All Things Buick: David Dunbar Buick The early years.

Friday, December 5, 2008

David Dunbar Buick The early years.

1855.

1894-1895

The red line shows the Flower Bros. foundry, where David Buick worked, extending the entire length of the Street about 1889. Notice the address change between 1870 & 1887. This is now the site of General Motors World Headquarters. Original map.

May 11, 1870. Original Link The Owasso American.

1897

This is 1894 and is a crop from the book "David Buick's Marvelous Motor Car". If you really want more photos and complete history buy the book by clicking on the following link. Amazon.

Click here for original. This story is referring to Henry Ford's second job in a Detroit factory between December 1879 through August 1880. Link for 1947 news article. David Buick worked at the same factory starting in 1869 and became a foreman in 1879, the year Henry started. It has been suggested that David Buick could have been Henry Ford's boss but that is just speculation but fun to think about. It is written that Henry was 16 when he hired in and that seems a bit young to me but at that time being "put out" at an early age was quite common, David Buick was put out at 11 years of age, I guess those were the days. David left the employ of the James Flower & Bros. Foundry in 1881. More on Ford's time with the Flower foundry. Still more. The Flower Brothers foundry was sold to the Sales Brothers in 1898. The Sales Bothers were dealers in heavy hardware.
Census link: 1880 census. 1900 census. 1910 census California. 1910 census Michigan.

The red X shows David Buick's address in 1879. The Google map link is shown below. The red X is 207 e Montcalm on the corner of John R & east Montcalm. This corner lot is directly behind home plate at Comerica Park in Detroit. UPDATE: On December 5, 2008 you posted the location of Davids home at 207 East Montcalm. After the address change that location would be 625 today. The location would be just east of St Antoine. Hastings is now the service drive.

Hope this helps!

Steve Huck
stevehuckss396 on all the forums.

I have attached my Google earth file. It's a work in progress but hundreds of locations have been verified. If your not interested or don't use Google Earth just delete it.

New Address Old