Plymouth in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Phoenix Mill
Women in a Village Industry
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 12, 2019
1. Phoenix Mill Marker
Henry Ford wanted only women to work here
in this small factory, built in 1922 as one of his Village Industries. The women workers built electrical parts such as voltage meters, light switches and generator cutouts (a form of relay) for Ford automobiles and, during World War II in the 1940s, produced electrical wiring for M-7 machine gun directors and electrical parts for Universal Gun Carriers. With increased wartime work, their operation was transferred to the Willow Run Bomber Plant, and they became some of the first "Rosie the Riviters".
You Auto Know
Women working at Phoenix Plant had to be single or widowed, wear dresses to work, and could not smoke.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Women. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.
Location. 42° 23.518′ N, 83° 28.089′ W. Marker is in Plymouth, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is on Edward Hines Drive, on the left when traveling south.
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Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Gunsolly Carding Mill (approx. 1.1 miles away); Plymouth Community Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 1.3 miles away); Fire Tower Bell (approx. 1.4 miles away); Chessie Caboose 904151 (approx. 1.4 miles away); Plymouth Railroads (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Plymouth Plank Road (approx. 1.4 miles away); Plymouth (approx. 1.4 miles away); Charles G. Curtiss House (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Plymouth.
Also see . . .
1. Phoenix Ford Plant Sold to Developer.
Photo from the collections of The Henry Ford.
2. Upper left image
Designed by reknowned industrial architect Albert Kahn, the Phoenix plant stands on property acquired by Ford in 1919.
2. New life ahead for Kahn-designed former Ford mills in Wayne County. Crains Detroit Business reported (March 14, 2019) that three former Ford mills are expected to be redeveloped, with the Phoenix plant being turned into a restaurant and banquet center. (Submitted on July 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photo from the collections of The Henry Ford.
3. Middle left image
Ford believed that women possessed the fine motor skills required to assemble delicate electrical parts.
Photo courtesy of the Plymouth Historical Museum.
4. Center image
The women employees of Phoenix, shown here in 1922, had a beautiful view of Phoenix Lake, created by Ford's new dam at the site.
Photo courtesy of the Plymouth Historical Museum.
5. Upper right image
Ford's Phoenix plant is all that remains to mark the location of the historic village of Phoenix. It stands on the site of two former gristmills, the first built in 1840.
Photo from the collections of The Henry Ford.
6. Lower right image
Ford paid the women employees $5.00 per day, almost as much as the men, which was unheard of at the time.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 12, 2019
7. Phoenix Mill Marker
View looking north along Edward Hines Drive.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 18, 2019
8. Phoenix Mill
View of the building from the east, looking across Northville Road. (The building can't be seen from Edward Hines Drive.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2019. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 893 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on July 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. 8. submitted on July 22, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
