Dearborn in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Ford Airport / Ford Tri-Motor

Ford Airport / Ford Tri-Motor Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, November 11, 2015

1. Ford Airport / Ford Tri-Motor Marker

Inscription. The Ford Airport At this airport, built by Henry Ford in 1924, world and national history was made, ushering in a new era of flight embracing the all-metal airliner, radio control devices, air mail, scheduled flights, and the airline services that the generation of the 1930's came to expect.

For the first time in the world:
A hotel, the Dearborn Inn, was designed and built for the air traveler.
A guided flight of a commercial airliner was made by radio.

For the first time in the U.S.A.:
An all-metal, multi-engine, commercial airliner was built.
A regularly scheduled passenger airline in continuous domestic service was inaugurated.
Under the Kelly Act the first contract air mail for domestic routes was flown.
An airline terminal for passenger use was constructed.

The airport's closing in 1933 ended Ford's experimental work in aviation.
Ford Tri-Motor
Picture of Ford Tri-Motor is featured
William B. Stout
1880~1956
Born in Illinois, Stout came to Michigan as an automotive designer in 1914. During World War I he turned to aviation. In 1922 he produced America's first all-metal plane, a navy torpedo plane. The same year he organized the Stout Metal Airplane Company. In the next two

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years he built America's first successful commercial metal planes. The company occupied the new airplane factory at the Ford Airport in 1924 and became a division of the Ford Motor Co. in 1925. While he was the division's consulting engineer the Ford tri-motor was developed. In 1926 he founded the Stout Air Services, this country's first regularly scheduled passenger airline. Later, in his Dearborn workshop, Stout designed the "Sky Car," a combination airplane and automobile; the "Rail Plane," a gas-driven railroad car; a collapsible "House Trailer," and the "Scarab Car," a spacious, rear-motor auto.

Erected 1958 by State of Michigan. (Marker Number 126.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Communications • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.

Location. 42° 17.833′ N, 83° 13.635′ W. Marker is in Dearborn, Michigan, in Wayne County. Marker is on Oakwood Boulevard, half a mile west of Rotunda Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 20301 Oakwood Blvd, Dearborn MI 48126, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Dearborn Inn / Colonial Homes and Adjacent Buildings

FFord Tri-Motor Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, November 11, 2015

2. FFord Tri-Motor Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Daggett Farmhouse (approx. half a mile away); Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (approx. half a mile away); Edison Homestead (approx. half a mile away); Noah Webster Home (approx. half a mile away); Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Office and Library (approx. 0.6 miles away); Wright Cycle Shop (approx. 0.6 miles away); Armington & Sims Machine Shop (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dearborn.

Also see . . .
1. William B. Stout and his Wonderful “SKYCAR” (Nov, 1943). Modern Mechanix entry (Submitted on January 6, 2009, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

2. Wheel Estate: The Rise and Decline of Mobile Homes. This book, by Allan D. Wallis and published by JHU Press in 1997, discusses Stout's contribution to the mobile home industry. (Submitted on January 6, 2009, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

3. The Stout Scarab. (Submitted on January 6, 2009, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

The Ford Airport Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joel Seewald, August 10, 2010

3. The Ford Airport Marker

Ford Tri-Motor Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joel S., August 10, 2010

4. Ford Tri-Motor Marker

William B. Stout image. Click for full size.

via Modern Mechanix, 1943

5. William B. Stout

At work on his "Sky Car" model

A photo of 4 Ford Trimotors at Ford Airport image. Click for more information.

via Forgotten & Little-known Airports, 1927

6. A photo of 4 Ford Trimotors at Ford Airport

On or near the 6/27/27 start of the 1927 Ford National Reliability Tour. Note the dirigible mooring mast in the distance.
Abandoned and Little-Known Airfields entry - Ford Airport, Dearborn, MI
Click for more information.

Ford Airport Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darrell Harden, July 15, 2008

7. Ford Airport Marker

The Ford Airport image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, March 17, 2023

8. The Ford Airport

This is a portion of an informational panel at the nearby Henry Ford Museum.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 2, 2009, by Al Barrera of Brownstown, Michigan. This page has been viewed 3,974 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 11, 2021, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on August 11, 2010, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 5, 6. submitted on January 2, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 7. submitted on January 6, 2009, by Darrell Harden of Schoolcraft, Michigan. 8. submitted on March 17, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.