The First Drive: Charles Brady King and Detroit’s Quiet Beginning

Feb. 18, 2026 — In this episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, Dr. Robert Livernois journeys back to a frosty morning on Belle Isle in 1896, where Charles Brady King quietly made history. Listeners will discover how King—an engineer, artist, and inventor—became the first person to drive an automobile in Detroit, guiding his handmade machine across the island’s empty roads while a curious onlooker named Henry Ford watched from the sidelines. It’s a story of imagination, grit, and the spark that ignited the Motor City long before assembly lines and mass production reshaped the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.