Not So Little

Two notes on the April/May 2002 issue. In the “History Now” section, Julie M. Fenster refers to the Plymouth hood ornament as a “little boat.” It was in fact a representation of the ship that supposedly landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Though the Mayflower was not large, one can argue that it deserves better than being called a “little boat.”

In the otherwise excellent “Business of America” column about Enron and Henry Ford, John Steele Gordon perpetuates an enduring myth: that Henry Ford conceived the assembly line. Ransom E. Olds (Oldsmobile) created the first progressive automobile assembly line and, beginning in 1901, used it to produce cars. Ford and his production engineers expanded and perfected the concept.