Ford Model A inside Tunnel Supplying Water to the Ford Rouge Plant Power House, 1931

THF701223 / Ford Model A inside Tunnel Supplying Water to the Ford Rouge Plant Power House, 1931
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Artifact Overview

In 1931, Ford Motor Company completed a tunnel diverting water from the Detroit River to its Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan. The Rouge used enormous quantities of water to produce steam for the powerhouse's electrical generators, to provide a coolant for steelmaking, and in other operations. The Ford Model A in this photograph emphasized the tunnel's massive dimensions.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

14 April 1931

Subject Date

14 April 1931

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.833.56124.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8.25 in
Width: 10 in

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    "Two Miles of Tunnel" Article from Ford News, June 1931

    Ford Motor Company published Ford News from 1920 to 1942. The magazine kept employees and dealers informed on the automaker's products and activities. Each issue contained general-interest stories too. The June 1931 edition reported on a massive new tunnel at Ford's Rouge plant. It diverted water from the Rouge River to supply hydroelectric turbines, and to provide cooling water for steelmaking.