  56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1790 Registered: 12-2005 |
Dodge, Chevrolet and Studebaker had plants in the Los Angles area to make product for the west coast regions. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3486 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ford had over a dozen in other states. | ||
Sven1977 Member Username: Sven1977 Post Number: 211 Registered: 04-2004 |
What did the Canadian car factories do in WWII before the U.S. entered the war? Did they stop building cars for the consumer and instead build vehicles for the military? | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1898 Registered: 12-2005 |
Canada had very strict anti-importation laws in the pre-war years, such that it caused the American car companies (which is to say "the car companies" since there were no solely Canadian car manufacturer) to establish plants in Canada, mostly in Windsor due to its proximity to Detroit to feed cars to the Canadian markets (and make those doll-oars $). In some instances body panels would be stamped in the US and shipped to Windsor for body fabrication, raw engine block and head castings and other parts would be shipped over for machining and assembly. Other large manufacturers would set up the whole she-bang there and do everything from raw materials. I am not aware of any of those plants making new cars during the post-Pearl harbor/ pre V-J day period, especially since they were all extensions of American auto companies. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6466 Registered: 10-2003 |
Ford Canada (which used to be in Windsor) switched over early in the war and made Military vehicles, as did Chrysler. See here for some photos: http://209.202.75.197/digi/sar /part6.htm | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6467 Registered: 10-2003 |
GM manufactured under the subsidiary Border Cities Industries, Browning Machine Guns during WWII. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 5653 Registered: 11-2003 |
MikeM, Ford had 30 assembly plants in the following cities, Built 1912-17. Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Ok. City, Kansas City, Omaha, Minneapolis, Fargo, Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus (Ohio), Atlanta, St. Louis, Memphis, Louisville, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Wash. DC, Philadelphia, Long Island, Buffalo, Cambridge, Mass., and Walkerville, Ontario. jjaba. This is the long beginning of Ford's impact on the country, and the world. This is huge for the day as one company transformed the world. | ||
Keysrock35 Member Username: Keysrock35 Post Number: 1 Registered: 12-2007 |
Does anyone know anything about the Lakeside Foundry, was south of Jefferson off Freud between St. Jean and Clairpointe. Belonged to my family way back when and want to find out more- | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 4675 Registered: 10-2004 |
The 1914 Milwaukee Ford plant is today part of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a fourth-tier university, as is WSU. Its Mapquest view is that portion along the RR track. It eventually became part of the AO Smith Company, whose main location was in the five-mile long 30th Street Industrial Corridor, a few miles away to the west, between 27th and 35th Streets--north of Capitol Drive. During WWI and WWII, it was the US main supplier of bomb and torpedo casings. One of my uncles spent his entire welding career there. Therefore, the AO Smith Company--some 32 or so whole blocks--was Milwaukee's main A-bomb target during the early stages of the Cold War. My elementary school was but two blocks away and was the closest school to it. Otherwise, the AO Smith Company was the US largest supplier of auto frames since 1906, when Ford bought 10,000 of them for the Model N Ford. During the early part of the auto industry prior to 1920, it produced over 60% of all auto and truck frames used in North America. Tower Automotive subsequently bought it and closed it about the time it went bankrupt. It stopped making frames decades ago and, instead, made pressure tanks (water heaters, etc.) and farm silos, mostly. (Message edited by LivernoisYard on December 28, 2007) | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6542 Registered: 10-2003 |
Bump, for the upcoming 3rd birthday of this long running information powerhouse...  | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2754 Registered: 10-2003 |
Woo-hoo!! Well done, all!! But where is Sven1977 these days? I met him at a Bob Cosgrove talk a couple years ago. I thought he added a lot of good commentary to the thread. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2755 Registered: 10-2003 |
And while we're on the subject, let me take this opportunity to let you all know about an upcoming presentation on the Dodge Brothers and Dodge Main: Dodge Days Afternoon John and Horace Dodge were pivotal figures in the American auto industry. After splitting with Henry Ford they laid the foundation for their own auto company, which became a huge presence in the auto industry. In the process, they transformed the village of Hamtramck from a dusty little farming town of 3,500 people to a major city of 48,000 in the span of 10 years. This astonishing growth was due to the opening for the Dodge Main factory at the southern edge of Hamtramck in 1914. Dodge Main became one of the largest factories in the world. And the Dodge Brothers - who were as flamboyant and notorious as they were talented - flourished until their untimely deaths within the space of one year of each other in 1920. The story of the Dodge Brothers will be recounted in a special program - “Dodge Days Afternoon” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Hamtramck Public Library, 2360 Caniff. “Dodge Days Afternoon” will feature a slide show and lecture by Charles K. Hyde, author of “The Dodge Brothers: The Men, The Motor Cars, and The Legacy” and an authority on the Dodge Brothers and the Chrysler Corporation. Hyde will recount the colorful lives of John and Horace Dodge with photos of their lives and work. Hyde will also be available to sign copies of his book. In addition, the Hamtramck Historical Commission’s collection of Dodge memorabilia will be on display at the library. And there will be a viewing of a film showing the demolition of Dodge Main in 1981. History buffs, auto enthusiasts, former Dodge employees and anyone interested in this important and dramatic story of the local auto industry will find this presentation fascinating. “Dodge Days Afternoon” is sponsored by the Hamtramck Historical Commission and the Hamtramck Public Library. It’s free and refreshments will be available. The library is easily accessible, just a few blocks east of the I-75 - Caniff exit, 1 mile south of Davison. For information, contact Greg Kowalski, chairman, Hamtramck Historical Commission, at 248-901-2570 (days); 313-893-5027 (evenings/weekends); e-mail: gkowalski@ameritech.net. Hope to see some of you there!! | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 476 Registered: 01-2007 |
John & Horace Dodge are in a mausoleum across the 'street' from my Great-Grandparents at Woodlawn. I went down there once to get an estimate on fire damage on the bronze doors (homeless people setting fires to grave blankets to keep warm). The monument maker got there about 15 minutes ahead of me, and was checking out the cemetary. After he gave me an estimate to fix the damage, we walk over to the Dodge mausoleum. He asks me why there was moss growing on the side of the mausoleum. I guessed that it was the north side. Well, that was true, but moss doesn't grow in stone. The moss was feeding on coffin gasses because the mausoleum was improperly ventilated! Eww! :^p | ||
Lpg Member Username: Lpg Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2008 |
What was the relationship between Divco and L.A. Young ? My aunt worked at a L.A. Young on Mill street in Ecorse back in the early 1950's. The building suffered a fire a couple few years ago. It looks abandoned now. It is across the street from the old Michigan Steel plant that was featured on Fox2 news a while back. | ||
Living_in_the_d Member Username: Living_in_the_d Post Number: 57 Registered: 01-2008 |
Yeah, Way cool thread! | ||
Sven1977 Member Username: Sven1977 Post Number: 213 Registered: 04-2004 |
Hey, I'm still here! We've covered so much that I've run out of questions. Well, there is the occasional building I run across and wonder if it used to be the birthplace of some piston part or spinning thingamabob. | ||
Sven1977 Member Username: Sven1977 Post Number: 214 Registered: 04-2004 |
Okay here's one for you. What is/was this building? McNichols and Eldon.  | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6553 Registered: 10-2003 |
Woodall Industries Inc. - Mfg. Auto Trim.  That was fun, we haven't had any mysteries to solve in a while.  | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2771 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey, Sven1977!•• Nice to hear from you!•• | ||
Lange Member Username: Lange Post Number: 45 Registered: 02-2008 |
 The Rickenbacker Car was belt in Detroit on Cabot Street. The building is still there. The Rickenbacker Motor Company was incorporated in July of 1921 when Barney Everitt decided to start up another car company. He asked Eddie Rickenbacker for the use of his name on the automobiles and named Eddie vice-president & director of sales for the company. Everitt also asked long time friend and businessman Walter Flanders to help get this car company off the ground. Everitt & Flanders worked together before with William Metzger at the EMF car company from 1909-1912. A plant on Michigan Avenue in Detroit was purchased where 200 cars a day could be manufactured. (Later a newer plant was built at 4815 Cabot Avenue) The general public had yet to see the Rickenbacker prototype, but anything associated with Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was bound to be something extraordinary. The emblem for the car was taken from Rickenbacker's flying squadron insignia the "Hat in the Ring." | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1982 Registered: 04-2005 |
AIW, I think we talked about Woodall in another thread (Six and Van Dyke?) awhile back. I guess someone forgot to post it in here. I've still got a few that I found in Sanborn to post, mostly parts makers, but decided to take a few months off posting, since I wasn't coming up with much more info. | ||
Tractor_guy Member Username: Tractor_guy Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2008 |
We moved to Michigan about 6 months ago and live in Lapeer. I frequently travel to the metro Detroit area and am fascinated by the auto history and all of the old buildings. Can anyone advise of some "must have" books that have good info on the car factories of Detroit? | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 4536 Registered: 10-2003 |
Congrats to all who have made this the greatest thread ever on DetroitYES. “Dodge Days Afternoon” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Hamtramck Public Library, 2360 Caniff. Hmmm... [Feb. 24 is a Saturday...] Welcome to Michigan, the D and the forum Tractor. My first recommendation is "Working Detroit" by Babson et. al. is an awesome labor history of Detroit mostly set within the auto industry of course. It is chuck full of pictures so it makes for a great illustrated read. | ||
Tractor_guy Member Username: Tractor_guy Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2008 |
Thanks Lowell. My wife grew up in Lapeer. Her parents moved from Detroit after the riots. I love hearing stories from my father-in-law about the D. He grew up on Spring St. (no longer exists) where his mom ran a boarding house for all of the the boys that came up from TN to work in the car factories. They bulldozed his house when they put in I-75. His brother still lives in their other house in the D. My father-in-law drove a truck for ATL which turned into ANR. He started in 1962 on a city route and knows just about every nook and cranny of the city. He has fond memories of delivering loads to the car factories back in the day. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2772 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hey Lowell! Thanks for mentioning the Dodge Brothers/Dodge Main program at the Hamtramck Public Library on Sunday, Feb. 24. It should be an interesting event!! FYI...According to my calendar, Feb. 24 falls on Sunday this year!! (Message edited by Kathleen on February 15, 2008) | ||
Danthewriter Member Username: Danthewriter Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2008 |
I'm researching the Anderson Carriage Company, makers of the Detroit Electric, circa 1910. They were located at 411 Clay Ave. I am trying to get the lay of the land. A map showing the businesses in the area would be ideal, but any other info on who was where would be very helpful. I'm also curious if anyone knows of any unusual or obscure places I could look for more info on Anderson/DE. I've been to the Ransom Ford Research Center and the National Automotive Historical Collection, and also traded emails with the son of the last employee. Info on the people, in particular, is scarce, to say the least. Any ideas? Thanks for any help you can lend. | ||
Hornwrecker Member Username: Hornwrecker Post Number: 1984 Registered: 04-2005 |
Dan, there should be some info, maps, or photos on page 7 and 18 of this thread, in the HOF (Hall of Fame section). There's more info here: http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/ a/anderson_carriage/anderson_c arriage.htm I've tried to dig up more on Detroit's electric car makers, but likewise, have not found much to add to what's around. So far, I've come up with around 10-12 possible electric car companies, but not all of them may have actually produced a real, roadworthy car. (Message edited by Hornwrecker on February 23, 2008) | ||
Danthewriter Member Username: Danthewriter Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2008 |
Thanks, Hornwrecker. I can see I'm going to take some real time to go through the archives here so I can grid out the area in 1910. Nobody said it would be easy. Great forum. Lots of good info here. Thanks again. | ||
Bate Member Username: Bate Post Number: 94 Registered: 02-2005 |
Here's a link to a mother-load of vintage automotive videos. I've seen a few of these in other places on the web, but this link has hundreds to enjoy - all in one place. Don't blame me if you don't get any sleep or you get fired at work for watching them. Enjoy http://youtube.com/user/leif44 44 | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2107 Registered: 12-2005 |
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pos 9Seqqfm4 this one here just warms my heart. Reminds me of driving my '56 "400" on the PPG track in the 80s. |
