The Ford family had not always been of Irish descent. Old records date the Ford family originating in England in the early 13th century, namely the Ford's of Sommersetshire. They stayed in England until about 1585, when Queen Elizabeth confiscated 600,000 acres of land in Ireland. The current royality had been hard on it's Catholic residents, and had wanted to resettle Ireland with English Protestants. Protestant men from Somerset and Devon came over the Irish Sea to County Cork, among them, were the Ford's.
In 1832, three Ford brother's , uncles of William Ford, left Ireland. One uncle died en route to Pennsylvania, however the other two settled in Dearbornville. This was a great feat to accomplish and William Ford grew up with the stories and admiration the family felt for their 3 ancestors.
William Ford sailed with a few of his family members to American. His grandmother, Rebecca, who was 71 years old, his fahter, John, his mother, Thomasine two brothers and four sisters, and an uncle named Robert with his family. Rebecca died before they reached America, one story says that she may have been buried at sea, another states she made the trip to Quebec, but died there in a hospital. The route chosen by the first 3 Uncles of William had been from New York down across Pennsylvania, down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, and then north to Dayton, from there on canalboat to Cleveland, and then by lake boat along Lake Erie to Detroit. Dearbornville was located about 8 miles west of Detroit, a journey many people would take on foot back in those days. It was a day's journey over worn an old Native trail, then known only as the Sauk Indian Trail and later as Chicago Road, then, Chicago Turnpike, and finally, Michigan Avenue.
A early pioneer, A.J. Bucklin had built himself a mill on the Rouge River in 1818, and made himself a prosperous living. This would be the first structure one would see as they entered Dearbornville. Next came the Ten Eyck Inn, built by Conrad Ten Eyck, of Albany, New York. He would later become sheriff of Wayne County in 1838. Today the spot on which the Ten Eyck Tavern sat, is on Michigan Avenue, just west of Southfield Road, marked with a stone monument. Across Michigan Avenue sat a little road, leading into the woods, about 1 mile inward, is Fair Lane Estates the home of Henry Ford. Today the estate is used for its' natural trails, banquets, and some of the area's Historical Committee meetings.
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