He knew what worked.
Billy Durant had the experience of the carriage industry and his success with the Buick Motor Company. In 1908, he set out to form General Motors by acquiring Oldsmobile, based in Lansing, and on September 16, 1908 the . . . — — Map (db m182332) HM
The Frenchman first came to the United States in 1904 as an international champion bicycle racer, and became involved with automobiles. In Boston in 1905, Albert Champion partnered with early Buick dealer Frank Stranahan in founding the Albert . . . — — Map (db m180208) HM
Side 1
In 1905 William Durant of the Buick Motor Company asked wheel and axle manufacturer Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) to build axles in Flint. The Mott family and business had moved from Utica, New York, to Flint by 1907. In 1913 . . . — — Map (db m142480) HM
Side 1
In 1905 William Durant of the Buick Motor Company asked wheel and axle manufacturer Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) to build axles in Flint. The Mott family and business had moved from Utica, New York, to Flint by 1907. In 1913 . . . — — Map (db m142532) HM
They didn't know what would happen.
Workers' wives, girlfriends, and mothers supported the strikers during the Flint Sit-Down Strike. The Women's Emergency Brigade was formed after a street dance December 31, 1936 in front of the Fisher Body . . . — — Map (db m180539) HM
They were there at the beginning, applying their skills and ideas to Flint's early automotive industry in times of breathtaking change and risk. Because of
people like William "Billy” Durant, David Buick, and Louis Chevrolet, Flint became . . . — — Map (db m180216) HM
Berston Field House and Playground has served Flint citizens as an important recreation center since it opened in 1923. Designed by the Cambridge, Massachusetts, city planning firm of John Nolen, it was developed on land deeded to the city of Flint . . . — — Map (db m179964) HM
This Tablet
Marks the Birthplace
of the
National Fraternal Society
of the Deaf
This society had its origin in a lodge of the Coming Men of America formed among the Older Boys of the Michigan School For the Deaf wherein the idea of . . . — — Map (db m178342) HM
General Motors wanted quality
When GM acquired complete ownership of Fisher Body Corporation in 1926, the company already had the largest and best-equipped body-building plants in the world. To replace bodies shipped up from Detroit, Fisher . . . — — Map (db m180543) HM
It was a time of great risk and adaptation. As the region's forests were exhausted in the late 1800s, the Flint-based lumber firm of Begole, Fox and Company reinvented itself as the Flint Wagon Works. In 1903 the company decided to enter the . . . — — Map (db m180138) HM
Booming factories created jobs and opportunities.
The world came to Flint in search of work, and people from many nationalities and ethnicities found employment here. Within the United States, a great migration of African Americans and whites . . . — — Map (db m181148) HM
The history of Carriage Town spans the centuries from its simple beginnings as a river crossing for American Indians, to fur trading, lumbering, and eventually an industrial manufacturing center for carriages and automobiles. Here history also spans . . . — — Map (db m179967) HM
Catt supervised campaigns, made speeches and
mobilized over a million volunteers. She established a
school to train volunteers in organizing, public speaking,
parliamentary practice and suffrage history. She made
sure workers were assigned to . . . — — Map (db m218745) HM
He advocated hands-on education through his life. Combining electrical engineering education with rich work experience, in 1909 Charles Kettering co-founded DELCO where he invented the automotive electric starter and lighting system that . . . — — Map (db m181029) HM
In 1905, Charles Stewart Mott moved his Weston-Mott Company from upstate New York to Flint to make automobile axles for Billy Durant's new Buick Motor Company. By 1913, Weston-Mott was purchased by General Motors. For another 60 years, until . . . — — Map (db m180035) HM
C.S. Mott, Flint's leading philanthropist, moved his axle firm here from Utica, N.Y., in 1906. He was encouraged by Buick's W.C. Durant, who created General Motors in 1908. Mott became a GM Vice President, served as chief of its advisory board and . . . — — Map (db m180036) HM
This Queen Anne style house, built circa 1890, was owned by automotive pioneer Charles W. Nash (1864-1948). Born in Illinois, Nash worked on area farms before forming a successful hay-processing firm, “Adams and Nash,” in 1882. He was hired by the . . . — — Map (db m179966) HM
This area gained the name "Chevy-in-the-hole" because it was located in the valley
along the Flint River west of downtown. To the east, across Chevrolet Avenue, you can see the site of this development.
Billy Durant had grand ambitions for . . . — — Map (db m180541) HM
In 1916, as a flood of new workers for Flint’s automobile factories caused housing shortages, the directors of the Flint Board of Commerce formed the Civic Building Association. The association had built 133 houses on 400 acres of farmland by . . . — — Map (db m180450) HM
The Community Presbyterian Church grew out of the Civic Park community, which General Motors established in 1919 through its Modern Housing Corporation to provide housing for its Flint workers. Several Presbyterian families in the area first met in . . . — — Map (db m180449) HM
In 1834 circuit rider Bradford Frazee held the first Methodist service in Flint. The following year, William Brockway, of the Saginaw Mission, established regular services in Wait Beach’s barroom. In 1836 the class of nine persons organized as the . . . — — Map (db m178345) HM
Relationships have made this city great. During the city's prosperous and close relationship with General Motors, Flint could claim to be one of the most thriving cities in the United States. Relationships within the community were tested by the . . . — — Map (db m178448) HM
He was unknown to most people when he died in Detroit. Born in Scotland in 1854, in early adulthood he achieved success in Detroit with patents for plumbing fixtures. But he was drawn to gasoline engines, and by 1902 he had invented the . . . — — Map (db m180139) HM
Scottish-born David Buick, Detroit plumbing executive turned engine builder, came to Flint when his Buick Motor Company was sold in 1903 to Flint Wagon Works leaders. In 1904, David's company built 37 Buick cars, equipped with soon-famous . . . — — Map (db m180140) HM
They were a remarkable partnership.
William Crapo Durant and Josiah Dallas Dort transformed
the small Flint Road Cart Company into the giant
Durant-Dort Carriage Company. The company's vast
production helped make Flint one of the world's . . . — — Map (db m182342) HM
Stanton was a leading voice for women's rights, which she
called "the greatest revolution the world has ever known."
She worked to win property rights for married women,
equal guardianship of children, liberalized divorce laws
and more . . . — — Map (db m218747) HM
Granddaughter of a slave, Hamer was a champion of civil
rights. Threats of losing her home and sharecropping job
inspired her to work tirelessly registering African-Americans
to vote. She was known for singing Christian hymns on the
Freedom . . . — — Map (db m218722) HM
From its founding in 1864 through its closing in 1933 during the Great Depression, the First National Bank played a significant role in its home city´s development. The bank made loans and extended lines of credit to several fledgling motor . . . — — Map (db m178449) HM
Creating a cultural core for the city,
the Flint College and Cultural Center was established in the 1950s. C. S. Mott donated 36 acres of his land for the complex, which now includes Mott Community College and the University of . . . — — Map (db m143624) HM
Could it be done here?
Hardy was vacationing in Europe when he noticed the advancements being made there in automobiles. Hardy realized the auto's potential in America, but was unable to convince Flint's carriage makers to turn to . . . — — Map (db m143768) HM
Flint Industry From 1910 through the 1980s, automobile and parts manufacturing dominated Flint industry. Like the saw and flour mills that preceded them, the factories were centered west of downtown in the Flint River valley. Industry began . . . — — Map (db m180537) HM
Flint Road Cart Factory This one-story mill was built in the early 1880s as part of an unsuccessful effort to diversify the Flint Woolen Mills. In 1886 J. Dallas Dort and Billy Durant began leasing it to manufacture road carts. By the end of . . . — — Map (db m182343) HM
Perkins, US Secretary of Labor 1933-45, was the first
woman appointed to the US Cabinet. A pivotal moment
in her career was witnessing the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory fire in New York City. Determined to protect
workers, she helped craft . . . — — Map (db m218744) HM
Applewood included special places for recreation, which this competitive and athletic family greatly enjoyed. C.S. Mott often invited colleagues and community leaders over to play tennis, squash, and other games. A former physical education and . . . — — Map (db m142700) HM
This large estate and farm required a staff to maintain it. The Motts employed many people over the years. Some lived on the estate with their families in this gatehouse and elsewhere on the property.
The Farmer Lived Here
This . . . — — Map (db m142557) HM
Genesee County was organized on March 8, 1836. The previous year the territorial legislature had stipulated that the county seat would be located on the west side of the Saginaw Turnpike “on lands recently deeded by John Todd and wife” . . . — — Map (db m121216) HM
To the heroes of all wars
Forever honoring all the men and
women of Genesee County who
served in the Armed Forces of
the United States in time of war
Dedicated May 30, 1951 — — Map (db m182993) HM
Glenwood Cemetery was established in 1857. It is one of only a few mid-nineteenth-century Michigan cemeteries to feature a rolling landscape with winding roadways. The original cemetery, the western section of the present grounds, displays a broad . . . — — Map (db m178338) HM
Henry Howland Crapo Near this site stood the home of Henry Howland Crapo (1804-1869). Born in Massachusetts, Crapo in 1858 moved his family to Flint, where he had invested in timber land. Here, he developed a prosperous lumbering business, . . . — — Map (db m178409) HM
Kearsley Street was home to many automotive leaders
through the early decades of the 20th Century. The street was lined with their large Victorian homes, like Whaley House you see here. Dallas Dort and Charles Mott built large country . . . — — Map (db m143842) HM
Durant Dort Carriage Company
Dort Motor Car Company
He Was Dedicated To The Welfare Of
The People Of Flint.
"Flint's Most Beloved Citizen"
Flint Daily Journal - May 1925
Derek Wernher - Schulptor
Woodrow S. Stanley
Mayor, City of . . . — — Map (db m179923) HM
Jacob Smith The first permanent structure erected on this site was probably the trading post built in 1819 by Jacob Smith, the founder of Flint. Fluent in English, French, German and a half dozen Indian languages, Smith represented the Chippewa . . . — — Map (db m179846) HM
Josiah Dallas Dort took care of much more than business.
Dort was a founding partner of the Durant-Dort Carriage Company and later a president of Dort Motor Car Company. But he was also actively involved in the Flint Institute of Music, the . . . — — Map (db m180447) HM
General Motors Institute launched many successful automotive careers.
Founded as the School of Automotive Trades in 1919, GMI became an important training organization for GM after the company acquired the school in 1926. Generations of GM . . . — — Map (db m180746) HM
From bicycles to automobiles, his life was defined by speed. Born in 1878, Louis Chevrolet grew up in Switzerland and France and raced and repaired bicycles before following a fascination with automobiles to America in 1900. His success in auto . . . — — Map (db m180212) HM
Parsons, a labor organizer known as a powerful writer and
speaker, focused on class struggles. She said the strike
of the future is not to strike, go out and starve, but remain in
and take possession of the property of production. This
tactic . . . — — Map (db m218746) HM
Dating from medieval times, Freemasonry is likely the world´s oldest fraternity. Freemasonry dates from 1848 in Flint. Completed in 1911, this building has housed lodges including Flint 23, Fellowship 490, Genesee 174, Charles A. Durand 533, . . . — — Map (db m178356) HM
McFarlan Park, purchased in 1875 for $3,700.00 wsa the first park owned by the City of Flint and was the basis for the park and recreation system which now extends into all parts of the city. An ornamental fountain, the gift of Alexander McFarlan, . . . — — Map (db m182992) HM
Michigan School for the Deaf In 1848 the Michigan legislature established the Michigan Asylum for Educating the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind. Flint was selected as the site for the new institution. The first student arrived on February 6, 1854. . . . — — Map (db m178343) HM
Many automotive pioneers and leaders were nurtured in Flint's industry. Six General Motors presidents got their start in Flint, and two of them went on to form their own auto companies.
Charles Nash rose from a dollar-a-day job stuffing . . . — — Map (db m179965) HM
Many companies became memories.
Between 1900 and 1920, in the automobile industry’s early years, car companies sprang like weeds all over the country. Many of these companies quickly failed, while others were folded into larger manufacturers. . . . — — Map (db m181454) HM
He knew the business of selling cars, and the Graff name has been prominent in Flint, Michigan for a century. In 1914, Otto P. Graff was the Genesee County Treasurer when he jumped at the chance to open a Ford dealership in Flint. He sold over . . . — — Map (db m178452) HM
Founded in 1875 and named in memory of Paul Quinn, the fourth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Quinn Chapel is the oldest black congregation in Genesee County. This building, dedicated in 1957, is the congregation’s third house of . . . — — Map (db m180988) HM
When C.S. and Ethel Mott bought this property in 1915, there was an old apple orchard here. Fmailiar with apples from his family's cider and vinegar business, C.S. added new plantings of varieties he liked. After moving into their home, the . . . — — Map (db m143454) HM
Resisting Slavery During the mid-nineteenth century a small number of African Americans settled in Genesee County where they found cheap land and employment as barbers, laborers, farmers, carpenters, and domestics. At this time differing . . . — — Map (db m178352) HM
A U.S. Army soldier since 1978 and a flight surgeon during
the first Gulf War, she was searching for a downed F-16
pilot when her aircraft came under fire. Although severely
injured, she and two surviving soldiers were captured and
forcefully . . . — — Map (db m218748) HM
As men served during World War II, the federal government
was forced to launch a campaign to lure women into the
labor force. Thus, the beginning of the fictional character
of Rosie the Riveter as the ideal woman worker: loyal,
efficient, . . . — — Map (db m218723) HM
This bench marks Ruth Mott's favorite vantage point for looking out over the lower gardens. Sunny afternoons often found her here, enjoying the beauty of the rose garden below, smelling the lilacs in the spring, or recalling the many games of . . . — — Map (db m152120) HM
Sarah Emma Edmonds Sarah Emma Edmonds (1841-c. 1898) left her New Brunswick, Canada, home in 1858. Escaping what she feared would be a life of “enslavement” as a woman, she took on the identity of a man, Franklin Thompson, and found employment . . . — — Map (db m178353) HM
In January of 1987 Director Stan Marshall, Assistant Direction Ruben Burks and Secretary Bettye Cunningham began preparations for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Flint Sitdown Stoke. With the goal of recording their memories of the event, . . . — — Map (db m218719) HM
It is a pivotal event in American labor history. On December 30, 1936, workers sat down on assembly lines in Flint, including the Chevrolet and Fisher Body plants here across Chevrolet Avenue. Their strike was intended to improve working . . . — — Map (db m180549) HM
In 1834 Daniel O’Sullivan, a teacher from Ireland, moved to Flint and began teaching religion to students after school. Together with two traveling priests he convinced Bishop Leferve to build a church in Flint. That church became St. Michael Roman . . . — — Map (db m182515) HM
The Reverend Daniel Brown came to this area in 1839 to help form a new Episcopal parish. He became the first rector of St. Paul's in 1840 when it received canonical sanction. The congregation met in a temporary chapel and then in a small church . . . — — Map (db m121202) HM
Stockton House The November 9, 1872, edition of the Flint Wolverine Citizen newspaper reported the near completion of this house for retired army colonel Thomas Stockton and his wife, Maria. The newspaper called it "elegant" and "among . . . — — Map (db m178346) HM
A recent building assessment revealed that Applewood's terrace needed major repairs. Because brick expands and concrete shrinks along with the changes in Michigan's weather, the mortar joints have loosened. This has caused cracking throughout the . . . — — Map (db m142797) HM
This modest Victorian syle house was built in 1894. Early residents included Harry B. Daniels of the American Tailoring Company, Charles Childs, executive of The Flint Wagon Works and Buick Motor Company, and John Hoyle a worker at the Freeman . . . — — Map (db m179852) HM
C.S. Mott established the farm and vegetable garden to be sure his family and guests could enjoy the benefits of healthy and tasty fresh food. As the children grew up and left home, the large vegetable gardens were no longer needed. Years later . . . — — Map (db m142637) HM
On February 1, 1937, the wave of sit-down strikes against General Motors broadened as Chevrolet Plant No. 4 was seized. The United Auto Workers’ strategy was a diversionary strike at the nearby Plant No. 9 to draw company personnel to that point . . . — — Map (db m180550) HM
Built in the 1860's, this Greek Revival house is one of the oldest structures still standing on its original site in the city of Flint. The owner, Solomon S. Freedman, is listed in an 1873 city directory as a "manufacturer and dealer in hoop skirts, . . . — — Map (db m179849) HM
Starting December 30, 1936, this building was occupied for forty-four days by striking members of the United Auto Workers. The strikers, acting in concert with other plants that were closed or to be closed by sit-downs, asked for recognition of the . . . — — Map (db m178335) HM
This impressive barn housed Mr. Mott's registered Holstein-Friesian cows, Belgian work horses and pleasure horses. Consistent with his business practices, it was outfitted with progressive equipment and systems for those times. Hay and grain were . . . — — Map (db m142567) HM
This Queen Ann style home was built in the 1890's by Nelson C. Webster, a farmer's son, who went from being a stock keeper for the Flint Road Card Company to becoming the Secretary-Treasurer for the Wm. F. Stewart Company. He devoted 43 years with . . . — — Map (db m180536) HM
Gilkey Creek flowed through this area long before the Motts bought the surrounding land in 1915 to use as pasture for their cows. It rose and fell with the rainfall but caused few problems in those early years.
From Cows to College . . . — — Map (db m142701) HM
Flint, platted in 1836, became known as the “Vehicle City.” The production of road carts reached 150,000 annually. Due to the foresight of its vehicle manufacturers Flint has become second only to the Detroit area in production of motor vehicles. A. . . . — — Map (db m178355) HM
Labor history was made when the UAW won recognition from General Motors on
February 11, 1937 Recognition did not come easily. The 44 day Sitdown Strike took
place during a bitterly cold Flint winter. At one point, heat was turned off in . . . — — Map (db m218750) HM
They made a statement in lights and steel. In 1899, gas lamps in downtown Flint were replaced with electric lights mounted on five steel arches spanning Saginaw Street. In 1905 two more arches were added, including one with the letter "FLINT - . . . — — Map (db m179971) HM
Flint's Carriage King and
the creator of General Motors
Dedicated December 8, 1988
Derek Wernher, Sculptor
Matthew S. Collier
Mayor, City of Flint — — Map (db m182344) HM
Whaley House
The central portion of this handsome Victorian home was built in the late 1850s. Several prominent Flint families lived in it before Robert J. Whaley purchased it in 1884. Whaley a local lumberman and banker, remodeled the . . . — — Map (db m143776) HM
"Flint is in the center of the automobile industry, a progressive city, good people, with conditions for manufacturing, ideal," wrote William Crapo Durant in 1905, inviting Utica, New York axle-maker Charles Stewart Mott to move here. Durant . . . — — Map (db m182345) HM
William "Billy" Durant led Flint's incredible industrial development 18902 - 1920s. Durant co-founded the successful Durant-Dort Carriage Company, then in 1904 took control of David Buick's fledgling automobile firm. Durant built on Buick's success . . . — — Map (db m182340) HM
William C. Durant William Crapo Durant (1861-1947), one of Flint’s most important historical figures, was a pioneer in the development of the American auto industry. Durant’s vehicle ventures began in 1886, when, with a borrowed $1,500, he . . . — — Map (db m182338) HM
It began with the pine forests. Like many other Michigan communities, Flint built its economy in the 1800s on thriving lumber mills, to supply a growing nation. When demand for wood exhausted the region's forests, Flint turned to other ventures . . . — — Map (db m178471) HM
Built in Davison between 1890 and 1900, the Davison Depot was a "flag stop" on the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Line. It was a gathering place for passengers and a drop off spot for the mail.
The Depot did not have scheduled stops. The train . . . — — Map (db m225260) HM
In 1896, Charles Wallace Parker (1864-1932), built his first carousel in Abilene, Kansas. In 1910 he moved his factory to Leavenworth, Kansas. Although most of Parker's carousels were small and portable, he also carved a number of large three- . . . — — Map (db m225344) HM
The Buzzell House was built on East Court Street on land that was part of the old John Smith Chippewa Indian Reservation. A professional carpenter, John Buzzell built the Greek revival-style home in 1854 for his family. As the family grew, so did . . . — — Map (db m225286) HM
Charles Stewart Mott lived for his community.
During his 60 years of service on the General Motors board of directors, he established and endowed the Mott Foundation in 1926 to improve Flint's civic welfare. Mott's generous . . . — — Map (db m234053) HM
Originally built in 1878 on Corunna Road, the Township Hall was a gift from the citizens of Clayton Township and was moved to Crossroads Village in 1976.
The Clayton Township area was originally called Miller's Settlement after the first . . . — — Map (db m225335) HM
Built in 1898, this former Cohoctah Evangelical Church initially served the religious needs of a farming community near Howell, Michigan. Since Michigan lumber was in short supply during the time this church was being built, it was constructed of . . . — — Map (db m225363) HM
William C. Durant, better known as Billy Durant, built this quaint barn behind his home on Garland Street in Flint's Carriage Town area. The barn most likely was constructed between 1890 and 1900 and was a typical outbuilding of the period.
. . . — — Map (db m226305) HM
Before automobiles were common on American roads, they were found in barns and workshops of tinkerers who explored their mechanics. Judge Charles H. Wisner and Dr. Hiram H. Bardwell, two of Flint's gentleman tinkerers, worked on . . . — — Map (db m224683) HM
This Greek-revival style building, most likely built in the 1850s, was located on Main Street in Dryden, Michigan. The building is referred to as the Manwaring Building because it was one of two mercantile buildings owned by Joseph Manwaring, a . . . — — Map (db m225463) HM
Named Stanley School for Sherman Stanley, this red brick school was built in 1883 on Bray Road, about one quarter mile from the entrance to Crossroads Village.
This brick schoolhouse saw many children pass through its doors from 1883 until . . . — — Map (db m225338) HM
Judge Charles H. Wisner, a prominent Flint citizen and tinkerer, built this Italianate carriage barn in 1878 to house a few horses and carriages at his residence on the corner of East Court and Lapeer Streets in Flint.
Wisner, the son of Moses . . . — — Map (db m225262) HM
