Ford Steel on the Rouge - The Titanic Rouge Factory

[@TheNacropolice]

Looking at this you see a lot of men working doing jobs that paid well and could be trained on the job. This is what we need again.

[@rockets4kids]

As long as there is cheaper labour somewhere else in the world that's where the new factories are going to be built.

[@davidjackson3592]

@@rockets4kids Then those companies need to be banned from our markets.

[@steamgent4592]

@@rockets4kids those products shouldn't be allowed in our markets. They should be banned like they were till Nixon sold Americans out and allowed overseas imports. He wasn't called Tricky Dick for nothing!

[@jamesswenson6379]

@@davidjackson3592 what

[@jeffreymuu5451]

TheNacropolice You and all people must realize times change and we must change as well.

[@tashacherry1480]

My poor ol dad Lyndon (Uglyman) milwrighted there for 35 yrs and got bent over when they sold Great Lakes steel and it turned into US steel. I gotta say ALL you men and women deserve soo much more. I remember going there to pick up his check and to feed the pigeons who sadly had so much coke dust on their feathers they couldn't leave. The stench could be smelled for miles before you even crossed the tiny security bridge. I remember when I was about 5 or 6 being scared of some of the guys there because their faces were literally covered in coke dust. Later in life after my husband killed himself. Those faces that once scared me would become the one thing that made me realize I was still alive and needed to act that way for our kids. You see I was delivered a once white card riddled with black finger prints, signatures of good hard working men and women. Some of which I knew but most I didn't. The man who did the collection wrote to me and told me that they gave ALL they had in their pockets. Some gave their whole paycheck others their lunch money. I gotta admit that my heart over flows with emotions still today as I share this with you all. Those men fed my children and me for awhile but FOREVER FEED MY SOUL. I LOVE MY ONCE WHITE CARD RIDDLED IN ZUG ISLAND LOVE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL ❤

[@paulcaine2603]

A story truly in need of telling.

[@TheEnigmaroad]

I worked at Great Lakes for 8 years and then got out, or I would not be here. Many places were hell holes especially Zug Island where I spend 2 years. A deadly environment for human beings or any other species. People who never experienced it can't imagine the horror.

[@darrylholcomb9076]

​@@TheEnigmaroadI worked at Zug Island in the Sinter Plant in the 60's. The "breakers" on the top floor at the end of the sinter conveyor was the worst job IMO. GN beltman & Track hopper my favorite jobs. In the Vietnam era, so many young men we're being drafted they manned labor crews from work release prisoners from Michigan State Prison. So many bull queers were there, straight men had to physically defend themselves. I left to work as a brakeman on the New York Central Railroad in Detroit.

[@scottrayhons2537]

That was emotional Tashacherry! Thank you for that!❤

[@timmyeades7908]

When I was a child, my Father worked for Ford, as a perk of the job, the company would host workers children, for field days at the the Rouge, to see the all aspects of production. It familiarized the children to their future job prospects. We should also pay our respects to all the men who have lost their lives at the Rouge. R.I.P.

[@blauer2551]

You’ve probably been to Camp Dearborn as well

[@timmyeades7908]

@@blauer2551 It was a summer ritual. Did you have family that worked for Ford?

[@blauer2551]

@@timmyeades7908 I live close by Camp Dearborn and occasionally golf there, but growing up in Detroit you always knew someone that was going there on the weekends whose dad or uncle worked for Ford.

[@LynxStarAuto]

My dad worked at Turnpike Ford. They assembled a lot of Ford chassis trucks for different purposes. He would take me with him to work during summer breaks. Saw plenty of ford F series converted to ambulances, tow trucks, flat beds, etc.

[@jackthecat6225]

My great grand da was born around 1806 started working around 9-10 as an oiler on steam engines, then in his 20's made mechanic then late 20 or early 30's made engineer. He worked all kinds of places, not sure, but mostly steam engines in manufacturing, then much later fuel oil machines while they were running. The machines never stopped, they were maintained while running 24x7 and he worked every day 18 hours a day many times. You were measured by engine down time and maintenance cost and down time back then meant a high possibility of losing your job. Luckily, steam engines were well suited to never stopping. The other way you rose in your career was keeping all your fingers and toes and not dying because you were always working with moving parts. It was a new frontier and a lot of men died trying to figure out how to do things right. The industrial age was an amazing thing that brought great wealth, but that road was paved in blood and many lives. Luckily, he only lost three fingers in his career and lived to see 88. Men that work in manufacturing are the ones that really make the world turn on its axis and they really should be the ones we venerate. It not only took a lot of muscle and endurance, but these men had to be intelligent, and be able to solve complex mechanical problems on their feet while not losing their lives or their limbs. My grand da followed in his footsteps almost exactly but by then, rail roads were well established and that's where he landed and they were much safer. He only lost one finger and a couple of toes. My dad was an auto dealer through luck and working 24x7 which killed him in his 40's but he was "successful". The only one I got to know was my grand da who told me my dad worked with the NADA to rip up all the rail road passenger lines. The NADA was/is one of the most powerful lobby groups in the USA. It was a sticking point for him regardless of what when and why. He was amazed how fast things moved because in his mind, the move to diesel and fuel oil from steam meant that rail was superior because you could run it on anything so it's future was assured. It was more efficient, more cost effective and was safer than automobiles. He did tell me however that the sheer amount of horse dung, thousands of tons, that had to be dealt with every single day in major urban centers was a real problem. They never thought that using it as fuel on a very large scale was really possible but I'm not sure why or maybe they did, but it was a real issue that people were very happy to be rid of with the automobile. I remember as a kid trying to imagine what a hundred thousand tons of horse dung would even look like or smell... kids.

[@dickda1]

I worked in the Basic Oxygen Furnace at Ford Rouge - took temperatures of the molten steel and worked on pouring platform where ingots were poured. Such a pleasant blast from the past!

[@robertproctor1358]

Dick, about what time frame did you work at this plant and is it still in use today??? Thanks

[@GKBigmack]

The Rouge still runs today, however ingot pouring has been replaced with continuous casting in the 70s. The old hot strip in this vid was replaced with the newer hot mill, in the 70s as well. I've worked in the Rouge plant (As a contract worker) over the past 15 years, from just after it was spun off by Ford, to be turned into Rouge Steel. RS went insolvent, and was bought by the Russians and operated by Severstal. Severstal sold the plant to AK steel about four years ago, and they operate it today. Of the three blast furnaces in the picture, (A, B, and C) from right to left as viewed from the slip/ore bridges, only C operates....and that isn't the original furnace. The C furnace in the picture was torn down about 10 years ago, and a state of the art furnace was installed. The new furnace produces more iron than the previous three combined. The coke ovens are gone, torn down about 20 years back. The old cold mill (Tandem and 4 pickling lines) has been demo'd and replaced with a new PLTCM (Pickle Line Tandem Cold Mill) and a hot dip galv line. Not sure if the skin mill is still running, but it bet it is, as there has to be someplace to temper the sheet. Annealing furnaces still run in the old cold mill. Three strand continuous caster... Not much more to say, i suppose.. The plant is still fully functional, however.

[@arborist460]

Yea man...I love info like this...I'd bet you earn yer money there...keep it up. Backbone of our country

[@arborist460]

We have an ak steel 50 mile down the road in Ashland ky....I'll get in there one day and check it out.

[@mickjones8757]

@@GKBigmack thanks man my son works for AK. crane tech at the plant nice to know. he sends me pics of 2to 3 hundred feet off the ground makes me dizzy to look at pics😨

[@farmerkevin]

11:44 Smoking a delicious Marlboro while on the clock. Ahhh the good old days.

[@hawkinsgeneralstore7405]

I was thinking "Welcome to flavor country"

[@chriswilkey9885]

What do you mean old days? Its a steel mill not a feelings mill plenty of guys still smoke on the job

[@steve1311]

Worked there 35 years. Good company , good people.

[@davegeisler7802]

Thank you Mr. Ford

[@bretttingelstad7641]

Almost have my 30 now, been a good run!

[@NarlyLyfe]

I could watch these forever, this is my heaven on earth, thank you.

[@carlmorgan8452]

Only us who worked in furnace can truly appreciate ❤ 4th of July is never the same.

[@peterduncanson504]

At one time the Rouge Complex produced everything needed to make a car - tires, glass, engines, assembly. I started my career just down the Rouge River at Great Lakes Steel, working on blast furnaces on Zug Island. Miss it dearly.

[@robertbrandywine]

They didn't make copper wires there did they?

[@SHOVEL67w]

I spent 32 yrs.in steel at the ROUGE

[@arborist460]

When someone told you go to hell did you reply. ...just got back and be headed back in the morning

[@arborist460]

Men like you sir are the role models we need.

[@backrack01]

What building?

[@hawtpotato90210]

are they hiring?

[@justin456]

Severstal?

[@Rajnoma]

This is fascinating. What strong, vital people worked these mills! We owe them a real debt of gratitude for helping make America what it was at that time, the most powerful, influential nation on earth in the 1940s to the 1970s, a time of great prosperity and growth..

[@williamchristian8389]

I hauled steel out of The Rouge in the 70s and early 80s. Huge place!!

[@larrynault2683]

what a beautiful old documentary, hats off to the maker/producer of this piece of AMERICANA, and also the person who posted this video---THANK YOU!

[@whiteknightcat]

There's something oddly hypnotic about all this.

[@glennman0922]

whiteknightcat ASMR

[@steve1311]

Worked there 30 years , retired in june 07 , worked in a lot of the buildings .

[@alb12345672]

Ford still does this?

[@jondoe3561]

Ak forced a lot of good people out.

[@rob-robi]

This is bloody amazing. I'm always fascinated by steel or iron factories . It's almost unbelievable that men create these monstrosities

[@jeremiahd2417]

That was Henry Ford himself. He liked to think big and made the car industry what it is today.

[@JohnnyRebKy]

Just imagine 10k years from now it will all be gone. Turned to dust without a trace. Cars rot into the ground in a single century. Makes you wonder what could have existed in vast ancient times that we have no clue about

[@richardgray8593]

@@JohnnyRebKy You need to take a black studies course and learn how in Central Africa 100,000 years ago the technology was far, far more advanced than today. Every modern Europeen technology was stolen from the Africans.

[@Memphisdoug]

The machinery used for this whole process is amazing

[@Scarter63]

I work at Arcelor/Mittal in Cleveland. I'm amazed how little has changed in the process from when this video was made, to present day 2018.

[@danielmota1095]

Back in 1978 we had ingots. soaking pits , bloomer mill and a few other things but no computers on the job . things were a little different when I left. (ArcelorMittal)

[@GKBigmack]

US Steel here. Everything is PLC driven nowadays... back then it was all relay logic and training... knowing when to crack the pistol grip one way or another, or to push the correct button....

[@aname5938]

@PikPobedy And a lot less man hours per ton

[@aname5938]

A lot has changed. No open hearths, teeming cars, soaking pits. Continuous casting replaced it all.

[@aname5938]

@@GKBigmack I know, right? No more slate boards, MG sets, mag amps, analog regulator panels, DC exciters, synchronous motors, arc chutes... sigh.

[@OnerousEthic]

Before FMC had an IT department, my grandfather, Robert E. Houston, was the IT department. He was #1 at the steel mill and #4 at Willow Run. I remember touring this or some other steel mill in Detroit when I was 8 or 10 years old, and seeing the ingots get rolled it was amazing and so hot!!

[@nathanielwilliams]

Absolutely mind blowing what men can do and has done

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Look at that marvelous place, and understand it did not grow from the ground. All the human engineering and mind power needed to make that place is astounding. A place that got the entire city of Detroit to grow, to produce great things that men now out of poverty can finally enjoy. What I do not understand is how these films do not explain how this greatness does not come from the ground like a weed; that it came from our minds enjoying liberty and a free market. Free people do amazing things. We would all still be eating bugs to survive with out our liberty we once enjoyed and the industrial revolution we created with our minds, and our liberty to use them.

[@danielmota1095]

At Inland Steel we had our own bigger toys . Marvelous, engineering and a marvelous pure HELL at times . A lot in this film is old way of making steel , the ingots, open heart and soaking pit are no more. the bof and continuous caster eliminated that. Many people died on the job with out any RESPECT

[@danielmota1095]

@Jim Allen SIR . I witnessed (steelworker )and the facts. the mills were GREAT gave me a living .Miss Rand , philosophy and journalism I don't know

[@Reitz86]

Big business sold out to money over country, the men and women in this video built America, not overpaid executives who robbed it ( not specific to Ford)

[@altond511]

Maybe it`s because they don`t think we`re all stupid like you seem to think we are.

[@jackkrauser2361]

I also think we should show our kids these videos so they’ll have the understanding and mental strength to take on tough challenges.

[@MrTaylorTexas]

This is amazing! Back when Made In America was taken for granted.

[@mitshumarner5870]

Back when we made things, made things in a big way.

[@godbluffvdgg]

We have never stopped making things and still have industrial manufacturing at the highest levels...Only we now make the hard stuff...Boeing, McDonald Douglas, GE, US steel, The big three car makers still have facilities here, Caterpillar...etc etc etc...Don't sell us short; we make high value high dollar items...Let the third worlds make the widgets...

[@jacquesblaque7728]

Just FYI, Trump is irrelevant, a figment of his own imagination. Anyway, soon to be recycled as scrap. B-bye.

[@jimsonbrown9768]

Brandon S : tariffs, are just a bargaining tool. Not permanent.

[@jacquesblaque7728]

Wouldn't want to take your money because of that disgusting fraudulent combed-over gas-bag. POS

[@onazram1]

@@jacquesblaque7728 - sure we will bring back a democrat president to put America back into the downward spiral obama had us in.. no thanks!

[@tricitiesair]

When this was filmed Detroit was one of the highest per capita income cities in America. You could leave high school go to work at a plant, buy a house, raise a family, and retire. Now the jobs are in Mexico and Detroit is a graveyard. Sad.

[@Lanesplitter]

The times, they are a changin - sad but true

[@jacquesblaque7728]

Mgmt made out pretty well, fat retirement/golden parachutes. Too bad for the peons, though.

[@tricitiesair]

@chris richard You can't blame the unions for the entire mess. They were greedy sure but it takes two sides to ruin a good thing. Corporations are just as greedy imo.

[@Obladgolated]

_They_ _were_ _greedy_ _sure_ _but_ _it_ _takes_ _two_ _sides_ _to_ _ruin_ _a_ _good_ _thing._ You can point fingers until the cows come home, whatever floats your boat. The production is elsewhere, where people are happy to have an income, and don't worry about how much the boss is making. Reality bites, and finger-pointing doesn't change it.

[@aquilarossa5191]

@chris richard Bullshit. Germany and France have even stronger unions and labour laws. They can still compete can't they? People say 'but they get government subsidies", but so does GM and Ford in their own way (bail outs, tax breaks etc). Increased profit is the main reason for offshoring. Enough profit is not enough for a modern CEO. Their job is to always increase returns for investors. Charged with the task of achieving endless growth they do whatever it takes, even if it means putting locals out of work. Plenty of profitable plants have been closed down and shipped offshore where they could make bigger profits. They only have allegiance to shareholders, not to the workers of the country where the company was originally formed. p.s. These companies are also masters of avoiding the tax man and hiding their money in the Caymans etc. Public debt in the USA is $22 trillion while the books are always in the red as infrastructure crumbles to an international rating of D minus. The country is spending over half of its discretionary budget on the military because all those offshore assets and US multinational corporation's interests need securing. I do not see how it can continue myself. If it was a business it would be declared insolvent and be forced to restructure.

[@marthajackson8227]

Ford was such a visionary. That was an interesting and educational production.

[@ronaldarchibald2506]

Well documented Henry ford was supplier of armaments snd equipment for Adolf Hitler. USA had to force Henry Ford to stop producing weaponry for Nazi Germany. They forced him into converting his brand new facility in Willow run Michigan in to a bomber aircraft factory. The largest in the world. He would have been arrested as enemy of the state had he not conceded. That's the truth about your visionary. Henry Ford had many bad things associated with him. But his money has gotten them pushed to the back of the history lesson. He cheated on his wife. He hired felons directly put of prison to be his anti union enforcement group called ford services. They made visits to your family if you talked about union. They followed ford workers to the club, to public events,to bars and if they got any word of you talking with somebody about union you got threats to your family and you beaten up and hospitalized. Thugs these guys were. Ford thugs. Worse than the mob because they had big business money behind them. Even bought off the newspapers and the police. These are documented facts. Labor studies class by Wayne State University exposed me to this and many other attrocities of big business. Plus they provided the source material to back it up. I highly recommend anybody seeking the truth take some classes there.

[@jmd1743]

@@ronaldarchibald2506 He was selling when America was neutral. America sold to both powers during ww1 for a time period. Gun manufactures did that as well. They were called "merchants of death". If politicians had kept the US neutral during ww1 all powers would have ran out of money and be forced to sue for peace.After all the gold standard was a thing back then.

[@lindat4294]

Fascinating machinery! Transporting molten metal in specially designed rail cars. The genius it took to build these ceramic lined rail cars. I always wondered how the giant ladle and buckets were made. Astounding!

[@josephastier7421]

These mills won us WW II.

[@mickjones8757]

Along with" willow run" plant built the bomers in Ypsilanti i can see from my apt window

[@tetekofa]

Ford sold truck engines and more to Germany, Poland, Russia, US and anybody else who wanted supplies.

[@bradwyrick4738]

Ford was as much on hitlers side lol

[@jeremiahd2417]

@@bradwyrick4738 so was GM, IBM, HUGO, BOSCH. Quite a Lot of companies, even non german, were involved. Even some major companies outside of germany who were european who had plants and facilities in germany were involved. It was pretty much the majority of Mega Corporations at the time.

[@jr5113]

Worked two summers midnight shift in a steel plant in PA in the ‘70s stripping slag of the walls and floors of the soaking pits shown in the film with jackhammers so they could be relined with refractory brick. It was grueling, dangerous, and torturous but I’m glad I can say I did it.

[@edenhill9662]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing. My dad was the chairman/ president of the BOF and Rolling Mill for 20 years.

[@NealFry]

I'll Always Love you Hayden Panettiere.

[@joeboscarino2380]

And you people laughed at Ross Perot's ," great sucking sound " .Serves you right .

[@KingRoseArchives]

I was there when he said it. He was right. UAW head, Walter Reuther was always in favor of global trade but it had to include building strong unions in those countries and a wage rate that wouldn't take US jobs away. He lost that battle.

[@danhillman4523]

I didn't. I warned anyone that would listen.

[@DataWaveTaGo]

@J Smith It's bigger than Trump. He can't change anything. It's too late.

[@siaripop7]

@J Smith What exactly has he reversed? Those 3,000 jobs he claimed to have saved in Indiana are in Mexico or have been eliminated. The tax breaks he gave businesses to expand were used to buy down their debt and raises of 3% haven't kept pace with inflation. Social Security was payable beginning at age 62 and full benefits at 65, today's employees won't see that until they are in their mid-70s, if they live that long without health insurance!

[@indianapatsfan]

It's amazing how much of the manufacturing process Ford directly owned and controlled back then. That type of manufacturing is pretty much obsolete nowadays.

[@fortune300]

Look at Toyota.

[@neumann9897]

river rouge is still there today ford owns the assembly side and AK owns the steel side

[@andrewarmstrong7310]

Ford was a control freak. He even owned The Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad that serviced the plant, as well as the ships that brought the ore in.

[@cplpetergriffin1583]

@@andrewarmstrong7310 he also bought a rubber farm in south America for his tires

[@andrewarmstrong7310]

@@cplpetergriffin1583 Yes he did and that put him in conflict with both Firestone and Goodyear.

[@richardloach610]

While I can't ever say that life was better then, seeing this makes me wish we could still have these great gargantuan industries here, and feel proud once more to build things as a society

[@raymondszybowicz7597]

I worked for Airborne Freight for 32 year's use to deliver and pickup at the Rouge plant back in the day one day I had a delivery for the huge power house remember they had a catwalk to get the different floors you could feel the vibration and hear the rumble of the huge boiler's scary I guess they had a huge explosion there in Feb of 1999 with lives lost.

[@justinbustin677]

More amazing of the steel mill process then the car itself

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

much more interesting.

[@TimHollis3006]

Unfucking believable that our country once was this great

[@maptinkler]

Since the late 1800's untill roughly 1990 or so Birmingham, Ala. herald itself as the "Pittsburg of the South". Growing up there in the 50's & 60's everyone knew someone whom either work at a Blast Furnace; Steel Mill; Fabricating Shop; Pipe Mill; or either a Coal or Iron Ore Mine. And it wasn't just B'ham, but the entire "Jones Valley" area (that B'ham is within), were all involved in the iron & steel making industry, along with the coal & iron ore mines, not to mention the limestone pits, that fed that industry. At one time it seemed every crossroad's in B'ham had a Church, a store, and two Fab Shops! The massive US Steel Plant alone at it's peak, employed more than 15,000 workers...even more during WW2! When you drive from the eastern side of B'ham to Downtown on the 1st Ave Viaduct, you'll pass right beside Sloss Furnace (now a Museum), the oldest blast furnace in B'ham. Back in the day if you drove at the right time you'd drive through an almost blinding red cloud of smoke, with its pungent smell of hot metal and sulfur. My dad said "you see and smell all that red smoke?....it represents jobs and money!". Today it seems unreal to even fathom that almost everyone of those furnaces, steel and pipe mills, and the literally hundreds of fabricating shops, are completely gone now... along with all those high paying skilled jobs!

[@jarrodmarsh9520]

It's sadly funny to know that people who no nothing of this type of lifestyle and real hard work get praised and worshipped in this country because they were taught how to get wealthy off of the backs of individuals who did this kind of work.

[@jarrodmarsh9520]

I think we're passed the point of being great again, unless someone who knows the game as well as the great grifters changes some of the rules.

[@iamgriff]

I worked at a few different slitting companies around detroit in the late 90’s. It is pretty interesting to see where the hot roll “rouge steel” came from. I have scars on my hands from steel made by these machines in this video.

[@lefthandedhardright8839]

Henry Ford. An absolute Legend.

[@davegeisler7802]

Thank you Mr. Ford !!!

[@MrShobar]

The Rouge was the prototype for the fully integrated manufacturing plant. Iron ore and scrap went in one end, finished automobiles emerged at the opposite end.

[@lifes40123]

Just look at this video and you can tell why and how the US is strongest economy in the world. American steel and engineering is the finest in the world. Making the steel is already amazing, but the science behind the factory that produces the steel makes it even more incredible.

[@Kgthrow]

I work at Arcelormittal, Iron Producing Burns Harbor Indiana. This was a good watch!

[@nuclearbum9858]

finally i well explained video of how this all works ...that place had to be miles big

[@godbluffvdgg]

This is so awesome...Thanks for the upload...I was 3 when they filmed it...:)...Seeing those factories and plants in person is amazing!

[@lestergillis8171]

The "soaring pits" is where my mum's late brother Burley used to work at USS. He was an instrument repairman in the fuel dpt. R.I.P.

[@tomsteve3804]

sure seems i remember touring this place in elementary school back in the mid 70's

[@jeromebychowski122]

Henry Ford, was a third generation Irish American, whose family was farming land in the Free State of Michigan. - He was born in 1863, and raised as a farmer, operating equipment. - After high school, Henry Ford had about 8 years of work a machinist, and a steam engine mechanic. - Then he worked his way into the Edison Manufacturing Corporation. - At Edison Manufacturing Corporation, he got hired as an engineer, and became a chief engineer., for about 8 years. - He eventually worked directly with Thomas Edison. - During his career with Edison, be started to develope his own automotive vehicles, and was sponsored by Thomas Edison, and his investors. - Eventually, Henry Ford organized with several investors that were connected to Thomas Edison, and started Detroit Automobile Corporation, in 1898. - After about a year, he dissolved that company. - Henry Ford was involved and working with several other automobile manufacturers. - With his investors, he formed the Henry Ford Company in 1901. - Upon reorganizing, and gaining new investors, Henry Ford started Ford Motor Company, in 1903. - He grew Ford Motor Company, in 5 years, to be mass producing automobiles. - About every 4 years, he built an additional factory. - - - In 1917, Henry Ford had enough financing, to buy the land and start to build his own steel production facility, alongside some of his automotive manufactiring plants, at one complex. - He bought the land in Dearborn Michigan, and built that massive steel production facility in 10 years. He also built manufacturing plants there. - Ford River Rouge complex was finished in 1928. It included the steel production, and several auomotive manufacturing plants. - It covered over 900 acres, which is about 1.4 square miles of land. - The entire facility, with the steel manufacturing, and the automitive plants, employed almost 100,000 persons. - In 1928, it was the largest manufacturing complex in the World.

[@jeromebychowski122]

Actually, the Rouge had as much as 103,000 workers, at its highest level of production employment. - It had every type of production to fully complete finished automobiles.

[@whiteknightcat]

And today it's a national historic landmark.

[@jeromebychowski122]

+whiteknightcat - Hello Sir or Miss. Your title is not indicative of any type of gender. - - Actually, the Ford Rouge Steel plant was purchased in 2004, by the Severstal, the Russain steel company. - Severstal invested 1.6 billion dollars into the facility, to refurbish the mechanical systems of the entire facility, and implement all modern controls of the systems. - They also added additional systems for cold rolled steel and galvanized cold rolled steel. - They decommisioned 2 of the 3 original blast furnaces. The decomissioned blast funaces were utilized for parts, for the refurbishing, and rebuilding of the remainingn blast furnace. - The remaining blast furnace, has been completely restored, and is fully operational, with modern controls. - - In 2014, AK Steel, based in Ohio, purchased the Dearborn Steel Plant from Severstal. - Now, AK Steel is operating this modern steel production facility.

[@whiteknightcat]

@@jeromebychowski122 As there were no female knights in antiquity, the gender would be a given. And I fail to see your point regarding the history of the facility, or are you implying it is not a historic landmark?

[@jeromebychowski122]

+whiteknightcat - Hello Sir or Miss. It is 2018, your title is not indicative of any type of gender. Also you speak from an amomomous position. - - The topic at hand is a 20th Century Industrial development, that was completed between 1917 and 1928. - The first set of information that I provided was about the history of the original developer of the facility, Henry Ford. - That history of Henry Ford, led into the discription of the development of this facility. - This site was designated with National Historic Landmark District status in 1978. - - I continued with the modern, 21st century history, about the Russian Steel corporation Severstal, that invested 1.6 billion dollars, in the redevelopment of the facility, in order to refurbish, rebuild, and modernize the original functions of the facility. They also expanded the capabilities of the facility. - - Now, most currently, this modern facility was purchased by Ohio based AK Steel in 2014. - In 2018, this modernized facility is fully operational and highly competative in the United States of America.

[@kirksinger2764]

I can still remember, as a new LM management trainee, watching a lake boat unload ore at 8 am, touring the Rouge steel mill later and watching Mustangs come off the line in late afternooon

[@iamgriff]

i remember passing Dearborn Assembly Plant, and seeing nothing but Mustangs parked in the lot. You could tell which days they sprayed what color. they would be parked in a hap hazard color coordination

[@johnaugsburger6192]

Amazing, thanks for putting this up.

[@chadsimmons6347]

That slag, is all over the place, it makes good fill for hillsides when packed down, it will not move

[@stewartjones566]

God damn steel making is extremely energy intensive

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

own power plant on site.

[@scottschmidt75]

@@JamesThomas-pj2lx blew up in 99

[@tyroniousyrownshoolacez2347]

Best voice ever.

[@BMGBOX]

This is fabulous history and you Americans can be proud of your industrial and military might. You are keeping the world free and safe. Where I live, we had steel plants - one in Sydney Mines, NS, from 1899 to 1920 and another in Sydney, NS, from 1900 'till about 2004. We also had dozens of coal mines... We are a post-industrial economy now, like many areas. Multi-Billionaires invested in automation, and we now see the results = industrial jobs are gone. The only answer is technical and academic education for our young people. Keep the faith, brother Americans. - Bob McGrath, VA1BOB

[@bonniejohnson1518]

the bible says 66 times that pride is not good and is the down fall of mankind,,,,,,,,,,,,Willie

[@GMCTIM]

Worked in a Steel Mill from 89 to 09 ! It is a Amazing process, very hot very dirty you earned your Money but a Great Job ! Go back in a second if I could ! ✊🇺🇸

[@NealFry]

" I'll Always Love HEAT. "

[@NealFry]

" What A Movie!!! "

[@NealFry]

Neal was THERE.

[@NealFry]

Sheet Steel Cuts!

[@dancingwithczars]

I toured the Rouge complex in the 1960's when I was in grade school--steel mill, stamping and assembly. It was pretty amazing. If you were unfortunate enough to live in the Delray area of Detroit, you had to smell the awful stench put off by the Rouge Plant. Absolutely nasty. No pollution controls back then. If the job didn't kill you, the toxic pollution would. The good old days!

[@KingRoseArchives]

There were drawbacks.

[@lazyrrr2411]

Don't blame Ford alone - - - the infamous "dirtiest spot on Earth" ZUG Island is at the mouth of the river - within eye sight ... Detroit Main Sewer Works • and a host of Heavy industries 🏭🏭🏭

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

the city is ooooooo so much better now, w/o the industry.....ooooooh so much better, lol.

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

@@KingRoseArchives whats the copyright on this, i swear that's my dad at 10:48, but he thinks it was shot before he started?

[@poke_cactushobby3780]

This is so cool.

[@jondoe3561]

Home..... Miss it! Recognize a few faces.... Good memories!

[@RejonMunchausen]

fantastic upload!

[@glennman0922]

5:44 “Hey Frank! Wake up! They’re filming today!” .... “duh.....O.k.”

[@marklindquist9504]

My dad hauled steel coils out of Rouge,,,bound mostly to Gary Indiana

[@biga3749]

My dad worked at the Hapeville Assembly plant in 70's. He thought Ford's steel 9nly came from Bethlehem Steel. Thanks for information.

[@geosutube]

Completely vertically integrated manufacturing.

[@nealfry2230]

I'll Always Love you Hayden Panettiere

[@busarider29]

Have a lot of respect for the men that had to go to work in that dungeon of a place every day. Having to breathe in all those fumes and and crap 8 hours a day, sheesh. Can't imagine someone that had to work in there for 30 years living very long after that.

[@tompaul2591]

@Brandon S did you not hear that it took 2 years to learn and 3 to become good? I call that a skill. Not everyone is cut out to be an engineer or fabricator, etc. Producing something yourself makes you self reliant. Paying others (China,Mexico, etc) to do your dirty work makes you a slave to them. When you find your servant is your master. Everything has its ups and downs. You cant deny our economy was better then with more job opportunities. Jobs that paid well too. Skilled, unskilled, white or blue collar.

[@spaceghost8995]

They didn't live long afterward.

[@jongerber3476]

Great job on this vid . Well presented . Thank you

[@spaceghost8995]

Lung cancer anyone? Those jobs look brutal. I've worked at at iron foundries , but not huge operations like those!

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

yep, most of those men are long dead.

[@ecleveland1]

The tremendous scale is hard to believe. How much did this cost to build and who built the huge pieces of equipment? How many cars and trucks does it take to pay for this? How did people know how to design it and size it to last so long? I have a lot of questions I wish I could ask these people.

[@gregoryfuzi4745]

Ford's ships three of them were named the Benson, Henry and the breach . Did some repairs on them at the Ford rouge plant back in 1979 or 80 while working for a company called Nicholson's dock and terminal where are the old boblo boat was moored.

[@lpattenaude1716]

Amazing

[@jackkrauser2361]

This video is incredible! This is what real work looks like not the fake service shit the government wants us to do today!

[@davegeisler7802]

And those workers were real men , supported there families on one income ( Thank you Mr. Ford ) and worked there asses off. We became so soft and lazy as a society.

[@bonniejohnson1518]

The destruction all began with the communist introduction of feminism in America in 1970.....its been all down hill since then........Willie

[@chuckh.2227]

Very interesting!

[@clivewinters7479]

About the best video presentation I’ve seen on this subject!

[@randymagnum143]

They didnt show stripping the ingot from the mold! The intensified grip strippers are marvel of manufacturing, made obsolete by continuous casting.

[@karelltulod3079]

awesome Ford

[@mauriciogonzalezdiaz8929]

Impresionante. 😮

[@lazyrrr2411]

A Great place to Visit - a horrible place to WORK ~ Dantes' Inferno ! ~ but Someone had to do it

[@wipatriot510]

Once upon a time in America...

[@di734on]

I currently work here 👍🏻

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

give omari cooper a hard time.....he's too good of a dude.

[@di734on]

@@JamesThomas-pj2lx I would but I didn't know him. I just quit AK. Now at Marathon Refinery.

[@brosefmcman8264]

In incredible time to be alive

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Somebody’s liable to get burned because the temperature of all this gets so high. “Safety first,” is the mantra among engineers and other workers. No one gets hurt in the movie because everyone is extra careful for the cameras.

[@alainarchambault2331]

Don't suppose Ford has that plant anymore. Likely contracted out to other steel rolling plants after this equipment became obsolete.

[@JamesThomas-pj2lx]

they sold whole thing in..... 89ish, its still runs tonight.

[@scottschmidt75]

The steel they make there is obsolete for automakers use. Even in the 90s a good deal of Rouge Steel production was exported.

[@Paul1958R]

Ford: A copy of mein kampf in every glovebox

[@dcdanger6151]

I swear I saw that guy's cigarette light by itself

[@josephastier7421]

If any of those workers ever went to Hell, they would have a good belly laugh and ask Satan: "Is that all you've got?"

[@davegeisler7802]

You got that right !!!

[@nealfry2230]

I agree.

[@MagnetOnlyMotors]

9:55 the air must have been soooo filthy to breathe!

[@davegeisler7802]

Yeah , kinda goes with the territory.

[@Sageofthehills]

Henry was a Chad 💪🏻

[@DataWaveTaGo]

At 11:44 - the temperature is never too hot, the atmosphere never too foul, to prevent the die hard smoker from enjoying a cigarette.

[@davegeisler7802]

That Marlboro taste better when the ambient temp is around 130 in the plant.

[@scottpool4777]

Yes definitely and there was no young guys in there to only older experience men and that’s the key this is it. Republic steel and such like that all of memory.

[@Yesman34354]

Just watched a vid from a modern day steel plant, it was shorter and way less informative. Love these old vids

[@meredrums1]

Are there any mills in America now? Simple question not requiring any additional baggage.

[@sixmile2360]

Yes. This mill is still open. There is a huge steel works along the Detroit River. There are a total of 12 integrated steel mills operating in the US.

[@pyroman6000]

Yep. Edgar Thompson in Pittsburg; Arcellor, in East Chicago; Gary Works; Burns Harbor; etc. plenty of mini mills left, too.

[@shaggydogg3786]

Granite city steel division is U.S. steel Granite city Illinois. Iron making to finished coiled steel.

[@cars929]

I like Chevy but Ford has the quality and pricing ability

[@Chironex_Fleckeri]

Not a cell phone in site, just a bunch of people loving life and living to the fullest

[@TheMoni700]

Looks like a popsicle created all those 70s cars.

[@Detroit_Red]

Wonder what the process looks like now in 2020

[@davegeisler7802]

They still need to pour molten metal. Nothing really changes , except technology. Still a hot , filthy job performed by some badass workers who are far from soft.

[@nunyabizznizz7326]

back when we made things that made things..........now all outsourced

[@wtf0101]

America at its best👍

[@davegeisler7802]

You got that right ! Pre man buns , woke society and lazy workers.

[@markjohnson4962]

How can they make the first steel mill given that steel mills are made of steel?

[@scottschmidt75]

Abraham Darby (1668-1717) was the first man to successfully smelt iron ore with coke. His furnace was not made of iron, and neither are the furnaces used to me steel. The earliest vessels as well as today's are lined with clay firebrick. It's no coincidence that the cradle of British steelmaking sits on top of four seams of coal, one seam of iron ore and two seams of fire clay.