Electro Arc on the Island Retrospect

Harry Bennett, shown above on one of his horses is well known for his association with Ford.  The pictures in this blog were Bennett’s and were passed on to Harold Stark when his family bought the noteworthy Bennett castle on Geddes road in Ann Arbor.  This castle came equipped with an “island” which was the location of Electro Arc operations until the early 2000s, while Harold Stark and his family lived in the Castle, which Henry Bennett sold in a private sale to Harold Stark in 1942.

Bennett was not well-liked, his dedication to Ford and the position he took was filled with violence markedly the “Battle of the Overpass” a brutal mark of his work against unions for Ford at the time.  In contrast with his reputation, when Bennett met with the Stark family he gave one of his horses to Harold Stark Jr., who would eventually take over Electro Arc.  

The Stark family maintained a relationship with the Ford family.  Former Electro Arc employees recall parties in which the Ford family may attend, and when the Castle was sold, the Ford family purchased it for a time.  The Castle was since sold to a private owner, and the Island remains the property of the Ford family.

Some rumors say, when Harry Bennet built the caste on Geddes road, materials were stolen from the River Rouge Factory.  This seems unlikely since the property was a project that Ford Fully supported.  This lavish home was evidence that Bennett’s salary was more than one might expect for the position he held.  Apparently, Ford and Bennet planned this secret castle together, adding features like turrets, and a secret tunnel.