Tours of active and former industrial sites are a key ingredient of the annual conferences and fall tours of the Society for Industrial Archeology. The SIA is dependent on the willingness of site owners and managers to permit visits. Please remember that as a tour attendee you are representing the SIA and are a guest of the factory or site owner. You are expected to abide by all rules communicated to you by your tour guides and in conference registration materials.
These rules may include but are not limited to:
o Wearing appropriate clothing, such as long pants and closed-toe shoes. Sandals and sneakers should never be worn in factories and hard-soled shoes, such as work shoes or hiking boots, are required for your own safety.
o Using specified safety equipment, such as earplugs, hardhats, or safety shoes
o Taking only authorized photographs
o Staying with your tour guide and staying out of restricted areas
o Sticking to the tour schedule and not causing unnecessary delays
o Controlling the behavior of children who are in your care
o Not touching products on the factory floor
If you are uncertain of the rules for a particular site, you are encouraged to ask. Not following tour rules may result in your expulsion from the tour by your host, tour guide, a conference committee member, or an SIA Board member. This policy is intended to ensure that each tour is an educational and enjoyable event for everyone.
THURSDAY, September 29, 2005
EARLY BIRD TOUR – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m – From Farming to Factories to Flying: Henry Ford Village Industry Plants
Henry Ford, alarmed at the increasing exodus of farmers to the auto factories, began a project in the late 1910s to stem rural population decline by converting old mills into small auto plants. This tour will start at the Fair-Lane Estate on a section of the Rouge River which Ford dammed to produce his own electric power. After touring the historic home and grounds that feature work of the renowned landscape architect, Jens Jensen, we will travel along the upper Rouge River to Historic Northville Village Industry Plant. Here we will tour the restored water wheel and eat lunch at Mill Race Village a re-created 19th-century town. The tour will then proceed along the river past Waterford, Meads Mill, Phoenix, Wilcox, and Newburgh Village Industry Plants. At these historic sites you will see the evolution of the mills from farms to factories to producers of bomber parts during WWII. Our final stop at the Nankin Mills Interpretive Center will highlight the first of the Village Industry Plants developed by Ford and see one of the first industrial batteries and generators developed for Ford by Thomas Edison.
RECEPTION – 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m
The reception will be hosted at the historic Ford Motor Company Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. The Piquette plant, now known as the T-Plex, is the 1904 factory where Henry Ford developed and implemented production of the Model T, which proved so successful the company built and moved to the Highland Park plant six years later. Charlie Hyde will address the industrial history of Detroit and the meal will include Detroit’s version of the chili dog.
FRIDAY, September 30, 2005
ALL-DAY PROCESS TOUR – 7:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
We will begin Friday with an early private visit to the new Rouge Factory Tour operated by The Henry Ford. Following a short film and multi-media presentation we will venture above the assembly area as the crews build F-150 pick up trucks. Bob Kreipke, the Ford Company Historian, will join us. Following the Rouge Tour, we will visit several parts suppliers including New Center Stamping, manufacturing replacement parts for vehicles over 40 years old and ThyssenKrupp Budd using modern processes for sheet metal stampings and automotive assemblies. We will also visit St. Mary's Cement, a large-scale cement processor on the Rouge River. Includes breakfast and lunch.
DINNER ON YOUR OWN
Saturday, October 1, 2005
CRUISE & TOUR – 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We will start the day with a short walk from the hotel to Hart Plaza at the Detroit River and board an excursion boat with our guide Bill Worden, Detroit Historic Designation Advisory Board. In stark contrast to the mills and light industry of the upper Rouge seen on Thursday, we will then venture up the heavily industrialized lower Rouge past Zug Island, home to U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes mill, under several tilt and draw bridges to the turning basin of the Ford Rouge Plant. This tour will provide a contrast to Friday's factory tour as well, giving us an ore freighter's view of Rouge Steel and the plant itself.
After lunch in Hart Plaza, we will board the buses for visits and drive-bys to such sites as Ford’s Highland Park Plant, the Packard Plant, the Diego Rivera murals at Detroit Institute of Arts, and the former GM headquarters. Includes lunch.
BANQUET – 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The banquet will be held at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, Detroit's island park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Dossin features exhibits on maritime history and Great Lakes shipping. A special dinner speaker is planned.
Sunday, October 2, 2005
STAYOVER TOUR – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Note: The was a change from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Led by Charlie Hyde, this bus tour of the historic Milwaukee Junction industrial district, which surrounds the Ford Motor Company Piquette plant, will offer many photo opportunities. This area was the "nursery" of the early Detroit auto industry, where dozens of auto-related businesses were located in the early 1900s. We will also visit the nearby New Amsterdam Historic District, an early concentration of automobile dealerships and repair facilities. We will also view the General Motors Building (1922) and the Fisher Building (1925), both National Historic Landmarks.
ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR OF DOWNTOWN DETROIT – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
From our hotel we will venture into the heart of downtown Detroit, now in the midst of Superbowl beautification. In addition to new plazas, fountains, stadiums and parks, we will visit significant architectural features from the building boom of the 1920s and 1930s. Included on the tour will be several Albert Kahn designed office buildings, important theaters, and several skyline-defining skyscrapers.
Shuttle buses will leave for the airport at 1:30 and at 5:00 p.m.
For More information contact:
- Mary Habstritt, Events Coordinator, with questions about the schedule or other event details, siaevents@aol.com; (212) 769-4946.
- Don Durfee, SIA Office Manager, with registration questions: (906) 487-1889 or sia@mtu.edu
