Below are some of the books that we offer at the Museum, many of which have been written by our friends and supporters. These books are available online as well as in person at our gift shop. Online purchases have an additional shipping fee. To purchase a book online, click on the image of the book cover or its title below.
*Disclaimer: Shipping available in the U.S. Only.*
Walk the sidewalks of Dearborn’s Arsenal and Riverbend and discover the stories that every historic house and building has to tell. All told, Stories From the Sidewalk details the stories of over 360 historic houses and buildings in Dearborn’s Arsenal and Riverbend neighborhoods. Each story features a full-color photograph of the house or building along with details on its history and architecture.
“This is a landmark book,“ says Jack Tate, chief curator of the Dearborn Historical Museum, “and the most comprehensive survey of historic houses and buildings in Dearborn. As a historian I believe the book is certain to inspire homeowners and history buffs to discover the stories of their houses and neighborhoods and preserve them for future generations.”
The rich history of the two neighborhoods is told through the lives of the homeowners who frequented its local businesses and attended its schools and churches. Organized by neighborhood and street, the book is designed to lead readers on a “walking tour” of the community. Walk down any one street and you might meet a farmer who sold his land to Henry Ford that became part of the Ford Rouge Complex. On the next block you’ll meet Henry’s boyhood friend, a scientist who researched the uses of soybeans. On the next, an executive of the Stout Air Services founded by aeronautical pioneer William B. Stout. Overall, the book documents the residences of numerous family members and friends of the Ford family as well as first- and second-generation Ford Motor Company executives, civic and local business leaders, farmers, and more.
Other Books Available for Sale:
This book originally began as a visual presentation of the exteriors of homes. However, as I continued the process of putting this together, I found that the outsides only showed part of the story. People are the other necessary ingredient in a book celebrating the centenary of this area’s existence. Not only was it appropriate to include pictures of families but it was also necessary to tell some stories of the homes and the people who live here and have lived here.
$30.00
Dearborn is enriched by a history of its people and the homes in which they have lived. Our most notable resident, Henry Ford, had a castle he named Fair Lane, which provides the reference point in the title of this book. While the rest of the city’s populace did not approach the wealth of our homegrown automotive magnate, many of them had delightful homes in which they took respite not only in Henry Ford’s day but also in the years preceding him. Some of the homes features in this book are masterpieces of design. Others are humble, but each remains for its inhabitants a place of shelter and comfort.
This book is meant to preserve images of homes that exist today but might in the future be torn down for new homes. This book is also meant to provide reminders of those homes that are long gone but reflect a sense of “Old Dearborn.”
$22.00
Throughout its existence, Dearborn has been a pioneer settlement, a multicultural hub, a college town, a major tourism center and a world-renowned industrial city. Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, significant structures have been lost to time. Almost all of the eleven U.S. Arsenal complex buildings have disappeared since the arsenal was closed in 1875. The hallways of the Edison School and Oxford School still live on in the hearts of their students but were razed long ago. Even beloved edifices such as the Ford Rotunda and the Ford Motor Company Administration building, built by Dearborn’s favorite son, Henry Ford, are now only a memory. Author Craig E. Hutchison endeavors to immortalize the important foundational building blocks of an evolving city.
$50.00
The Museum Guild of Dearborn has been able to obtain copies of what we thought was the sold-out “Best of Dearborn Stories Volume 1.” Because of this great find, for this one-time offer, you can purchase volume 1 along with Volumes 2 and 3 as a set for the discounted price of $50.00. This offer is available online or at the Dearborn Historical Museum.
Located on the banks of the Rouge River just ten miles from Detroit, the city of Dearborn began as a humble pioneer settlement in the 1780s. Over the course of two centuries, it has developed into a close-knit community, a college town, a major tourism center, and a world-famous industrial city. Through an impressive collection of photographs drawn from the Dearborn Historical Museum, Images of America: Dearborn, Michigan documents the influential people, places, and events that have shaped Dearborn’s rich history. This book traces Dearborn’s spirit of innovation through engaging glimpses of the 19th century U.S. Arsenal, the historic River Rouge Plant, Mayor Hubbard’s lasting influence, and the legacy of Henry Ford. From the European settlers who first settled on the banks of the Rouge, to the streets, buildings, and schools that were named for them, Dearborn is revealed as a vibrant urban community with a strong sense of civic pride.
A graphic and thrilling description of real pioneer life in the wilderness of Michigan! Written by William Nowlin, one of the pioneers who came to the area with his family from the Hudson Valley in 1834. The struggles and hardships of life in the woods, noted by isolation and the need to be self-sufficient, are colorfully portrayed.
Dearborn Historical Museum 