He was a prolific inventor and was awarded 161 U.S. patents.
In 1879, he left home to work as an apprentice machinist in the city of Detroit, first with James F. Flower & Bros., and later with the Detroit Dry Dock Co. In 1882, he returned to Dearborn to work on the family farm and became adept at operating the Westinghouse portable steam engine. He was later hired by Westinghouse company to service their steam engines.
In 1891, Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company.
Ford, like other automobile companies, entered the aviation business during World War I, building Liberty engines. After the war, it returned to auto manufacturing until 1925, when Henry Ford acquired the Stout Metal Airplane Company.
In 1918, Ford ran for a Michigan seat in the U.S. Senate, coming within 4,500 votes of winning, out of more than 400,000 cast statewide.
