Greenfield Village: Henry Ford's living history museum re-creates American way of life, work
Rather, Ford said, we should focus on how people lived, what they ate, how they worked.
At the dedication of his museum in 1928, he noted, "Mankind passes from the old to the new over a human bridge formed by those who labor in the three principal arts — agriculture, manufacturing and transportation."
Greenfield Village is the living history, open-air part of The Henry Ford, the extraordinary museum in Dearborn, Mich., that resulted from Ford's original attempt to collect at least one example of everything ever made in America. His passion for collecting eventually extended to buildings, and those buildings have now been arranged in a village that is somewhat reminiscent of a small New England town: a village green with its town hall, crafts shops and residences.
Some are names you will recognize; others represent ordinary people who lived exceptional lives. There are inventors and authors, as well as plantation owners, farmers and clockmakers.
Some buildings are reproductions or were built by Ford specifically for the park, but many are the original structures. In all, some 300 years of American history are represented, which makes the place an efficient way to discover the past.
Only in Greenfield Village, for example, do the Wright Brothers live around the corner from Thomas Edison's laboratory, and Robert Frost, George Washington Carver and Noah Webster are all neighbors.
A fun way to start a visit to Greenfield is with a Model T ride around the 90-acre site. This not only introduces you to the layout of the village, but it also gives you an appreciation for Henry Ford's magnificent machine.
Other transportation options are available, as well. You can ride the train around the perimeter of the village. Don't be surprised if you have to stop somewhere along the way to let off steam and reduce pressure; this is a real steam-powered train. You can ride in a horse-drawn carriage along shady streets. All told, you can get a pretty good idea of how America moved.
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