Ford River Rouge Complex, Industrial complex and National Historic Landmark in Dearborn, US.
The Ford River Rouge Complex is an industrial facility and National Historic Landmark in Dearborn that covers hundreds of acres along a working river. Steel structures with glass facades line a web of rail and roadways linking separate manufacturing halls.
Henry Ford acquired land along the Rouge River in 1915 and began building a plant that opened in 1918 for component production. Full automobile assembly launched in 1927 with the Ford Model A rolling out.
This site pioneered modern assembly methods, gathering every stage of production from ore to rolling truck in a single location. Visitors today watch raw steel transform into finished vehicles across interconnected halls.
The plant still manufactures vehicles and operates a visitor center offering tours through selected areas of the working factory floor. Guests should wear closed shoes and note that active machinery operates throughout.
During World War II the plant turned out a B-24 Liberator bomber every 63 minutes and employed over 100,000 workers at the same time. Its own steel mill processed ore shipped directly from Ford-owned mines in Minnesota.
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