Ford Rouge Plant

Henry Ford began construction of this complex on the banks of the River Rouge in April 1917. Here the Ford Motor Company built World War I submarine chasers known as “Eagle” boats. By the mid-1920s this plant was the largest manufacturing center in the world. The transfer of the assembly line from nearby Highland Park to Dearborn in 1927 fulfilled Ford’s vision of an industrial complex which encompassed all aspects of automotive production. The first automobile to be completely assembled here, the Model A, was introduced in December 1927. The Ford Trade School operated at this location for twenty years until 1946. During World War II, massive amounts of materiel for air, amphibious, and land transport were produced. Beginning with raw materials, the Ford Rouge Plant makes component parts and assembles vehicles.