Detroit's Lost Stove Industry: From Open Hearth to Cast Iron - Paperback

by Gerald Van Dusen (Author)

Casting a legacy

Long before automobiles made Detroit the Motor City, the city boasted a flourishing and diverse industrial economy, albeit on a more modest scale. Among the myriad industries that defined the nineteenth-century city, none held greater significance or broader influence than stove fabrication. Three manufacturers--Detroit Stove Works, Michigan Stove Company and the Peninsular Stove Company--dominated this sector, collectively contributing more than 10 percent of all cast-iron stoves produced and distributed throughout North America. At the forefront of this triumph were Jeremiah and James Dwyer, whose vision and ingenuity played pivotal roles in shaping the industry's success.

Historian Gerald Van Dusen explores the key role that this early industry played in laying the groundwork and facilitating the production of automobiles.

Author Biography

Gerald Van Dusen is a writer and historian with a special interest in Detroit and its contributions to the American story. He is the author of Detroit's Birwood Wall, winner of the 2020 Library of Michigan Notable Book Award; Detroit's Sojourner Truth Housing Riot of 1942; and four other books. A recipient of numerous awards for innovations in teaching, learning and technology, Van Dusen is a father of four and grandfather of two and resides with Patricia, his wife of forty-five years, in Redford, Michigan.