Minnesota's Hidden Ford Plants

Beautifully designed by noted architect, Albert Kahn, the Twin Cities Ford Plant, which was located on Ford Parkway in St. Paul's Highland Park district, is now history, demolished and environmentally scoured to make way for a retail/residential mixed use development. It was built in 1925 and revolutionized the assembly of automobiles with 2 long assembly lines. This plant was nearly self-sufficient with hydro-power from the Mississippi and glass production from the silica mined from the river bluffs. This plant was the forerunner of Detroit's Rouge River plant which expanded the self-sufficiency model to include it's own steel mills. 

Note: TPT, in its Minnesota Experience series, has produced a wonderful documentary on Ford in Minnesota: Made In St. Paul

Ford Plant 1920's

Railway passthrough

But before this advance in the automobile production process, Ford utilized "vertical assembly" plants in virtually every large population center in the country. Parts were shipped by rail to these regional assembly plants and Model T's were assembled where they would be sold.  The Minneapolis building, built in 1912,  had a railway "pass-through" to facilitate the unloading of parts and loading of completed Model T's. The assembly began on the top floor of the building and was augmented floor by floor until the Model T drove out the ground floor exit. However, even as this process was being implemented, Ford was developing the more famous "horizontal" assembly line, making this building "behind the times" even as it opened. But .. this factory produced 250-300 Model T's per day until 1925.

Ford Center 2019

The Minneapolis Ford Center is still standing although it ceased to be an auto plant after the establishment of the Highland Park Plant. It became a Honeywell thermostat production plant in the 40's and it was totally refurbished (beautifully) in 2012 and now is home to several firms and a radio station.  It is located directly across the light rail tracks from Target Field.

St. Paul Ford Plant

In 1914, a St. Paul plant was constructed on University Ave, a stone's throw from the State Capitol. However, this was much smaller and probably a political move by Henry Ford to keep peace between the two competing cities. It produced only 500 automobiles per year. The building still stands but is currently vacant.

Chronology 
1912: Ford starts assembling Model T's in a converted warehouse at 616 S. 3rd St. in Minneapolis.

1914: The Ford Centre is built on 420 N. 5th St. in Minneapolis, and production shifts there.

1923: Attracted by cheap hydropower, Henry Ford starts building the Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul.

1925: Model T cars and Model TT trucks start rolling off the assembly line.

1933: Great Depression closes plant for two years.

1942-45: Plant converts to defense work, producing armored cars and components for aircraft engines.

1978: Plant converts to all-truck assembly operation.

1999: Ford Ranger trucks peak in popularity, reaching annual sales of 348,000 in North America

2006: Ford Motor Co. announces plans to close the St. Paul plant in 2008.

2007: Ford says plant to close in 2009.

2008: Ford decides to keep producing Ranger pickups at the plant until 2011.

2010: Minnesota  leaders meet with Ford executive in Dearborn, Mich., in last-ditch effort to keep plant open.

2011: Plant to closes - the oldest Ford Plant then in operation

Source: Ford Motor Co. , Star Tribune

Note: I love to explore the Twin Cities by bicycle - except in the fear-of-falling months, more numerous in MN than most places.  I then resort to searching out points of interest reachable by light rail.  I thought this "walk/train-about" was interesting enough to warrant a post.

2023 Addendum

The Highland Ford Plant has been demolished and replaced with a mixture of office, apartment, row house and single family dwellings.  The St Paul Ford Plant is slated for demolition in Jan 2024. Only the Ford Center, across from Target Field remains of the Twin Cities Ford presence.

Highland Bridge Development

Copyright © 2019 Dave Hoplin