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An accompanying article

crainsdetroit.com/article/20170122/NEWS/ ... struction-start?X-IgnoreUserAgent=1

Encouraging article. We should wish them the best in the efforts to preserve the Packard plant. The plant rejuvenation when coupled with the proving grounds restoration will ensure the Packard story will continue.

(o[]o)

Hello Mal:

The link you provided takes you to a short story about Packard employee Fred J. Lyon - what a coincidence!

Five years ago, back in January 2012, I was the editor of Motor City Packards regional publication called "The Packard Digest" wherein I published a short article (with the attached photos) about Fred. It is shown below:

Several months ago I was contacted by Mike Finley. He wanted to know if I was interested in seeing some photos of his maternal grandfather, Fred J. Lyon, who worked at Packard from about 1908 to maybe as late as 1930. My answer was a definite--YES.

Fred was working for Packard, but he never did own a car. By 1911 he moved his family to 7043 Medbury to be closer to the plant. Medbury street runs parallel to and one block north of East Grand Boulevard. His home would have been two and a half blocks east of the plant. What a short commute! Mike's mother was born there in 1916. Today, that home is gone and only a couple of homes remain on the entire block.

In the 1910 census Fred listed his occupation as a "top-fitter at an auto company." By the 1920 census he was a "body-moulder" and by 1930 he was a "machine operator."

My online acquaintance, Mike, wonders why Packard might have taken these photos and what might be the special occasion. I do too. This was at a time that Detroit was growing as fast as the auto companies could produce automobiles. Sadly, that is not the case today. Study the photos and look at the faces that built our Packards and built our city. To me it is a compelling story.

I hope Fred J. Lyon and the rest of his co-workers know that they are not forgotten and their work at Packard lives on.

Luckily, for me I live in the Detroit area and we get to meet and talk with a number of former Packard employees.

[EDIT: After several attempts I cannot download the two photos. I get a message of an attempted attack. What's up?] Changed the title of the photos and now it works. Thanks!

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Check the title of the photos for any numbers separated by periods and if you find any remove them or maybe just retitle the photos to all letters. The site does not like the numbers followed by a period and then more numbers format. I suspect it thinks it might be a rogue internet address.