American Automotive Pioneers - Dodge Brothers

Oct. 30, 2013 - PRLog -- When Ezekiel Dodge started his machine shop in Niles, Michigan he couldn't imagine that his grandsons would one day become American automotive industry pioneers. Ezekiel repaired steam engines for local fishermen and helped the local community to live of the river. He had a large family with eleven sons and two daughters to support. As he was getting older, his talented son Daniel Rugg Dodge took over the family business.

Daniel had two sons, John Francis born in 1864 and his brother Horace born in 1868. They both studied the secrets of family trade and learned everything about precise manufacturing. Each son had different skills, but combined they made an unbeatable team. John was responsible for finances and negotiating, while Horace was an ingenious inventor. Their professional careers started in 1899, with a move to Windsor, Ontario.

Dodge brothers didn't have too much money and finding a job was their first priority. A local company called Dominion Typograph was seeking expert help at the time. It was a production plant owned by Frederick Evans, who would later become their business partner. Reaching the person in charge, they encountered the first serious problem. Only one of them could get the job. John Dodge took charge and insisted that the company hires them both or they will simply walk away. Luckily, the superintendent recognized their potential and offered them a position.

Working at the factory helped Horace to use his mechanical skills for creation of a new dirt proof ball bearing for bicycles. These adjustable four sets of ball bearings provided a more comfortable ride and required less effort to ride the bike. Dodge brothers officially registered their ball bearing patent in 1896.

Frederick Evans noticed their work and offered them partnership in a new company called Evans & Dodge. They began manufacturing E. & D. and popular Maple Leaf patented bicycles, which soon became a popular model among the youth. The company also offered riding lessons at the Windsor Curling Club. If you bought the original E. & D. bicycle, the lessons were free of charge, but if you were only interested in the bike riding technique the price was at $2.00 for five sessions.

Joining the automotive industry

After initial success, Evans & Dodge Company attracted a lot of attention from the largest American bicycle manufacturers. When the large money offers came, both John and Horace Dodge sold their shares for $7,500. It was a rather large sum of money in those days. Brothers returned to Detroit and founded another precise machine shop. Their work earned a great reputation for quality manufacturing, which secured them the first transmission contract from Ransom Eli Olds in 1902.

As an interesting fact, John and Horace met Henry Ford while he was still modest engineer. His innovative car inspired them and they decided to give him the needed funds in exchange for a small share in his company - over $7,000 worth of automobile parts and $3,000 in cash was paid in total. This was probably one of the best investments of all time, when Henry Ford made them all incredibly rich. As the automotive industry developed further, Dodge brothers had a few clashes with Ford. Soon after, Horace and John Dodge stopped building Ford models and started to manufacture own vehicles.

Original investment pays off

Dodge Company grew until 1928, when it was sold to Walter P. Chrysler for amazing $170 million. John and Horace unfortunately deceased from pneumonia in 1920 and they didn't see the damage that Great Depression did to the American automotive industry. Dodge name still survived for all these years as a respected Chrysler division.

Read more about the life of John and Horace Dodge at: (http://oldtimerbase.com/IconDodgeBrothers.html)

Many other interesting stories about automotive icons available at: (http://oldtimerbase.com/AutomobileHistoryPeople.html)

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