11/6/2005:
In 1922, this was Edsel Ford’s 29th birthday. He and his wife, Eleanor, were in Fargo on business, and to celebrate the occasion, the Fargo Commercial Club treated Mr. and Mrs. Ford to a duck dinner given in their honor.
Edsel was Henry Ford’s only child, and like his father, Edsel loved cars. In fact, he had the first MG motorcar ever imported to this country. Edsel often urged his father to develop sportier designs, but Henry stubbornly resisted. In 1919, Edsel became president of the company. It’s said Henry bought the struggling Lincoln Motor Company three years later to keep Edsel busy and off his back about change. Among Edsel Ford’s more lasting contributions were the Model A, the Mercury line, and the creation of the Lincoln Continental.
Edsel Ford died in 1943 of cancerous ulcers. He was just 49.
Sources:
Edsel Ford. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edsel_Ford>
Lienert, Anita. Edsel Ford: Henry’s quiet son left mark. The Detroit News. 9 June 2003.
Edsel Ford – Guest in Fargo. Bismarck Tribune. 7 Nov 1922.
Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm