C. Harold Wills built his automobile the Wills Sainte Claire in Marysville from 1921 to 1926. A museum was established in Marysville in 2001, and houses the largest collection of Wills Sainte Claire automobiles of anywhere in the world. Museum Director, Terry Ernest said,[they] established the museum to remind people of the fantastic history that Marysville has in the automaking industry.” Ernest explained that Wills owned 4500 acres of land that would become what we now know as Marysville. He added that Wills laid out various subdivisions in the city to give his workers a place to live while working for his company. He dubbed Marysville the City of Contented Living. The museum likes to feature programs that tell of the rich history of the automaking industry in the entire region. The museum will host a lecture by Roger Luksik who is the Vice-President of the Packard Motor Car Foundation. Mr. Luksik will give a presentation on the Packard Proving Grounds that were in Shelby Township. The Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit began using the Shelby area in 1927. The area had a concrete oval track, and various test roads with varying conditions on which to test the vehicles. Luksik will give an in-depth presentation at the Wills Museum at 7PM on October 24th. The cost is eight dollars and reservations can be made by contacting Terry Ernest at 987-2854
