This is “the Real McCoy”… well the homestead of the real McCoy, Elijah; his inventions have created a level of distinction which bears his name.
Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada on May 2, 1844. His parents were George and Emillia McCoy, former slaves from Kentucky who escaped through the Underground Railroad. George raised his family as free Canadian citizens on a 160 acre homestead. At an early age, Elijah showed a mechanical interest, recognizing his keen abilities, George and Emillia saved enough money to send Elijah to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he studied as a "master mechanic and engineer" he returned to the United States which had just seen the end of the Civil War.
Elijah moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan but was unable to find work as an engineer. He was thus forced to take on a position as a fireman\oilman on the Michigan Central Railroad. As an oilman, Elijah was responsible for ensuring that the train was well lubricated. After a few miles, the train would be forced to stop and he would have to walk alongside the train applying oil to the axles and bearings. In 1872, an effort to improve efficiency, he developed a "lubricating cup" that could automatically drip oil when and where needed. He received a patent for the device later that year. The "lubricating cup" met with enormous success and orders for it came in from railroad companies all over the country. Other inventors attempted to sell their own versions of the device but most companies wanted the authentic device, requesting "the Real McCoy."
In 1920, Elijah established the "Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company. With his new company, he improved and sold the graphite lubricator as well as other inventions which came to him out of necessity. He developed and patented a portable ironing board after his wife expressed a need for an easier way of ironing clothes. When he desired an easier and faster way of watering his lawn, he created and patented the lawn sprinkler.
In 1868, Elijah married Ann Elizabeth Stewart. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away just four years later. In 1873, McCoy married again, this time his bride was Mary Eleanor Delaney and the couple would eventually settle into Detroit, Michigan together for the next 50 years. In 1922, Elijah and Mary were involved in an automobile accident and both suffered severe injuries. Mary would die from the injuries and Elijah's health suffered for several years until he died in 1929.
Excerpts taken from: blackinventor.com
To find this small cache you will need to visit the Elijah McCoy Homestead Michigan Historical Marker. From here (the posted cords) you will be projecting a waypoint to the final location, be sure to set your GPS on “true north” setting.
Using the 2 addresses directly behind this marker, produce the numbers needed for your projection.
For distance, use the address to the left. Take the address number and subtract 203.
For the bearing, use the address to the right. Take the address number and subtract 1079.
This will put you within 10 feet of the cache, with only 1 good hiding spot it will not be a problem with where it is hidden.