Henry Ford Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in Wayne county Michigan. His parents, William and Mary Ford, were Irish immigrants. Ford walked to Detroit to look for a job. He was employed as an apprentice for a machine shop where he learned about the engine. Two years later he returned to his family and got a job a Westinghouse Engine Company. He also set up a small machine shop on the farm and began tinkering with engines. In 1988 Ford married Clara Bryant. Several years later, they both moved to Detroit and Henry was made chief engineer of the. Detroit Edison Company. In 1896, after a lot of experimenting with engines, Henry completed his first vehicle, the “Quadracycle