Salvaging Metal from Ships at Ford Rouge Plant, 1927

Completed in 1928 along the newly dredged River Rouge, Ford Motor Company's Rouge Plant quickly became an icon of modern industrial productivity. The factory's ship salvaging project exemplified Henry Ford's vision of efficiency at the plant. Workers disassembled surplus vessels, saving hardware and reconditioning functional machinery. Then, in the Rouge's production foundry, they melted down remaining scraps into reusable steel.