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Fitzpatrick Garage

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Leslie, MI
Fitzpatrick Garage

We are dedicated to the history and preservation of this historic automotive building.

Built in 1926 as a dealership for the iconic Model T Ford, the historic Fitzpatrick Garage is located in downtown Leslie at the corner of Main and Bellevue streets.

07/04/2023

This 1911 Model T Ford visited the Fitzpatrick Garage before carrying on its annual tradition of driving in the 4th of July Parade. The brass-era Ford has been owned by the same family since it was new. Thanks to Darrin of Leslie for sharing this historic treasure with the community.

Happy Independence Day!
May God Bless the United States of America!

05/04/2023

Grand Reopening of the Leslie Area Historical Museum
Sunday May 7, 2023 from 2-5PM on the main floor of the GAR Hall (107 E. Bellevue St.)

Please join the Leslie Area Historical Society and Museum to visit and tour the new museum location. The new main floor allows for more space of displays and exhibits than the previous location downstairs. Many months have been spent moving up to the new area and we are excited to be open once again to the community.

No cost to visit, donations are greatly appreciated. Food and drinks will not be provided to avoid any potential danger to the collections. The Historical Society will be open Thursdays and Saturdays from 11-2pm following the Grand Reopening.

Photo: South Main Street looking north, circa 1919

05/31/2022

Memorial Day 2022: We are thankful for the freedoms we enjoy and for all who sacrificed for America

05/26/2022

On This Day in 1927: Ford built the 15 Millionth Model T

Henry and Edsel Ford drove the 15 Millionth Ford Model T from their Highland Park factory on May 26, 1927. This milestone achievement also brought the end of production to the iconic car and the news came just one month after John Fitzpatrick opened his new garage on the corner of Main Street. Although an additional 458,781 Model T cars would later be assembled, the factory changeover was difficult for Ford dealers waiting for the new Model A. Ford closed their factories for several months to retool for the new car before finally revealing the Model A in December of the 1927.

05/25/2022

Memorial Day 2022: On Monday May 30th an original 1926 Ford Model T touring car will be at the Fitzpatrick Garage … this Ford car was built the same year as the dealership building. Also come check out the Leslie Memorial Day Parade beginning at 10am.

04/22/2022

On This Day 1927: John Fitzpatrick opened his new Ford Garage

It was 95 years ago today that John Fitzpatrick hosted a Grand Opening for his newly constructed dealership. Prior to this at the turn of the century, the northeast corner of Main and Bellevue Streets had been an old tin and cobbler shop. However by 1925 John was in the process of transforming the corner lot into a modern garage built with beautiful red brick and numerous plate glass windows surrounding the showroom. Today decades later, the Fitzpatrick Garage is a historic landmark in downtown Leslie.

03/15/2022

This is a photograph of Leslie during the summer of 1927. The street scene is facing south down Main Street - Old US127, near the intersection of Main and Bellevue Streets. The early morning scene captures the long shadow cast from the recently constructed Fitzpatrick Garage.

02/16/2022

On This Day 1942: From Ford Dealer to Ford Bomber Factory Pilot

Eighty-years ago Ford dealer D.C. True left Leslie for Ypsilanti to begin a new job at the Ford Willow Run Bomber Plant. The entire country had jumped into emergency action as the United States joined World War II. The U.S. was shifting most of the workforce from civilian work to wartime production following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Production of civilian automobiles was halted in Detroit leaving local dealers without inventory to sell. To ration rubber for the war, the government also enacted a ban on the sale of new automobile tires. These economic conditions forced car dealers to begin closing and transition into wartime activities.

True & Son Ford was among the first Leslie dealerships to close their doors. The Ford agency had been established in 1934 when Dudley True joined his father selling Ford automobiles in the Fitzpatrick Garage. As a licensed airplane pilot and instructor Dud True quickly jumped into the war effort following the closure of their business. He went from being a Ford dealer in Leslie to a flight engineer at the Ford Willow Run bomber factory in just one month. Dud True later became a test pilot and would remain one for the duration of the war.

By March 1943 the Fitzpatrick building served an important role in the war effort as a factory for manufacturing tank tracks and rifle grenades.

01/11/2022

January 9, 1932: Clingensmith Ford Sales and Service hosts a Grand Opening.

It was 90 years ago that Arthur B. Clingensmith became the second owner of the Fitzpatrick Garage. He had moved from Dansville where he was a Ford dealer and held an opening celebration that included dancing on the main floor of the building. The event was attended by many people from the surrounding local towns and even a couple from Detroit was in attendance. Even though the celebration drew attention to the new dealership, Clingensmith struggled like many others during the depression years and was out of business by 1934.

11/22/2021

This 1929 newspaper article is about a stolen Ford coupe from Ypsilanti that was dumped in Leslie. The car was taken to the Fitzpatrick Ford Garage so that its owner could be found.

11/06/2021

During the 1920s dealers were required to sell additional Ford brand products alongside Model T cars and trucks as a condition of their dealership contract. Many dealers sold Fordson tractors and even Ford Charcoal Briquettes (currently Kingsford Charcoal).

When John Fitzpatrick opened his new Ford garage in 1927 he also advertised Fordson tractors using a large porcelain sign. From period pictures, the original “Ford and Fordson” sign can be seen placed in front of the side door of the Fitzpatrick Garage. As a tribute to this history we found a sign just like the one used by John Fitzpatrick and this sign will be on display when the building opens.

Address

101 N. Main Street
Leslie, MI
49251

Website

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