# 5103 - 2016 First-Class Forever Stamp - Pickup Trucks: 1948 Ford F-1
The 1950s saw an expansion of the middle class in America. More people could afford to buy a family car. And some working families had both the family car and the family pickup. These trucks were now used for leisure instead of just work.
Americans form relationships with their trucks that really stand the test of time. A lot of people held onto their old pickup trucks. Some have lost their truck along the way and look to buy one that reminds them of it. Many spend their time and money restoring these trucks to their former glory. A few prefer their old pickup to age naturally. Each layer of chipped paint and rust represents a memory they wouldnât dare cover up.
Thereâs a ruggedness about pickup trucks that appeals to a lot of Americans. People love their trucks. For some, old trucks represent hard work and simple pleasures. These pickup trucks and their history have become an important and lifelong part of the American spirit.
Birth Of Henry Ford
As a teenager, Ford repeatedly took apart and reassembled the watches of his friends and neighbors, earning some business as a watch repairman. His father expected him to one day take over the family farm but he disliked farm work.
Instead, Ford left home in 1879 to apprentice as a machinist in Detroit. He returned to the farm in 1882 and found he was skilled in using the Westinghouse portable steam engine. He was then hired by Westinghouse to repair their engines.Â
By the 1940s, Henry Ford was in his 70s. His son Edsel made most of the companyâs decisions. When the US entered World War II, the business began producing trucks, tanks, jeeps, airplanes, and thousands of parts.
In 1943, Edsel died and Ford resumed the presidency of the company. In poor health, he held the post for two years before Henry Ford II took over. Ford died on April 7, 1947. In the years since, his grandson, known as âHank the Deuce,â led the company until 1980. Those decades saw the introduction of the Thunderbird, Falcon, Mustang, and many other innovations.
Â
The 1950s saw an expansion of the middle class in America. More people could afford to buy a family car. And some working families had both the family car and the family pickup. These trucks were now used for leisure instead of just work.
Americans form relationships with their trucks that really stand the test of time. A lot of people held onto their old pickup trucks. Some have lost their truck along the way and look to buy one that reminds them of it. Many spend their time and money restoring these trucks to their former glory. A few prefer their old pickup to age naturally. Each layer of chipped paint and rust represents a memory they wouldnât dare cover up.
Thereâs a ruggedness about pickup trucks that appeals to a lot of Americans. People love their trucks. For some, old trucks represent hard work and simple pleasures. These pickup trucks and their history have become an important and lifelong part of the American spirit.
Birth Of Henry Ford
As a teenager, Ford repeatedly took apart and reassembled the watches of his friends and neighbors, earning some business as a watch repairman. His father expected him to one day take over the family farm but he disliked farm work.
Instead, Ford left home in 1879 to apprentice as a machinist in Detroit. He returned to the farm in 1882 and found he was skilled in using the Westinghouse portable steam engine. He was then hired by Westinghouse to repair their engines.Â
By the 1940s, Henry Ford was in his 70s. His son Edsel made most of the companyâs decisions. When the US entered World War II, the business began producing trucks, tanks, jeeps, airplanes, and thousands of parts.
In 1943, Edsel died and Ford resumed the presidency of the company. In poor health, he held the post for two years before Henry Ford II took over. Ford died on April 7, 1947. In the years since, his grandson, known as âHank the Deuce,â led the company until 1980. Those decades saw the introduction of the Thunderbird, Falcon, Mustang, and many other innovations.
Â