The facility was producing ranger pickup trucks when it closed in 2011. Paul assembly plant, minnesota is home to a lot of ford history. Jul 21, 2014 where its twin cities assembly plant once stood, ford has finished tearing down about 2 million square feet of structures, leaving behind little more than concrete slabs lining 122 acres of vacant. New book explores minnesotas unique role in the ford motor company. Completed in 1925, fords twin cities assembly plant high on the banks of the mississippi river in saint paul was a sterling achievement. This is the story of the twin cities assembly plant, which operated from 1925 to 2011 in the highland park neighborhood of st. After 1969, heavyduty trucks above f350 and some light duty trucks were transferred to kentucky truck assembly in louisville, kentucky. This expanded recall involves approximately 33,428 additional 2006 ford rangers in north america with 30,603 located in the united states and federalized territories and 2,825. Dec 14, 2011 this friday will mark a sad day in minnesota when the twin cities ford assembly plant shuts its doors for the final time. At its peak, the factory employed 1,800 wellpaid uaw workers in a 2 millionsquarefoot facility about 7 miles from both downtown st. Many at the plant say if theres a saving grace, its that the factory didnt shut down all at once.
Ryan said it will work with the city on a detailed development. Do you have a timeline of ford motor company assembly. By showing where streets, parks and open space may be placed inside the 5acre site, the public finally has a glimpse of what the former ford plant. Assembly workers at ford plant get shutdown notice the. The bitter battle to turn an old factory into a 21st century. One worker at ford s highland park plant connects a model t driveshaft to its transmission, while another lowers an engine onto the chassis using a chain hoist. Milestones ford twin cities plant in minnesota autoinformed. The twin cities assembly plant would go on to manufacture millions of cars, trucks, tractors and military vehicles until its closure in 2011. Located at 672 dupont st production moved to danforth assembly plant. The ford motor company assembly plant, part of the national park service s rosie the riveter world war iihome front national historical park, is located at 14141422 harbour way s. Last ford mustang at dearborn assembly plant 51004 duration. The twin cities assembly plant was opened in 1925 producing modelts, and closed in 2011 producing ford rangers. In 1914, the ford centre opened in minneapolis, the largest car manufacturing plant in the world at the time. Nov 30, 2016 the last ford ranger pickup truck built in north america rolled off the assembly line on dec.
Resources website links below are links to a few of the many resources containing information and photographs documenting the history of the ford motor company and twin cities assembly plant. Firstperson accounts of more than forty retired auto workers share what it was like to work at fordfrom the early years of the minneapolis plant to the final hours of the twin cities assembly plant in st. It simplified assembly of the ford model ts 3,000 parts by breaking it into 84 distinct steps performed by groups of workers as a rope pulled the vehicle chassis. In early 2006, when ford first put the twin cities assembly plant on its closure list, the facility was slated to close within two years. Brian mcmahon, author of the ford century in minnesota. Site in accordance with the requirements of the minnesota pollution. Per regulations, the factory is encoded into each vehicles vin as character 11 for north american models, and character 8 for european models for a listing of ford s proving grounds and test facilities see ford proving grounds. Paul and intends to sell the property to a developer by.
Hear stories about henry fords personal interest in this site, how the plant shaped the future of highland park, and what it meant to the thousands of workers who built everything from the model t to the ranger. Dec 01, 2016 a vision for ford motor companys former twin cities assembly plant is beginning to materialize as the city of st. Ford motor company opened its twin cities assembly plant at st. Jun 11, 2019 for instance chicagos first assembly plant is listed under 1914, when assembly started, that building closed and the assembly plant relocated in 1924 so the new building is listed under 1924. The assembly facility survived a rocky time in fords history by meeting demand for the. The glass plant was part of plant operations at the saint paul ford plant through the 1920s and 1930s. At the time of its closure, it was the oldest ford plant still in operation. Ford issues airbag, weld recalls louisville business first. Ford plant twin cities assembly alumni and current. New book explores minnesotas unique role in the ford. Ford twin cities assembly plant the ranger station. The next year, ford would install chaindriven, moving assembly lines to improve efficiency and increase productivity.
For more cool photos check out twin cities assembly plant ford ranger. Ford motor company closed its twin cities assembly plant in december 2011 and since then has been preparing the property for take down and disposition. Retired twin cities ford autoworker oral history interviews interviewed by brian mcmahon on behalf of minnesota labor interpretive center and uaw local 879 interviewed in 1998 and 1999. Workers steal the show in tpts new ford plant film. He explored fords role in labor history, henry fords connections with nazi germany. These are only a few of fords assembly plants and factories. After building a mix of vehicles, the plant converted to alltruck production in 1978. Henry ford starts building the twin cities assembly plant in st. Every urban interloper urblops for short who has taken ford s selfguided tour has a story to tell. A new book, the ford century in minnesota by brian mcmahon. The economic and environmental consequences affect everyone in the state, and for that reason, a concerted effort should be made to keep it open.
Ford picks minneapolisbased company to develop former. The longabandoned ford tunnels are by far the most extensive mining tunnel system in the twin cities area. But author brian mcmahon says not so fast lets remember what happened there. Spy twin cities story on the history of the historic ford centre, minneapolis, also known as the ford center, next door to target field minnesota twins stadium.
The ford century in minnesota university of minnesota press. Ford memphis assembly plant located on 1429 riverside blvd, memphis tn. One hundred years ago today, henry ford and his team at highland park assembly plant launched the worlds greatest contribution to manufacturing the first moving assembly line. Could ford bring back a michiganbuilt ranger pickup. On december 16, 2011, the ford twin cities assembly plant produced its final vehicle, a 2012 ford ranger. Mcmahon documents the companys transformationthrough the depression, the rise of the united auto workers union, world war ii, women joining the workforce. By 1925, the twin cities assembly plant had relocated next to the mississippi river in the highland park neighborhood of st. Henry ford moved his minneapolis car and truck assembly factory to st.
I too remember seeing assembly line workers using the 2x4 method of alignment at the twin cities ford assembly plant during plant tours in the late 60s. Profil of the ford automotive north american car plants, incl. When we talk about ford in minnesota, we are now talking about redeveloping its twin cities assembly plant site. Building currently has commercial retail on the main floor and condominiums on floors 25 fargo branch assembly plant fargo, nd.
Max action wrote about his encounter with a sleeping security guard in 2000 and alarms in 2007. Completed model ts roll off the line at highland parks ford twin cities assembly plant in 1925. Paul, according to brian mcmahon, a local historian who has. Twin cities assembly plant home of the ford ranger. More than 7 million rangers were built since production began in 1982 at a ford factory in louisville, kentucky. At the bottom of the page is a bibliography of source material on ford s assembly plants available, and open for research, in the benson ford. Paul, which was part of families and finances for 86 years, is the focus of a new documentary that will have its broadcast premiere at 8 p. Short history of the ford plant, a minnesota historical society. Feb 12, 2018 affected vehicles include certain 2006 ford rangers built at twin cities assembly plant from aug.
Working with machinery driven by hydro and steam power, fabricating windshields with sand mined from tunnels beneath the plant itself, the plants workers produced model ts and model as, fairlanes and ranger trucks. This friday will mark a sad day in minnesota when the twin cities ford assembly plant shuts its doors for the final time. Nov 22, 2016 by showing where streets, parks and open space may be placed inside the 5acre site, the public finally has a glimpse of what the former ford plant will look like when it grows up. After building a mix of vehicles, the plant converted to alltruck production in. In 1912, the first assembly and sales activities were started in a former warehouse in minneapolis by ford motor company. During that time it produced nearly 9million vehicles. My highly motivated exit, though, was quite different from. Combining political, economic, social, and architectural history, this richly detailed, handsomely. Hear stories about henry ford s personal interest in this site, how the plant shaped the future of highland park, and what it meant to the thousands of workers who built everything from the model t to the ranger.
I believe in this case it was to get the door to move out, instead of move in. The twin cities assembly plant in highland park is gone, but the stories of people who worked there live on in a new, hourlong documentary airing on twin cities pbs stations next week. Twin cities ford assembly plant decal and symbol on the side of a vintage 1953 ford pickup ford assembly line at the highland park factory, michigan, in 19 liberty, missouri, usa, 20th september, 20 president barack obama speaking at the ford assembly plant. Opened in 1912 in a former warehouse in minneapolis and later moved to st. When it closed in 2011, the twin cities assembly plant was the oldest ford plant still operating.
Building roof was used as a test track for the model t. Paul, minnesota opened in 1925 to build model ts in a stateoftheart facility powered by a hydroelectric dam on the mississippi river. The following is a list of current and former facilities of ford motor company for manufacturing automobiles and other components. Introduction on behalf of ford motor company ford, arcadis has prepared this subsurface investigation work plan work element 2 work plan for the twin cities assembly plant tcap. End of historic line, as last ford ranger rolls from plant. Short history of the ford plant, a minnesota historical. The ford motor company plant gallery mahwah museum. Production began at the twin cities assembly plant in 1925, but ford first built model ts in two smaller buildings in minneapolis and st. Dec 16, 2011 ken grady assembles tires on the ford ranger production line at the twin cities assembly plant in st. Paul plants and dealerships, as well as the role the mississippi river played in the st. Ford explorer, police interceptor utility and lincoln aviator. In 1912, the first assembly and sales activities were started in a former warehouse in. Greg brick shared a notably similar story in his fantastic 2009 book, subterranean twin cities.
Henry ford s largescale experiments with every aspect of the industrial economy sent ripples and shockwaves through the lives of minnesotansmanagement and assembly line workers, dealers and. All light and medium trucks were transferred to 10 other plants in the usa. Ford advises additional customers to stop driving certain. A shortform ebook original providing a brief history of the famed automobile assembly plant in st. Independence excavating continues our successful working relationship with ford motor company and devon industrial group dig with the decommissioning and demolition of the former ford twin cities assembly plant tcap located on the banks of the mississippi river in st.
Minnesota historical society twin cities army ammunition plant u. History, stories, and images of the life and death of minnesotas car factory and its mines. But it wasnt the first ford facility built in the twin towns. First, the mississippi could, if harnessed, provide him free electric power indefinitely.
Third generation trucks were built in brazil as the f100, f. Workers installing engines on ford model t assembly line at. These are only a few of fords assembly plants and factories, most of. Facility blueprints, company newspapers, photographs, reports, procedures, and other printed material documenting a small arms and artillery ammunition plant operated by federal cartridge corporation in arden hills, minnesota, from 1942 to 1992. Paul, the assembly plant featured its own hydroelectric plant similar to the one on green island, produced military vehicles during world war ii and over the last few years has been tasked with. The assembly facility survived a rocky time in fords history by meeting demand for the light trucks that became the companys mainstay when. Operated from 19151956 houston branch assembly plant. For instance chicagos first assembly plant is listed under 1914, when assembly started, that building closed and the assembly plant relocated in 1924 so the new building is listed under 1924. Demolition of the former ford twin cities assembly plant. In may 1957, ford discontinued building trucks at the highland park ford plant in highland park, michigan. The union said only a few dozen twin cities workers are eligible. The ford century in minnesota tells the story of how henry ford s pioneering company arrived in the state and built its giant plant in st. From the oldest ford dealership in the world to the ruins of the st.
End of historic line, as last ford ranger rolls from plant in. At the bottom of the page is a bibliography of source material on fords assembly plants available, and open for research, in the benson ford. The ford motor company plant gallery june 23, 2014 cathy moran hajo 2 comments archives, history ford motors built a plant in mahwah that opened in 1955. Dec 06, 20 twin cities assembly plant, saint paul, minnesota. Myers covers more than 86 years of ford motor companys history in st. Initial plans emerge for twin cities assembly plant. How the ford motor company transformed minnesota over the past 100 years. May 15, 20 henry ford, known far and wide for his success with mass production, for providing affordable cars to workers, and for paying workers enough to buy the cars they made, was planning to build a new plant. New book explores minnesotas unique role in the ford motor. Paul opened in 1926 with the model t, made for another 19 years. This 19 assembly line was relatively crude workers pushed or pulled vehicles to each station. The bitter battle to turn an old factory into a 21st. The city of saint paul is working with ford to help ensure that site demolition is handled carefully to minimize noise, dust and disruption, and that the property is appropriately cared for while the company searches for a.
Twin cities assembly plant 966 south mississippi river boulevard st. The twin cities assembly plant would go on to manufacture millions of cars, trucks, tractors, and military vehicles until its closure in 2011. When ford quit making its glass on site at the plant, the glass plant and the mining tunnels were shut down. Paul plant s story and how ford dealt with a nearcatastrophic flood in 1952. Henry ford, known far and wide for his success with mass production, for providing affordable cars to workers, and for paying workers enough to buy the cars they made, was planning to build a new plant. The twin cities assembly plant would go on to manufacture millions of cars. Relive 86 years of ford motor company history along saint pauls riverfront in this new documentary for twin cities pbs. They would just stick the 2x4 in the door opening near the hinge and slam the door. The plant is scheduled to close at the end of the month. Ford motor company history the henry ford museum library of congress minnesota historical society national public radio.
Nov 29, 2016 new book explores minnesotas unique role in the ford motor company. Twin cities assembly plant located next to the mississippi river in the highland park, minnesota. Paul in the 1920s, how its workers became involved in the international organized labor movement, and how a variety of forces led to the plant s closure. However, ford announced on april that the twin cities plant would close in 2008, along. The ford richmond plant, formally the ford motor company assembly plant, in richmond, california, was the largest assembly plant to be built on the west coast and its conversion to wartime production during world war ii aided the united states war effort. Paul, the assembly plant featured its own hydroelectric plant similar to the one on green island, produced military vehicles during world war ii and over the last few years. Jun 26, 2018 fords twin cities assembly plant in st. Situated on the mississippi river, the factory generated its own power through an adjacent hydroelectric dam.
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