Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Well, after years of trying to save and restore the plant......Modernization, "progress" and a different kind of "wealth" has finally doomed the Jacksonville Ford Assembly Plant. It was opened in 1924 and assembled cars through 1932 for export. From 1933 till the early 1960's it was used for distribution of Ford parts. From then on it has had its share of business using it for storage space or sitting vacant. IT was the ONLY Ford assembly/production facility in the whole of the State. ALSO unfortunately back in either the last 70's or early 80's the "FORD" script (OLD Ford Script) water tower was scrapped, It was a very visible landmark crossing the river bridge next to the plant and my Dad always talked of getting it and saving it!!! More Ford history lost and I suspect will be forgotten sooner than later!!!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Seattle had 2 assembly plants. The one for model T and A's was built (over by where I-5 is now, Fairview street) on a hillside where the parts came down from above. It still exists as I believe a Shurgard Storage and i always looked for where the FORD sign used to be as you could see the marks where it was hung. I don't live in Seattle anymore but always looked at it. My neighbor when I first moved to Seattle in 1973, as a young man drove brand new Model T's from that plant over to Wilson Ford in Ballard a neighborhood of Seattle.
I am not sure when the second plant was built but it is on Marginal Way and was closed at the end of 1932 production, the smokestack is still standing. It must have been a pretty new facility, but the depression closed it. Currently the building is a Federal Records Center. Lorin Sorenson's wonderful series of books has pictures of new model A's parked in front of the 1st plant. At very near the end of his 1932 video, a new 32 roadster and phaeton come out of a side door next to a pier, and I fantasize that the roadster is the one I now have! The building, pier, windows and big door are still there looking exactly as they were in 1932.
At least these two buildings are still in use. The 32 plant is almost across the street from the best radiator shop in the area, Seattle Radiator.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

We have three buildings still standing in Buffalo where Fords were built in the past, plus we have a currently operating stamping plant. Here is a writeup on them, with pictures:

https://buffaloah.com/h/ford/ford.html

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

I remember the plant well as a youngster until now. Knew of men that
worked there. (88 yrs.)

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Americans obsession with " new-new-new" has always amazed me. Those old buildings were built to last a long time when compared to the ugly junk they build today

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The goal is to eliminate knowledge of our heritage in thought, word and deed.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The government's "Urban Renewal Program" in the 70's destroyed thousands of old historical buildings. It happened in our town and thankfully some local residents were able to save a few of them. The local politicos thought it would be wonderful to get all that "free government money" to remake the town.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The National Register of Historic Places, should have placed on that. Shame

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The current arguement is it's cheaper to build new than to remodel a existing building. Cost to meet current building codes (electrical, plumbing and access) drive the rehab costs sky high. So, history is torn down and a "modern" building is built. When a developer actually does a rehab the result is often spectacular, a case in point is the old "Keystone Camera" building near Boston was turned into apartments, beautiful looking building. Another, I've always liked is the Auburn Automobile Plant in Auburn, IN a stunning Art Deco building that is now the Auburn, Cord, Duesenburg Museum, absolutely stunning building. These are just a couple of examples that would have been a tragedy to demolished and are proof of what can be done.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

My 32 Tudor sedan was assembled there. # JE 1167
Being from Jax, I remember it well. On some valuable real estate on the river over by the Gator Bowl. That’s a real shame!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/me...a/exterior.jpg Courtyard Marriot did a great job on this old John Deere building in Waterloo. Main clock house was on the corner of it. I used to go in ride to fifth floor walk across an overhead enclosed alley to the building upstairs up to 6th floor. These buildings were built like tanks, they had a heck of a time demolishing some of the other buildings. 2 remain.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

When I was in grade school, every class toured the St. Paul Assembly plant. When I first got my '51, it was the site of the first show of the year, "The All-Ford Picnic". I still have friends that worked there.

Now it's gone. The property (on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi) was just too valuable.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Western Coast of US is a Big Earthquake Zone and the old buildings have to be upgraded or Demolished. They are traps-very dangerous. Newc

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Some years ago while attending a V8 National Meet in Dearborn, I visited the Highland Park Ford Plant on Woodward Avenue. At the time, it was used for storage only, and appeared to be abandoned. The Administration building stood in defiant shambles, chunks of the concrete facade having fallen to the ground and lay half buried under debris and undergrowth. One of those bits of history now resides at my home in California.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

One of the "Bigger" issues that plagued the building here in Jacksonville is that when and where it was built, hundreds of piles had to be driven into the river/shoreline as part of the foundation of the plant. Over the last 60+ years of exposure to the brackish river water, barnacles, post worms etc etc...several of the piles were not even there AND it was going to take some extensive work to replace the remaining ones with the structure AND foundation all in place. NOT an impossible task.....JUST a costly one and one that was limited to tidal changes.......and one more obviously costly than a complete tear down and rebuild.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

great thread.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The five story Model T assembly plant in Pittsburgh has been purchased by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and will be renovated for medical research.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

19Fordy, you nailed it .....

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

V8ER, don't you think Henry would approve. U of P should have some kind of recognition with a plack or ...... a nice big pic of a "T" or .......

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Actually, it sounds like there was a good reason for each to go : decayed pilings, earthquake zones, desirable premium land, etc. It sounds like the Pittsburg building will be saved, though. It just won't be a Ford plant, which was of Ford's choosing.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

I feel your sadness.
I was part of a 'committee' that tried to save the front office of the Twin Cities Ford Assembly Plant in Saint Paul. Our hopes were big and the price was bigger.
The good news was that I became friends with the Ford Motor Company controller that was in charge of the demolition. He allowed me to be around during the tear down and get some photos. I made a historical slide show program that I showed to car clubs in the area.
The land is now single home, moderate income and low income housing with retail business--- and limited parking area. Most is set aside for bicycle traffic that is available here in Minnesota year around.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

My little home town in the middle of Iowa has a building on the town square that used to be a Ford assembly plant in the Model T era. Pretty sure they never manufactured any parts there, just assembly. It still stands and outwardly looks much the same as it originally did, with offices inside.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

rockfla i live on long island cost. i have seen piles removed that were over a hundred years old. below the water line they look like they were put in yesterday.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Pretty much the same thing happens here (and with metals and Stainless Steel fasteners) what it "below" the surface OR not part of the "tidal" fluctuations, stays pretty structurally sound. It's when it gets exposed to both wet and drying conditions as well as the atmosphere, every 12 hour cycle, it raises hell with ALL materials. PLUS because of the "warm" waters here in the south, we are exposed to different micro organisms as you in the much cooler waters of the north and Vice Versa!!!



To tubmans post.....I "hope" that what is reported, as far as comparing/competing cost of keeping Vs. tearing down is in fact true? I have a hard time getting fed "fried chicken only!!" and Colonel Sanders is the one telling me its healthy and everything is Okay!!!!!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

NOT everything is OK at The COLONEL'S Cock-a-doodle, for sure! If you ever try Popeye's, you'll never go back. And it looks like "J'ville" has at least eight Popeye's locations.

Coop

.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

A friend that has past worked construction. The crew was sent to demolish and clean up a bridge site before new could began. He thought the old bridge was the 3rd bridge constructed there. One bridge over another. He brought home some cedar pilings. They were basically trees with limbs chopped off with axes and the piling was sharp and pointed by axe on the end driven in. He cut a little of the end off, and the cedar looked and smelled like new. They sure knew how to build then but didn't account for throwaway society.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

5851A
I had a customer,several years back, that was in an old railroad siding warehouse over just north of town picking some materials up and he over heard the fellow there say they were going out of business and tearing the warehouse down to build a new big modern warehouse. He found out the new owners and asked IF he could salvage some of the lumber out of it before the wrecking co got to it, they said take what you want. The flooring was ""BLACK" from all the years of forklifts and traffic, he pulled it up and ran it through his surface planer to see what it was. IT was the 6" thick X 12" wide Hard Rock Maple. He said his planer shook and chattered when it ran through BUT it was THE most beautiful maple you had ever seen, and he got a load of it!!!!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Americans obsession with " new-new-new" has always amazed me. Those old buildings were built to last a long time when compared to the ugly junk they build today

couldnt agree more, but suppose the costs involved with retrofitting an old building and bringing it up to code is more expensive then building new.
so much for America trying to stay ahead of the curve regarding environment and health...... we seem to be one of the few who cares.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

The old Atlanta Ford Factory is on Ponce deLeon Avenue. The front portion has been remodeled to original look. The rear was torn down and a grocery store and ?office? is there. I will try to post two pictures I took in 2019 on a visit. I worked in the old building after my return from Vietnam in 1968. The government bought the building to house offices for the war effort around 1940 (not sure of the date).

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

V8ER, When I was doing medical research at the UW, I set up clinics all over the US for NIH funded studies we coordinated. One was in Pittsburgh for UPitt in the Oakland part of PGH near the hospital. I wish I had known about the plant you spoke of when I was making my yearly site visits to check on all the hardware and software, network maintenance etc. The clinic I set up in 1990 was almost directly across the street from the Carnagie Museum. I loved being in PGH except when the Gingko trees were dropping their stinky fruit on the sidewalks! I have many fond memories of the area.
I also had a clinic in Hagerestown MD and Baltimore at Johns Hopkins. I just had to be in Hagerstown the first week of October every year for 20 years so I could take in Hershey!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

This is a really good thread, and you Train guys also know the heartache.

We had the beautiful Union station in Portland ripped down for some damn junk strip mall, actually 1/3 of those spaces are vacant. Payback for a real dumb idea.

Thankfully we have Ripley & Fletcher Ford in So Paris on that same location since 1909...I have a big grin every time I drive by:D

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Ford Smoke Stackshttp://Ford Smoke Stacks

Taken recently in K.C. MO. The Old Ford Plant. The "Kansas City Automotive Museum" expressed an interest in these and was told by the present owner that "You can have them if you can find someone to take them down" Someone needs to save these.!!

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally
 

Growing up had many days of heading into Hartford, Wisconsin and seeing the last remaining building of the Kissel Motor Car Company emblazoned at the top with the words "Home of the Kissel Car". Company had folded in the Great Depression but the last building survived til the late 1980's. Their motto was "Every inch a car". Here's a link to the museum in Hartford housed in an old Libby's canning factory a few blocks away. A must see for the auto enthusiast in the Badger state.

Re: Ultra "SAD" news here locally