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When Ransom Eli Olds was born on 3 June 1864, in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ashtabula, Ohio, United States, his father, Pliny Fisk Olds, was 35 and his mother, Sarah Whipple, was 40. He married Metta Ursula Woodward on 5 June 1889, in Lansing, New Hope, Bucks, Pennsylvania, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 3 daughters.
- Male
- Metta Ursula Woodward
- Oldsmobile
- Oldsmar
- Other Lansing Businesses
- Racing
- Politics
- Residence
He founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan, on August 21, 1897. The company was bought by a copper and lumber magnate named Samuel L. Smith in 1899 and renamed Olds Motor Works. The new company was relocated from Lansing to Detroit. Smith became President while Olds became vice president and general manager.
In 1916, Olds purchased 37,547 acres (152 km²) of land by the northern part of Tampa Bay in Florida and developed the area into what is now the city of Oldsmar. He traded his land for the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater Florida in 1926.
In 1906, Olds organized the Capital National Bank, later called Lansing National Bank, and Michigan National Bank. Olds was also involved in the organization of the Michigan Screw Company and Atlas Drop Forge Company, all in Lansing, Michigan. Olds was the primary financier of the Olds Tower. When completed in 1931 it was the tallest office buildin...
Olds was also famous for his auto racing on the beaches of Florida at Ormond and Daytona. He had the first timed run on the beach in a solo run sometime between 1894 and 1897. In 1896 or 1897, rich automobile pioneers Olds and Alexander Winton (Winton Motor Carriage Company) staged an unofficial event; Winton beat Olds by 0.20 second.
Olds was a Republican and served as a delegate from Michigan's 6th District to the 1908 Republican National Convention, which nominated William Howard Taft for president.
In the early 1900s, Olds built an elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion on South Washington Avenue in Lansing. Among the home's many technological innovations was a turntable in the garage which allowed Olds to pull in at night and leave again the next morning without driving in reverse. The mansion was demolished in 1966 to make way for Interstate 49...
- Male
- June 3, 1864
- Metta Ursula (Woodward) Olds
- August 26, 1950
Pliny Fiske Olds and Sarah Whipple Olds. Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, after whom the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named. He claimed to have built his first steam car as early as 1887 and his first gasoline-powered car in 1896. The modern assembly line and its basic ...
- Metta Ursula Woodward
- Mount Hope Cemetery, Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Aug 22, 2023 · Ransom Eli Olds (June 3, 1864 – August 26, 1950) was a pioneer of the American automotive industry, for whom both the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named. He claimed to have built his first steam car as early as 1894, and his first gasoline–powered car in 1896. The modern assembly line and its basic concept is credited to Olds, who used it ...
- Geneva, Ohio
- Geneva, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States
- June 03, 1864
- Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan
Built-in tools help you create and share slideshow stories by combining photos, records, text. Use audio features to record family stories. AncestryDNA. An easy test can help you identify your ethnic origins. You may also discover relatives--those with similar genetic profiles. Ransom Eli Olds born 1864 in Geneva, Ashtabula, Ohio genealogy ...
- Male
- June 3, 1864
- Geneva, Ashtabula, Ohio
- August 26, 1950
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Olds, Ransom E. Considered by some to be the founder of Detroit’s automotive industry, Ransom Eli Olds was born in Geneva, Ohio on June 3, 1864. The family eventually moved to Lansing, Michigan and Olds grew up tinkering, making a steam-powered automobile engine in 1884 and a gas-powered one in 1896. By August 21, 1897 he had formed the Olds ...
Aug 26, 2021 · He was born Ransom Eli Olds on June 3, 1864, in Geneva, Ohio, the younger of two sons of Pliny Fisk Olds and Sarah Whipple Olds. His father was a blacksmith and later became a store owner. For the first 22 years of Ransom's life, the family remained in Geneva, Ohio, then moved to Lansing, Michigan, where his father opened a forge and store "P.F ...
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