Trip Through The River Rouge Plant

I did a terrific and world class welding apprenticeship at the Rouge, starting in July 1973. I did two years of production time on the press floor at the Dearborn Stamping Plant before moving over to the Engine Plant to begin my apprenticeship there. My first journeyman was Herb G Wells (no kidding) who hired in in 1934. No kidding. I was twenty three. He had lots of stories to tell me, and had 39 years by the time he picked me up, and was real good factory maintenance/construction welder. We worked up high and down below in the steam tunnel’s that lace the Rouge. After 8 months I was moved over to the B Building, Dearborn Assembly, for 5 months. Then 4 months at Rail car and locomotive repair. Then 8 months at Dearborn Stamping, followed by e few months in the Glass Plant and the Tooland Die Plant. Then 11 months at the Dearborn Ford Steel Division in the J9 shops. Joe Tatti and Bob Geddes as Superintendents there and both welders. BOF, new Hot Mill, Cold Mill, Bar Mills, Picklers, Specialty Foundry. Then returned to the Dearborn Engine Plant to graduate In 1978. Life and a long career at The Rouge, most of my time there, meant enduring multiple layoffs. And getting bounced around into the various Plants and Departments. It was quite a ride and there was nothing like it anywhere. From ore ships coming up in the slip, glass coming out of that one, rubber coming out of that one, Engines, frames, body panels, castings, iron, steel, specialty steels, ingots, tires, more castings, forged parts and finished product rolling off the lines at the Assembly Plant non stop, around the clock. Fifty thousand men and women employed there daily. Most plants were in the neighborhood of 3 million square feet. Some like Glass, Tool and Die, and Spec Foundry smaller,. Quite a place for a country boy from SE Louisiana. Quite a remarkable place! I was very fortunate! And Ford a super employer!

What I find remarkable is that River Rouge was not just a factory, it was a complete one-stop industry. They shipped in coal and generated their own electricity. They shipped in iron ore and smelted their own steel. This is unheard of today. In the modern global economy everything is pieced up and specialized. They don't even make a whole car in one place, there is an engine plant, a tire plant, an assembly plant for finished vehicles, and so on, scattered all over the world. I like the idea of being able to do everything in one spot.

In 1938 robotic welding was used, although crude, it was used to spot weld the top and sides together. By maintaining the material stream, exceptional quality was maintained, that’s why so many old Fords survived to this day. That’s what made Henry Ford a genius ! I hope that I live long enough to see every one of those in Congress run out of Washington in disgrace for giving away our once powerful manufacturing base to foreign nations.

It makes me long for the days I worked at ALCOA charging the furnaces with pig, and aluminum scrap. Tapping those furnaces to fill the ladles to pour and direct chill cast ingot, and aluminum plate. We took a lot of pride in our work!

We are so fortunate being from this time. I started my pipefitting apprenticeship in Dayton Ohio in 1968, local 162. The apprenticeship was 5 years, skills I learned I will never forget, the people I worked with I will never forget. Its sad we have trouble finding kids who want to do this kind of work, Its hard, you can ear lots of money and learn a skill you can take anywhere. Thanks for your story John Bel.

Makes you wonder how much we have lost. Could we even come close to ever being this productive and ingenious ever again? These people were a different breed than we are now. Excellent movie.

Absolutely astonishing. How to even begin to design such precision and engineer a final product from start to finished vehicle is incredible!

Went there on field trips in school, incredible !

Had a 1956 Ford F-100. It was originally my great uncles. It was passed through the family and now I wish I had it. Had an old straight 6 223 and a suicide 3 on the tree. What a fun old truck it was.

I’ve been in metal manufacturing for over 30 years. Incredible video.The individuals that could think this big are all but gone unfortunately. Where the heck would you find men like this nowadays?

What a great video!!! They developed the electricity, the raw materials, the glass, all of the castings, forgings, stamped steel parts, generators, starter motors, all machining operations, even lunch wagons and fields to grow crops on... Everything in & near that 1,100 acre plant complex... Incredible... It makes a lot of sense why the government assigned this company, and several other companies to build several military vehicles and equipment during the war... It was a model of teamwork, efficiency and ingenuity...

Simply amazing! I'm more impressed with the amount of thought that went into setting up the plant and producing the equipment that allowed the cars to be built.The organizing of all the workers is impressive also.

it's great to hear people re tell there work carreers. with joy! thank you!

This is one insane factory! They had the full process, made all the parts to their specs and outsourced very little, those were real engineers running those companies, not MBA's

I work for a high tech fortune 100 company as an electrical eng. I have to say....we currently have nothing that even comes close to this level of ingenuity and high speed intelligence! The processes in this video are astounding...there is so much in this vid it is hard to believe....how can we have gone backwards.? We can’t do anything right now....especially in the auto sector..

Absolutely amazing.Me went about their jobs & the machine were amazing. Precision work.This was America..

I´m very impressed by all of the high end technology they had back then. F.e. those (stroboscopic?) equipment for balancing the crankshafts and mass production forging to name a few.

The real heros of America are the architects and construction workers building these places. Its amazing we never fully compensate the men on the ground doing the construction. Look at the miracle of any building and wrap your head around the skill needed to piece it together. Its more precise than surgery. If youve ever constructed anything you appreciate a craftsman.

If someone, anyone, anywhere, hasn't seen this, then they ought to definitely see this amazing old documentary about Henry Ford's Rouge River Plant! I looked it up just now and it is still in full operation and available to be toured the year round!

My father started work there in 1928 retired 1967 My brother started work there in 1966 retired 2008 I started work there in 1976 retired 2008 Working in transportation, I was lucky enough to see all areas of the Rouge.