum burton 2020 all you need to know before. It rose a gm company town, home to scores of car plants in the area over the decades.
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