Ford Assembly Plant in Jacksonville

J

Joebeeker

Junior Member
On Saturday the 8th of October the Ford Assembly plant at the end of Wambolt St. off Talleyrand Avenue in Jacksonville, Florida was recently opened for viewing by the local historical preservation society here in Jacksonville.

The First Coast and the Jacksonville Model A Clubs alerted our members and drove our cars/trucks down to the plant for backdrop for the touring public.

The local media outlets were there and it was a new event on the evening news and the local newspaper.

If you go to the following link you will see a video about the plant and some pictures of the assembled Model A's

The link is http://jacksonville.com/video?bcpid=1842749457&bclid=1842745247&bctid=637852426001

I have also attached two Google Maps pictures. One is of view from the Wambolt St. and the other is a overhead view of the plant lay out just North of the Mathews Bridge in Jacksonville.

The local historical preservative society is trying to restore the building. The current ideas are range from a retail outlet, to a mixed retail/restaurant to a cruise terminal.

As Chirs in Jax mentioned in a previous post there are a number of cars/trucks that are still running around and how to identify if you have a car for this or any particular assembly plant.

Joebeeker
1931 P/U
 

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Has anyone ever researched the local Newspapers of the time period to see just when the plant began assembling the Model A Ford?

There just might of been an article about it as this was a BIG event back in 1928.

I have narrowed it down between April 1, 1928 through May 27, 1928 but not really sure.

Please let me know if you ever find the time to look through old newspapers.

Thanks.

Pluck
 
More Photos

Very interesting building located on the St.Johns river.........Still mostly structurally sound, a great restoration/repurposing project for someone with DEEP pockets.
 

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I hope they can save this building and use it again in some way. Buildings like this are a significant part of our industrial history, as are Henry, Edsel, and the cars they built.
Time marches on, but I don't like the new scenery.
 
Steve,

The photos of the plants I looked at have a similar " look ". I realize that Ford had
a good idea of how the plant should work.

The question is, was it one person or a team or different groups all over that
designed the plants?

Thanks, Dudley
 
d.j. moordigian said:
Steve,

The photos of the plants I looked at have a similar " look ". I realize that Ford had
a good idea of how the plant should work.

The question is, was it one person or a team or different groups all over that
designed the plants?

Thanks, Dudley
Click to expand...

Dudley,

I, as Tim, do not know. All I know is that Ford sure liked the red brick look with the white trim as that is the same from all the plants I have seen.

Pluck
 
"I think all assembly plants had a showroom part of the plant...does this plant still retain the showroom part?"

the showroom area is at the south front corner of the building. the plant faces west and the river is on the east side and part of the north. showroom is only distinguishable by the fancy plaster work on ceiling and upper walls, buggered up in many places where they installed suspended ceilings later.
 

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Thanks Joe, this is the most we have seen of the Jax plant. Great photos. Wouldn't it be great to find out the pictured coupe was built there. Please continue to research additional info and keep us advised. Jim Langley... PS- Hello Pluck, long time, no see...
 
Thanks for the pics! I grew up in Jax, and that sure brings back the memories.

The Memphis Ford plant was recently demolished for the scrap steel and bricks.
 
" Wouldn't it be great to find out the pictured coupe was built there. Please continue to research additional info and keep us advised. Jim Langley... "

sorry, Jim, that's my unrestored 31 Coupe and it was assembled in Cleveland.

the red & black Tudor in this photo was assembled at the Jax plant.

I've started a registry of Jacksonville-built Model As, only have 7 on the list so far.
 

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Tuesday, 8 May 1928!

"Has anyone ever researched the local Newspapers of the time period to see just when the plant began assembling the Model A Ford?
There just might of been an article about it as this was a BIG event back in 1928.
I have narrowed it down between April 1, 1928 through May 27, 1928 but not really sure.
Please let me know if you ever find the time to look through old newspapers.
Thanks, Pluck"


I just got home from the downtown library.
Pluck, your dates were a Godsend. it spared me the ordeal of scrolling through the Jan-Feb-March newspapers on a microfiche machine that was ergonomically deficient.

top of the front page, Florida Times-Union, Tuesday 3 April 1928,
large headline: Ford Company to Reopen Plant Here By April 23
story ran about 8 column inches on page 1 and 3 more on page 18.

seems they didn't quite make that deadline.

middle of page, section 2, Florida Times-Union, Tuesday 8 May,
a much smaller headline: Wheels Start at Ford Plant
story is about about 7 column inches detailing the resumption of production the previous day (Monday, 7 May).

Pluck, I offer my public apology for taking so doggone long (2 years+) to find this information. :rolleyes:

someday when I'm really desperate for entertainment I will transcribe these news stories and post them on line. the Microfiche copies are too blurry to scan.
 
FANTISTIC Chris!

Ehhhhh....what is 2 years...just some more lost hair!

No apology needed but Thanks for your hard work for all Model A/AA kind!

That is great. Sure would like a copy of those newspaper articles!

That leaves about 16 to go...any takers?

Pluck
 
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