Issue No. 46

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🇺🇸 The United States Secures Fort Lernoult

Digest Exclusive: Following the British evacuation, numerous Loyalist families and government officials relocated across the river to Ontario, settling in the newly established towns of Sandwich and Amherstburg.

To replace their lost strategic position under the terms of Jay's Treaty, the British constructed Fort Malden at Amherstburg, which later served as the launchpad for their capture of Detroit during the War of 1812.

📉 Ford Motor Co Barely Survived its 1st Month

Bonus: A Chicago dentist named Ernst Pfenning purchased the 1st Model A for $850. Indiana Automobile Co., a dealership based in Indianapolis submitted a commercial distributor deposit of $300. And Herbert L. McNary of Britt, Iowa, submitted a $170 deposit against an $880 order.

The deposits were all received on July 13 but July 15 is widely celebrated as the day the official order was formally received and processed by the sales department.

⚾ Brothers Jim and Gaylord Perry Pitching Duel

Digest Exclusive: Following their 1973 showdown as opponents, Jim and Gaylord Perry became teammates on the 1974 Cleveland Indians, where they combined for 38 wins.

The Perry brothers finished their careers with 529 combined Major League victories, a mark that ranks 2nd all-time among pitching siblings. They remain the only brothers in Major League Baseball history to both win the Cy Young Award.

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“The Tigers were involved again on May 31, 1979 when the Underwood brothers, Pat and Tom, faced off against each other in Toronto. The Tigers, with Pat, beat the Blue Jays 1-0.”
— Brian from Facebook

Brian is right! In American League (AL) history, there have only been two instances of brothers facing off as starting pitchers against each other, and both matchups featured a Detroit Tiger.

Not to mention it was Pat's major league debut, making it the only time in league history a pitcher made his major-league debut against his own brother.

On July 24, 1701, French explorer and military officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac led a contingent of soldiers and fur traders to the shores of the Detroit River to establish Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit.

Intended to secure France’s lucrative fur trade monopoly and block British expansion into the upper Great Lakes, this strategic frontier post laid the geographical and historical foundations for Michigan's greatest metropolis.

Operating from 1846 to 1945, this National Historic Landmark was nicknamed "Old Reliable" for its unparalleled streak of consecutive annual dividends.

Today, visitors ride a cog tram down the hillside to explore the chilly, 43-degree underground tunnels via a horizontal adit.

The centerpiece is the world's largest steam hoist, a 1920 Nordberg engine housed within a towering, classically styled hoist house.

Plan your visit to the Quincy Mine Today.

It’s wild to think how close Henry Ford came to bankruptcy on his third attempt at starting a car company. Even though he wasn’t holding the purse strings, they still nearly ran out of cash right out of the gate.

To put things into perspective, adjusted for inflation, they started with a little over $1 million and had less than $10,000 remaining within a month…

It makes you wonder: would he have even tried a fourth time if things fell through? I can’t imagine it would’ve been easy to find funding after three failed attempts. Luckily for him—and everyone who ultimately benefited from Ford's success—the third time was the charm.

Until next week, thank you for reading Michigan History Digest.
— Zac and the Welcome Home History Team.

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