Wayne in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Wayne Industries
Building Transportation
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
1. Wayne Industries Marker
From this building many industries put people in motion.
The first was Harroun Motor Car Company, which built more than 3,000 vehicles here from 1915 to 1922. From 1924 to 1927 Gotfredson Truck made heavy duty trucks and bus chassis in this plant. Graham-Paige built cars here from 1927 to 1936, and Bendix Corporation made World War II airplane engines and landing struts. After the war, GarWood moved operations to Wayne, gaining fame for its hydraulic-lift dump trucks and garbage collection trucks. The two nearby railways made this location attractive to manufacturers.
"The Harroun Car is the supreme production of my life...I believe in it as I believe in myself."
Ray Harroun
You Auto Know
Ray Harroun, founder of the Harroun Motor Car Company, was a race car driver and won the first Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1911.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 30, 1911.
Location. 42° 16.858′ N, 83° 23.733′ W. Marker is in Wayne
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Old Wayne Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Wayne Companies (approx. half a mile away); Old Wayne Village Hall (approx. half a mile away); City of Wayne (approx. 0.6 miles away); Johnson's Tavern (approx. 0.6 miles away); First Congregational Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Veteran's Peace Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Norwayne Subdivision (approx. 2.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wayne.
Also see . . .
1. Harroun. (Submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
2. Gotfredson Truck: History. (Submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
3. Graham-Paige. (Submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
4. Bendix Corporation. (Submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
5. G.A. Wood & Co., Wood Hydraulic Hoist (& Body Co.), Gar Wood Industries. (Submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
2. Upper Left Image
The factory floor at Graham-Paige, about 1928. Photo courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum, Wayne, Michigan.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
3. Middle Left Image
A Harroun Motor Car coupe - built in Wyane. Photo courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum, Wayne, Michigan.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
4. Lower Image
The sprawling 45 acre Graham-Paige Motors factory, about 1927. Photo courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum, Wayne, Michigan.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
5. Center Image
The 1932 Wayne Fall Festival showcasing a Graham-Paige automobile - "A Wayne product." Photo courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum, Wayne, Michigan.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
6. Right Image
A GarWood trash compactor truck doing its job, with a Wayne DPW employee on Biddle Street in the early 1950s. Photo courtesy of the Wayne Historical Museum, Wayne, Michigan.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
7. Wayne Industries Marker
Photographed By Joel Seewald, July 31, 2018
8. Wayne Industries
View looking westward along eastbound Michigan Avenue (U.S. 12) toward the marker, which is about 1/4 mile away (under the flags that can be seen in the distance).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 13, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 559 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on May 10, 2020, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on August 1, 2018, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
