Upon the dedication of a new Capitol building in
1879, the city of Lansing was just beginning to emerge from the swampy
wilderness of its recent past. As industry began to take root along the
banks of the Grand River, Ransom Eli Olds brought his father’s motor
shop to national prominence with advancements in gasoline and steam
engines, and then horseless carriages. By the early 20th century,
Oldsmobile became the world’s first mass producer of automobiles and
Olds had moved on to found a second car company, making Lansing the
first Auto City. Through these efforts, Olds rose to become one of the
nation’s greatest industrialists and entrepreneurs. Using primary
documents and historical images, this book traces the industrial history
of the Capital City within the context of one of the 20th century’s
greatest entrepreneurs, R.E. Olds. Michael Rodriguez is a Humanities
Librarian at Michigan State University and a resident of REO Town. He is
the author of Detroit’s Belle Isle: Island Park Gem, also published by
Arcadia.
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Lansing’s
history as the capital of
Michigan
began with a legislative mandate in the 1835 State Constitution, which
required that the seat of government be moved from
Detroit
in 1847. The result was the emergence of a new capital city on the banks
of the majestic Grand River-allowed
Lansing
to cultivate a world-class community based in government, education, the
automotive industry, and entrepreneurial achievements. This book
features more than 200 historic photographs that document the dynamic
capital city during its pivotal first century, from the pioneer era to
the inception of the Olds Motor Vehicle Company and through the eve of
World War II.
James MacLean is Head Reference Librarian at
Capital Area District Library and has master’s degrees in history and
library science from Wayne
State
University.
Craig Whitford
is President of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, and is
Chairman of the Ingham County Historical Commission.
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The Reo Motor Car Company operated in Lansing, Michigan,
for seventy years, and encouraged its thousands of workers to think of
themselves as part of a factory family. Reo workers, most typically
white, rural, native-born Protestant men, were dubbed Reo Joes. These
ordinary fellows had ordinary aspirations: job security, decent working
conditions, and sufficient pay to support a family. They treasured
leisure time for family activities (many sponsored by the company),
hunting, and their fraternal organizations. Even after joining a union,
Reo Joes remained loyal to the company and proud of the community built
around it. Lisa M. Fine tells the Reo story from the workers'
perspective on the vast social, economic, and political changes that
took place in the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Lisa
Fine explores their understanding of the city where they lived, the
industry that employed them, and the ideas about work, manhood, race,
and family that shaped their identities. "The Story of Reo Joe" is,
then, a book about historical memory; it challenges us to reconsider
what we think we know about corporate welfare, unionization,
de-industrialization, and working-class leisure. Lisa M. Fine is
Associate Professor of History at Michigan State University.
She is the author of "Souls of the Skyscraper: Female Clerical Workers
in Chicago, 1870-1930 (Temple)",
and coeditor, with Mary Anderson, Kathleen Geissler, and Joyce Ladenson,
of "Doing Feminism: Teaching and Research in the Academy".
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