Dodge Brothers
Few people are aware of the important role that John and Horace Dodge played in shaping Detroit's early auto industry, and of the story of a dynamic partnership formed between two brothers who remained inseparable throughout their lives.

Born into an industrious but poor family, Dodge brothers John (born in 1864) and Horace (born in 1868) received their mechanical training from working in their father's machine shop in Niles, Michigan. The Dodge family moved from Niles to Battle Creek and then Port Huron before ending up in Detroit in 1886.



The Dodge brothers were approached by Henry Ford in 1902 with his plans for a new automobile and contracted with him to become the exclusive supplier of 650 chassis'. The brothers agreed to produce almost the entire chassis (engines, transmissions and axles mounted on frames — everything but the body, wheels and tires). When Ford, who was initially short on cash, couldn't make a $5,000 payment, he offered the brothers 50 shares of Ford stock worth $10,000, making them 10-percent stockholders in the new Ford Motor Company.

In 1910, the Dodge brothers built an assembly plant in Hamtramck, which later became known as "Dodge Main," to build Model Ts for Ford Motor Company because demand far outstripped Ford's capacity. However, as Henry Ford expanded his capacity in the Highland Park plant, John Dodge, recognizing their exclusive contract with Ford was unwise, declined to renew their contract with Ford Motor Company in 1913 and stepped down as the company's vice president. The brothers began planning production of their own Dodge automobile and established Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company with stock profits made from Ford.
