They required constant design changes poorly suited to a standardized assembly line. As more and more men were drafted into combat, women were called. This book is the story of the run up to the war, how the ford family handled. As war production ramped up at the plant, americans from the south migrated north in droves, attracted by the highpaying jobs at the plant. Willow run plant not only included its manufacturing and assembly building, but also separate buildings for administration, flight school, oil storage and, other necessary structures. The ford motor companys willow run bomber plant began production in 1942 and continued until june 28, 1945. The willow run airport was built in world war ii in conjunction with the adjacent and now vacant b24 bomber plant that was last used by gm. During this time he was a pioneer of american production. History of willow run bomber plant internet archive. B24 liberator willow run assembly plant in michigan run. Soon, workers flooded into ypsilanti and the rapidly developing willow run area where makeshift row housing was hastily constructed.
Willow run is an albert kahndesigned world war ii bomber plant near ypsilanti, michigan. The willow run story, b24 liberator production wwii 1945. One of the many women employed at the giant willow run bomber plant operates a drill to bore holes in the y section of a supercharger bracket. Willow run assembly plant faces the wrecking ball hemmings.
Willow run housing development for wartime workers. The final design was lshaped because of some problems with easements for adjacent property. With the construction of the willow run bomber plant in 194143, the community was transformed rapidly, bringing new people and culture to the area. It has more square footage than the willis tower in chicago, the tallest building in the western hemisphere.
Oct 12, 2015 willow run plant not only included its manufacturing and assembly building, but also separate buildings for administration, flight school, oil storage and, other necessary structures. Henry fords bomber plant being torn down usa today. Its hard to imagine the massive scale and scope of the willow run plant built by the. The factory closed for good in 2010 and is slated for demolition. Colossus of american industry page 5 click here the little people of willow run are big people in the world of aviation. A true story of the production of the b24 liberator and the building of the willow run airport bomber plant. Women did everything from clerical work in the offices to riveting and welding on the assembly line. The total number of b24s built at willow run was 8,685 and during peak production in. At its peak, the plant employed more than 40,000 workers and operated around the clock. World war ii transformed ypsilanti from a largely agricultural community to an industrial hub.
Construction of the willow run bomber plant began in 1940 and was completed in 1942. Completed in 1941, the plant was the largest factory in the world under a single roof. Jan 05, 2014 this remarkable 10minute color documentary produced by ford during the war praises the work of women in the huge willow run b24 liberator plant. B24 liberator bombers story of the worlds largest factory in ww2. At peak production at henry fords willow run, one b24 liberator bomber rolled off the line each. Mar 09, 20 b24 liberators line the airfield at willow run airport in this june 1945 photo. A big job for little people at willow runs b24 liberator assembly plant. Willow run plant of rosie the riveter fame granted extension. Detroit the public will get the chance to visit the former willow run bomber plant in ypsilanti township, mich. Oct 11, 2015 8,685 b24s were built in willow run bomber plant story of willow run, p. Albert kahn, a prominent industrial architect translated sorensens sketches into bricks and mortar. Sep 25, 20 ford built special housing at willow run village for them, with everything scaled to their size. Sorensen, fords director of production during wwii conceived the idea of manufacturing the giant b24 bomber at the unbelievable rate of one per hour.
Michigan united states washtenaw county willow run willow run, 1942. Tuesday hangout willow run mission accomplished 11519. I remember when they transported a couple of cracking vessels up to syncrude. Contributor names richie, robert yarnall, photographer created published. The willow run airport history, b24 bomber plant and. Women on the warpath ford b24 film on women in the. Production of automobiles began at willow run in 1959 with the chevrolet corvair. General motors willow run plant in ypsilanti, mi, occupies the factory that built over 8,600 b24 liberator bombers in 194145, and employed over 42,000 workers, at least of which were women. See 3 photos and 1 tip from 8 visitors to willow run bomber plant.
To advance the program click on the continue located on each page. A portion of the eastern end of the willow run plant would be preserved, and along with part of willow run airports hangar building, become the new home of the yankee air museum. Ford motor company, willow run bomber plant and united. World war ii was a time when all americans pulled together to join with their allies and literally save the world. Fixtures in background hold bomber wings during assembly. The enrollment of american manufacturing in the second world war was filled with the idea of mass production, a concept made popular by henry ford. Pbs to air documentary about ypsilantis legendary willow run. A big job for little people at willow run s b24 liberator assembly plant. Experienced women workers at the willow run bomber plant operate such machines as this rockwell hardness tester left.
How fords willow run assembly plant helped win world war. Willow run assembly was to the south of the former willow run transmission, the site of the bomber plant built by ford in 1941. If you enjoyed this story, do your part to keep it alive for future generations. Employees assembling bomber at willow run plant, march 1943.
Willow run assembly plant demolition proceeding hemmings daily. The willow run bomber plant was the largest factory in the world under a single. With its carefully orchestrated production lines mangled beyond recognition, the willow run gm powertrain plant sits as the discarded exoskeleton of. Spot welding parts for the nacelle of an aircraft engine. The legendary b24 liberator bomber plant significant to the arsenal of democracy in wwii. Employees walking down a hallway in the willow run plant, october 16, 1942. Albert kahn associates records um library digital collections. Ordered by president trump to get cracking on ventilators even though. Michigans willow run bomber plant played a tremendous role in shaping the landscape, people, culture, and local economy of ypsilanti and washtenaw county during and after wwii. It was constructed in 1941 by the ford motor company for the mass production of the b24 liberator military aircraft. A b17g yankee lady is shown in front of the old willow run bomber plant that produced nearly 9,000 b24 liberator bombers to help win the war in europe. Yankee air museum founder and michigan aerospace foundation president dennis norton says a milestone was reached on tuesday. Beginners are given such tasks as numbering small machine parts right.
Going beyond the core storyline of the willow run bomber plant, the story map tells about the impact of the willow run bomber plant on the ypsilanti area both during and after world war ii. The influx of workers for the massive wartime production project gave rise to an entire community called willow run. How fords willow run assembly plant helped win world war ii the willow run bomber plant made aviation, industrial and social historyalong with new b24s by the hour. Ford motor company willow run bomber plant, ypsilanti, michigan. The save the bomber plant campaign to save part of the willow run. Photograph by ann rosener for the office of war information. There were not a great number of people living within a few miles of the new plant who were looking for jobs. Willow run is more than 330 acres of crumbling concrete and weeds today.
Pbs to air documentary about ypsilantis legendary willow. The b24 bomber, officially known as the b24 liberator, was designed by consolidated aircraft co. Willow run b24 liberator military history of the upper. Many of the workers came to willow run from farms and from little towns and crossroads. At the turn of the century, before the second world war, ypsilanti had an active downtown area along michigan avenue. Willow run bomber plant air traffic control tower, 1943 the. One of the most prominent factories that used the idea of mass production was b. By mid1944, the willow run assembly plant was producing one b24 per houraccounting for half of all b24s assembled that year. Apr 25, 2014 regarding the building being lshaped, the wikipedia article on willow run tells the story better than i can. Pbs to air documentary about ypsilantis legendary willow run b24 bomber factory. In september 1942, president roosevelt visited the willow run plant as part of a crosscountry war industry tour. However, even under optimum conditions, those plants could only build one bomber a day. Apr 29, 20 willow run is the historical name of the general area including willow run creek, which actually runs partly underneath the willow run bomber plant. The willow run manufacturing plant ownedoperated by ford motor company until 1946 began life in 1939 as a farm providing vocational training for young men under the name camp willow run.
Workers came from all over to work at the plant in willow run, and so he created willow run village for them to live. At its peak in 1944, the factory produced one plane every 63 minutes. Willow run is the legendary b24 bomber plant near ypsilanti, michigan, which was a focal point of the arsenal of democracy during wwii. It was thought to be the largest factory under one roof anywhere in the world. Willow run was never a massive success in peacetime. Welcome to our web based program covering bomber city the story of willow run. After this employment failure, melchers referred kahn to the detroit. Willow run assembly plant demolition proceeding hemmings. Willow run was built in 1941 after the ford motor company came to an agreement with the federal government to start building b24 bombers.
Yankee air museum where history takes flight willow run. We support the effort to save rosies willow run bomber plant. But the site of the b24 bomber assembly plant during world war ii will soon be transformed into miles of roads, highways, overpasses, and nighttime lighting, where the selfdriving and connected cars of the future will be developed and tested. She was part of that migration, part of the 40,000 employees at the ford run willow run b24 bomber plant and part of the great arsenal of democracy that detroit and the southeastern michigan region became, cranking out airplanes, tanks, trucks, and weapons. Women made up approximately onethird of the workers at ford motor companys willow run plant during world war ii. African americans, whites, older people, younger men unable to serve in the military, and most notably. Architect albert kahn designed the main structure of the willow run bomber plant, which had 3,500,000 square feet 330,000 m2 of factory space, and an aircraft assembly line over a mile long. Ic3 principal employment areas on willow run airport. The final b24 bomber was produced at willow run plant on june 28, 1945. Steady of eye and hand, women workers at the great willow run bomber plant are among those throughout the country who are relieving serious shortages of skilled workers by doing such semiskilled jobs as the one shown here. The ford family at willow run military history of the. Although there was very rough beginnings for this plant it had a huge impact on ypsilanti. The yankee air museum is proud to present this documentary, produced by stone bridge productions, to preserve the memory of those heroic women and men workers, visionaries, and innovators who served there.
Willow run after wwii military history of the upper great lakes. Vocsn ventilator, converting gms electronics plant in kokomo, indiana, and onboarding nearly 1,000 volunteer employees. Exhibit ib1 willow run airport task force membership. Originally 975 acres of farmland owned by henry ford, the site was developed by the ford motor company into. Willow run after wwii military history of the upper.
Aug 01, 2001 several other plants churned out the airplane, including facilities in fort worth, tx, and san diego. The historic willow run bomber plant was designed by the renowned detroit architect albert kahn, who was the foremost industrial architect of his time. Willow run also built the chevrolet nova 19621979, the xbodies 19801985, the gm h body, and the chevrolet caprice. A small part of the worlds largest one story war production plant, the giant ford bomber factory at willow run, michigan. It seems like a production miracle that the people working at willow run bomber plant were able to produce the b24 liberator at such tremendous speed. With overwhelming nationwide support from people like you, we raised the money needed to purchase and save from demolition approximately 144,000 sq. Labor shortages made women essential to war industries and the government actively recruited them to join the workforce. Woman working at willow run bomber plant, december 1942.
Shes welding parts of the cooling system direct to the supercharger. Little people at the willow run bomber plant diary of a rosie. Ford motor company built 8,685 b24 bomber airplanes at its willow run, michigan, plant during world war ii. But by 1953, when the plant was sold to gm, the number had dropped to 3,000. This is a teaser for an upcoming documentary about willow run the b24 bomber plant built in 1941 near ypsilanti, michigan, which was instrumental in outproducing nazi germany to win wwii. Jul 04, 2017 willow run bomber plant changes ypsilanti forever original threestory ypsilanti depot station. Building the b24 bomber during wwii story of willow run. Willow run, also known as air force plant 31, was a manufacturing complex in michigan, located between ypsilanti township and belleville, constructed by the ford motor company for the mass production of aircraft, especially the b24 liberator heavy bomber. The former willow run bomber plant in ypsilanti township built by henry ford to make planes for the u. The willow run bomber plant had many problems at startup, due in part to the mindsets and technical skills of both management and labor, who were each accustomed to the requirements of auto production, finding it difficult at first to adapt to the higher precision required in aircraft production. The mighty willow run bomber plant near ypsilanti michigan is where, during world war two, 42,000 workers, over a third of whom were women, worked hard to ensure victory by producing b24 liberator bombers at the astonishing rate of a bomber every hour. African americans, whites, older people, younger men unable to serve in the military, and most notably women.
Willow run bomber plant 19411945 completed in 1941, the plant was the largest factory in the world under a single roof. Riveter florence nightingale working at willow run bomber. The airport and its crew could accommodate up to 20 takeoffs an hour. The images in this collection highlight employees on the workforce, the b24 and the stages of its assembly. Sorensen, fords director of production during ww2, conceived the idea of manufacturing the giant b24 liberator bomber at the unbelievable rate of one an hour. The willow run airport history, b24 bomber plant and airport construction. Dptv documents the work to save the factory that was part of the massive willow run complex in ypsilanti that turned out a b24 bomber every hour in wwii. Henry kaiser, who wanted to rival the big three, bought the plant, and in 1947 he employed 15,000 people there.
Regarding the building being lshaped, the wikipedia article on willow run tells the story better than i can. The corvair and subsequent chevy and gm cars built at the willow run assembly plant never used any of the fordkaiserhydramatic production plant. She was part of that migration, part of the 40,000 employees at the fordrun willow run b24 bomber plant and part of the great arsenal of democracy that detroit and the southeastern michigan region became, cranking out airplanes, tanks, trucks, and weapons. Little people at the willow run bomber plant diary of a. At the beginning of world war ii, henry ford was given the task of creating the largest b24 bomber plant in the world to make warplanes. The iconic rosie the riveter may seem to be simply a fiction from the past but she has a name and an important history. World war one aviator eddie rickenbacker meeting with little people at ford motor companys willow run bomber plant during wwii. September 25, 20 march 16, 2019 jeannette gutierrez. Most of the bombers left willow run under their own power, requiring an onsite airport. The corvair and subsequent chevy and gm cars built at the willow run assembly plant never used any of. The willow run bomber plant also had an apprentice school and regular training programs for workers and military mechanics. Willow run, colossus of american industry, written by warren benjamin kidder. Willow run is the historical name of the general area including willow run creek, which actually runs partly underneath the willow run bomber plant. Fords chief engineer, charles sorensen, quickly devised a thenuntried scheme of massproducing.
Summary young men assembling outer wing panel of bomber. With so many young men drafted into the armed forces, willow run s workforce was unusually diverse for its time. In addition to manufacturing history, the willow run plant was the harbinger of great social change. Help us preserve willow runs amazing legacy by turning it into a museum click the big, red donate button on this page and give generously. Saving the willow run bomber plant detroit public tv. Willow run reference book third edition compiled by members of plant guide staff february 1, 1945 extract from espionage act the enclosed information is strictly confidential and should be regarded as such. Sep, 2017 the willow run bomber plant was a true production miracle, one that contributed greatly to allied victory in world war ii, and is a testament to the determination and fortitude of the greatest generation. Rr446 study design for willow run airport state of michigan. A detroit company will demolish the historic willow run bomber plant and build a test track and research center for connected vehicles, the trust managing former general motors properties said today. Ford motor company, open hearth slag and skull cracker building, river rouge. On october 31, 1945 ford published a notice that cut its workforce from 1,400 employees. They came to willow run from main and from californiafrom all of the fortyeight states in the union, and from canada, hawaii, and puerto rico. These women work in the largest onestory building in the works, the giant bomber plant at willow run, michigan.
Architect albert kahn designed the main structure of the willow run bomber plant, which had 3,500,000 square feet of factory space, and an aircraft assembly line over a mile long. Work and wage experience of willow run workers1 the work of the thousands of men and women hired to produce b24 liberators at the willow run bomber plant ended in july 1945. By march 1, 1943, the bomber plant brought in 6,491 workers from kentucky. At willow run, ford motor company built b24 bomber planes for world war ii using automobile mass production techniques. This was the first aircraft manufacturing complex to use fords automotive mass production technique, a leading technological innovation of the time. This was the first aircraft manufacturing complex to use fords automotive mass production technique, a. Thanks to its moving assembly line, the willow run plant was capable of producing one plane an hour. The bomber plant adjacent to the airport produced the famed world war ii bombers in a plant built by henry ford.
Ford overcame these difficulties and, at the plant s peak, willow run crews produced an average of one bomber every 63 minutes. The total number of b24s built at willow run was 8,685 and during peak production in early 1944, one bomber per hour was produced. Please visit to learn more about this amazing story, and. During that time, the ford motor company produced almost half of the b24s built8,685 out of 19,256. The willow run manufacturing plant, located between ypsilanti and belleville, michigan, was constructed during world war ii by the ford motor company for the mass production of the b24 liberator in december 1940, the federal government asked the ford motor company to build 1,200 b24 bombers. Willow run is what albert kahn described as the most enormous room in the history of man. With so many young men drafted into the armed forces, willow runs workforce was unusually diverse for its time. Donate to the yankee air museums campaign to save the willow run bomber plant at.