Road Tripping with Henry Ford and Thomas Edison Through Rural America In Beat-Up Model Ts

History Unplugged Podcast · Aug 1, 2023 · 58m

Some of the most important moments in the lives of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison weren’t their inventions or business successes. It was their road trips through the most remote, rustic parts of America. Between 1916 and 1924, Ford, Edison, Harvey Firestone went on a number of camping trips. Calling themselves the Vagabonds, they set up campsites, took photographs, and fixed cars themselves. They were also joined by famous naturalist John Burroughs, an elderly writer with a large white beard who looked like a gold prospector.

The relationship began in 1913 between Burroughs, then 75, and Ford…