Ford's Rouge Factory: The Factory That Built America
King Rose Archives
466,094 views
It wasn't really a factory. It was basically its own city. This was industrial America at its absolute peak. Before global supply chains and sprawling industrial networks, Ford built one of the most ambitious manufacturing complexes the world had ever seen.
Known simply as "The Rouge," Ford's River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan transformed raw materials into finished automobiles within a single massive facility.
The Rouge covered more than 1,000 acres, contained 93 buildings, employed over 100,000 workers, and operated its own power plant, railroad network, docks, and steel mill. It was not merely a factory—it was a self-contained city dedicated to manufacturing.
Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928 it had become the largest integrated factory in the world.
The Rouge measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide by 1 mile (1.6 km) long, including 93 buildings with nearly 16 million square feet (1.5 km²) of factory floor space. With its own docks in the dredged Rouge River, 100 miles (160 km) of interior railroad track, its own electricity plant, and integrated steel mill, the titanic Rouge was able to turn raw materials into running vehicles within this single complex, a prime example of vertical-integration production.
This remarkable film offers a rare look inside one of the most important industrial achievements of the 20th century and the facility that helped define American manufacturing.
Explore more rare automotive, industrial, and historical films from King Rose Archives.
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
https://www.globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S004
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
https://www.globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S004
20 Comments
I remember when I was about 5 or 6 being scared of some of the guys there because their faces were literally covered in coke dust. Later in life after my husband killed himself. Those faces that once scared me would become the one thing that made me realize I was still alive and needed to act that way for our kids. You see I was delivered a once white card riddled with black finger prints, signatures of good hard working men and women. Some of which I knew but most I didn't. The man who did the collection wrote to me and told me that they gave ALL they had in their pockets. Some gave their whole paycheck others their lunch money. I gotta admit that my heart over flows with emotions still today as I share this with you all. Those men fed my children and me for awhile but FOREVER FEED MY SOUL. I LOVE MY ONCE WHITE CARD RIDDLED IN ZUG ISLAND LOVE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL ❤
Ford's Rouge Factory: The Factory That Built America
King Rose Archives
466,094 views
It wasn't really a factory. It was basically its own city. This was industrial America at its absolute peak. Before global supply chains and sprawling industrial networks, Ford built one of the most ambitious manufacturing complexes the world had ever seen.
Known simply as "The Rouge," Ford's River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan transformed raw materials into finished automobiles within a single massive facility.
The Rouge covered more than 1,000 acres, contained 93 buildings, employed over 100,000 workers, and operated its own power plant, railroad network, docks, and steel mill. It was not merely a factory—it was a self-contained city dedicated to manufacturing.
Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928 it had become the largest integrated factory in the world.
The Rouge measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide by 1 mile (1.6 km) long, including 93 buildings with nearly 16 million square feet (1.5 km²) of factory floor space. With its own docks in the dredged Rouge River, 100 miles (160 km) of interior railroad track, its own electricity plant, and integrated steel mill, the titanic Rouge was able to turn raw materials into running vehicles within this single complex, a prime example of vertical-integration production.
This remarkable film offers a rare look inside one of the most important industrial achievements of the 20th century and the facility that helped define American manufacturing.
Explore more rare automotive, industrial, and historical films from King Rose Archives.
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
https://www.globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S004
For availability and licensing inquiries, please contact:
https://www.globalimageworks.com/contact
Ref: S004