Harvey Samuel Firestone - Family Background

Family Background

Firestone was born on the Columbiana, Ohio farm built by his paternal grandfather. He was the second of Benjamin and Catherine (née Flickinger) Firestone's three sons; Benjamin had a son and a daughter by his first wife.

Firestone's paternal great-great-great grandfather, Nicholas Hans Feuerstein, immigrated from Berg/Alsace/France, in 1753, and settled in Pennsylvania. Three of Nicholas's sons - including Harvey's great-great grandfather, Johan Nicholas - changed their surname to "Firestone". Firestone's birthplace was moved years later to Greenfield Village, a 90-acre (360,000 m2) historical site founded by Henry Ford.

On 20 November 1895, Firestone married Idabelle Smith, and had seven children. Andrew Firestone, William Clay Ford, Jr. (the son of Henry Ford's grandson William and Harvey and Idabelle's granddaughter Martha), and Nick Firestone are among their great-grandchildren.

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