USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. I > Part 60
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86
DETROIT'S WAR INDUSTRIES
The World War, which caused serious disturbances and dislocation in many kinds of business, severely taxed the resources of the Detroit manufacturers. In no other city of the country did the war demand greater changes in method and material of manufacturing production, and in no other city was the demand better met. The most distinctly Detroit production of this period was the Liberty motor for aeroplane use.
In the early part of 1918, the German air forces held the upper hand. In October following the German Albatross and Fokker were crowded from the skies. The greatest factor in the accomplishment of this feat was the Liberty motor-made in Detroit.
The Liberty motor, as finally developed, was considered the finest aviation engine in the world for wartime purposes. The engine itself was not an inven- tion, but more of an evolution. Prior to the entrance of the United States into the World War, the Packard Motor Car Company had spent two years in the development of an aviation motor. In September, 1915, the Packard Twin Six motor came upon the market, at a time when aeronautics as a part of the war were being studied by engineers and manufacturers with the view of developing an aeroplane engine of superlative qualities. The Twin Six seemed to possess distinctive qualities which could be developed into an aviation motor. The result was the construction of the Packard 299, which was finished in February, 1916. Installed in a special racing chassis and driven by Ralph De Palma, it established new world's records for speed at distances from 10 to 616 miles. Then came the second engine, the Packard 905, an improved
589
CITY OF DETROIT
design, of twelve cylinders as the first model, but of three times the number of cubic inches piston displacement. The 905 was completed in December, 1916. Installed in a racing machine this motor established new speed records from 1/4 mile to 10 miles at a maximum of 130 miles per hour. Further distances were impossible owing to the inability of any tire to withstand the speed. The next model was the second one of the 905 type, but with distinct improve- ments. One of these was the employment of all-steel cylinders instead of cast- iron cylinders. The making of these cylinders involved new problems in engine construction, such as the welding of different thicknesses of steel without burn- ing the thinner piece, but eventually these obstacles were overcome. The second 905 was begun in April, 1917, the same month in which America entered the war. At this time, the Council of National Defense, the Aircraft Production Board and other groups were organizing in every way, and an aircraft program of large scope was planned. A new aviation engine was needed. The Packard 905 was excellent for war purposes in every way but that of horse-power. The experiences of other countries taught that engine endurance was subordinate to actual speed, that certain safety factors should be sacrificed by even one-half in order to enable the motors to be operated at full speed, if but for a short time. Col. Edward A. Deeds was chief of aircraft production and his assistant was Col. Sidney Waldon.
To perfect the proposed motor, J. G. Vincent, Packard vice president of engineering, and E. J. Hall, of the Hall-Scott Motor Company of San Francisco, were called into consultation by Colonel Deeds at Washington, D. C. These two engineers began their work at the New Willard Hotel, assisted by leading engineers of the country, and five days later it was announced that the design of the new Liberty motor was completed. This was in the first week of June. The Government appropriated $250,000 for the building of eleven engines. The drawings were rushed to Detroit and by day and night work, the first Liberty engine was produced in the Packard experimental shops between June 13th and July 2d. On July 4th the first motor was exhibited at Washington, followed later by the remaining ten. The government ordered 22,000 Liberty motors from five manufacturers, and the first engine under the production contracts came from the Packard plant on Thanksgiving Day, 1917. Numerous changes were made in the Liberty as production increased, every one of which was designed to increase the efficiency and power of the motor. Of the first 10,000 engines, Packard built forty percent. For six weeks before the armistice, there were being produced in this country over 150 Liberty motors per day.
While not in a strict sense a Packard motor, it was an evolution of the principles embodied in the Packard aviation engine which had been developed for two or three years previously. The Packard Motor Car Company with- drew its name entirely from the motor, so that it might be known as a national development, surrendered the drawings and designs, patents, and services of its chief engineer, in order that the government might have the benefit of its work. The Packard Company blazed the way for the production of these motors in quantity, simply because it was the only plant equipped to do the work immediately after the acceptance of the plans by the Government.
The development of the Liberty motor was not without opposition. Due to the mystery which shrouded everything of governmental nature during the stress of war times, rumors became numerous that the Liberty was a Packard motor and was so designated on the floor of Congress. Also, it was stated that
590
CITY OF DETROIT
Engineer Vincent gave the initial production in the experimental stages to the Packard, in which company he was financially interested. Finally, President Wilson authorized Charles E. Hughes to make an investigation, which he did, in complete exoneration of the Packard Company and its officials from all the unwarranted charges which had been made. The knowledge of the develop- ment of the Liberty motor which came after the war brought forth facts which gave the public a complete understanding of the remarkable work done by the engineers selected by the Government to carry on the task.
For the production of the Liberty motor, Henry M. Leland and his son, Wilfred C. Leland, organized the Lincoln Motor Company and with record speed erected a huge factory in the western part of the city. Also the Ford and Cadillac plants devoted part of their equipment to the same work, and the four companies combined-Packard, Ford, Lincoln and Cadillac-made over ninety percent of all the Liberty motors produced in this country. Before the military campaign closed, the production was up to the full requirements of the United States and allied governments.
The making of the airplane engine was very naturally accompanied by the manufacture of other parts and finally of the planes themselves. There were at one time sixteen companies prominently engaged in the manufacture of bodies and other parts, and this was one of only two cities whose work was approved by the senatorial investigating committee which made a tour of the airplane plants. Eastern airplane producers were scored as backward in pro- duction. Detroit production was officially declared to be "satisfactory in all respect." One company not only manufactured parts, but assembled the planes themselves. In the latter part of November its thousandth De Haviland Plane was completed and was exhibited to wondering crowds in the Liberty Forum on Cadillac Square. A smooth field, one-half mile square, well equipped with hangars, completed the airplane equipment of the city.
During the war period, the Dodge brothers, in a period of four months, built and equipped a munition plant said to to have been unsurpassed in the world. ยท It covered eleven acres, cost $10,000,000, and was furnishing employment to 8,000 men just prior to the signing of the armistice. Moreover, the mechanical genius of the brothers was brought forth when the government desired to obtain the intricate recoil mechanism on the famous French "155" gun. The French factories could turn out only five of these guns daily and the United States had pledged fifty daily. After two great American manufacturing concerns admitted their inability to make the recoils, the Dodges were asked to attempt the work and were given a model of the mechanism. For several days they devoted their time to the study of the model and then announced that they could build the mechanism, that they would build their own plant and finance the under- taking, also supply the recoils to the government at cost. Twenty-four hours after the acceptance of the offer, they had 1,800 men breaking ground for the new plant and within five days steel arrived from the Bethlehem Steel Company and the Russel Car & Foundry Company was ready to make the structural steel for the plant. The two brothers gave their time night and day to pushing the work.
At length they erected a temporary shelter on the ground, that they might sleep there, and with a staff of engineers they worked far into the night, designing the new machinery which made possible the quantity production of the com- plicated recoil mechanism. When the plant was put into operation, it contained
591
CITY OF DETROIT
129 pieces of machinery new to American industry. The completion of this plant, through the coldest winter in forty years, involved the extention of water mains, sewers, and a street car line. In six months time the first machinery was started in a completed building 800 by 600 feet, covering eleven acres.
Just before the beginning of the year 1918 an officer of the Government Munitions Department came to Detroit with the offer of a large initial contract for the manufacture of shells. In less than twenty-four hours a company was organized with $2,000,000 capital, and very soon an incompleted building, started for another purpose, was purchased and preparations for manufacture were commenced.
A complete transformation of an old plant was that of the American Car & Foundry Company, which had formerly employed about 4,000 people. In 1915 this company began on war orders for the British Government. In 1918, the company was devoting its whole force to United States war contracts. In the meantime, new machinery had been introduced and a force of 10,800 wage earners built up. The production included three different sizes of shells, gun caissons, gun limbers and store wagons.
The automobile compamies were all conspicuous in war work. As an indi- cation of the tremendous work done by the Ford Motor Company the following facts are cited. 2,000,000 steel helmets, enough to fit out every man in the A. E. F. Order for 5,000 Liberty motors, delivery nearly completed when armistice was declared. 10,000 caissons, principally for 155 mm. guns; more than 8,000 delivered. Order for 112 Eagle boats, 200 feet long, 25-foot beam. Twenty-five were delivered when the order was reduced to sixty-two. 8,000 trucks, 25,000 regular Ford cars, 6,000 ambulances; 400,000 cylinders for Liberty motors, also 700,000 bearings for same engine. Much experimental work was done by the Fords in building 3-ton tanks. Work totaling $1,000,000 in the production of special devices was done for the British Navy.
Early in the war, the Packard Motor Car Company became the largest manufacturer in the country of auto trucks for use in the field. It supplied hundreds of these to the allies and to the United States Government. and during the severe winter of 1917-18 gave important aid to the relief of freight conges- tion. During the coldest weather its cars not only went under their own power from Detroit to New York and Baltimore for shipment abroad, but carried loads of freight besides. Strings of fifteen or twenty of the large, khaki-covered cars, in charge of army chauffeurs and bound for the Atlantic seaboard, were a common sight on the streets. In addition to its vital part in the development of the Liberty Motor, this company made other important contributions to aeroplane construction, took large contracts for munitions and other war material, and was rapidly approaching 100 percent in war production when the armistice came.
Every other automobile plant in the city was engaged in some form of government work. Early in the summer the United States Government limited the production of pleasure automobiles to 50 percent of the normal output. In the fall, production was further limited to 25 percent, with the request that so far as possible "non-essential" work should be entirely eliminated, a condition that was reached by most of the large plants.
The automobile companies were not alone in essential war industry. Almost every establishment in the city working in the metals, whether steel, iron,
592
CITY OF DETROIT
brass, copper or aluminum, and they number several hundred, and every wood working, leather and textile establishment as well, was interested in some form of war order. Through contraets direct with the Government or through sub- contracts fully 90 percent of the factories of any magnitude in the city had some share in this essential production. The war orders for 1917-18 aggre- gated about $900,000,000.
The withdrawal of 50,000 men from the factories in Wayne County for service in camp, field and trench created a shortage of labor. Partly to supply the demand, women took up factory work in unusual numbers and in unaccustomed forms. The number of women in the factories before this extra demand came was about 20,000. In a very few months this was more than doubled, many of the women being engaged in heavy machine shop and foundry work.
With the conclusion of the armistice the ability of Detroit manufacturers to adapt themselves to new conditions was severely tested. War contracts were very abruptly cancelled, though settlements with the Government could not be so speedily made. The transition from war to peace work was more rapid than might reasonably have been expected. The plants which were built exclu- sively for war contracts had to be entirely remodeled, but all except two were operating on new work within a few months. The old plants were more readily transformed. The complaint of unemployment, by those thrown out of work by the cancellation of war contracts was only temporary. By early spring production had become nearly normal and before midsummer of 1919 there was a scarcity of labor in nearly every mechanical employment. The establish- ment of new industries was not very great, but the expansion of old plants was unprecedented. New building construction undertaken by manufacturing companies during the year approached $10,000,000, a figure never bitherto approached.
This condition in the industrial world, however, proved to be only a brief stimulation, as in the latter part of 1920 and 1921 those dreaded features of war's aftermath-financial depression, lack of business, and unemployment, . appeared. This unsettled condition of trade and business made existence difficult for even some of the largest and most firmly intrenched companies, but the climb to normaley is now being accomplished slowly, which indicates that the new era is being constructed on solid foundation.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
The General Motors Corporation, now a vast organization whose holdings show seventy-eight divisions, subsidiaries and affiliated companies, whose plants are located in thirty-five cities of the United States and Canada, and consist of over 1,500 buildings, bears an important relation to Detroit manufacturing. This corporation was incorporated October 13, 1916 under the laws of Delaware and acquired in exchange for its own stock practically all of the stock of the General Motors Company (since dissolved). This latter company, of which W. C. Durant was the moving spirit, was incorporated in New Jersey September 16, 1908, to manufacture and deal in motors, motor cars and machines, to acquire from others their business, if of the same general character as that for which the company was organized; to acquire patents and trademarks; to acquire and dispose of by sale, mortgage or otherwise, securities of other corporations with similar corporate powers and to aid such other corporations
THE TIMKEN-DETROIT AXLE COMPANY
r
Vol. 1-38
MAIN FACTORY OF HUPP MOTOR CAR CORPORATION
595
CITY OF DETROIT
The first automobile companies to be acquired were the Buick, Olds, Oakland and Cadillac, in the order named. The Chevrolet did not come in until May, 1918, and United Motors in December following. Originally, each of the affiliated companies continued as a separate entity and had only a financial relationship with the holding company.
The automobile industry was expanding very rapidly in 1908, and General Motors acquired control of various companies making major assemblies, such as motors and axles and parts. In a little more than two years the company had ownership or large holdings in Northway Motor & Manufacturing com- pany, Weston-Mott company, Champion Ignition company, Jackson-Church- Wilcox company, Michigan Auto Parts company and Michigan Castings com- pany. By the end of 1910 the company had entered the commercial vehicle field by taking in the Rapid and the Reliance company; a foundation for oper- ation in Canada was laid by acquiring a substantial interest in Mclaughlin Motor company, Ltd., of Ontario.
Rapid expansion in the automobile industry throughout the country resulted in generally trying industrial conditions in 1910 and many companies were unable to continue in business, owing to lack of capital, and bad management. General Motors proved an outstanding exception. In the three years from 1912 to 1915, the organization made an impressive record of sales and earnings, which was possible by its program of production on a large scale. Substantial addi- tions were made to the plants of the Cadillac, Buick and Weston-Mott com- panies. In 1915 the company paid its first cash dividend on the common stock, at the rate of 50 per cent.
ENTER LOW-PRICED FIELD
In May, 1918, the operating assets of the Chevrolet were acquired, and the corporation actively entered the field of the low-priced car. In December of the same year, General Motors absorbed the United Motors corporation, which included the Dayton Engineering Laboratories company, Hyatt Roller Bearing company, New Departure Manufacturing company, Jaxon Steel Pro- ducts company, Remy Electric company, Harrison Radiator company and Klaxton company. In 1918 also, General Motors purchsed the Janesville Machine company, maker of farm implements, and the Lancaster Steel Products company. Properties acquired in 1918 represented an investment exceeding $40,000,000, most of which took the form of common and debenture stock of General Motors corporation.
In 1919, striking expansion of manufacturing facilities was made. The Buick factory at Flint, with a capacity of 350 passenger cars a day, was enlarged to a capacity of 500 cars per day. A new factory for the Cadillac division at Detroit was begun, providing for a total capacity of 30,000 passenger cars per year. It was completed two years later at a cost of approximately $15,000,000 and is the world's largest plant for the manufacture of multi-cylinder cars. Substantial additions were also made to the plants of the Chevrolet group, the Oakland at Pontiac and the Olds at Lansing. The Samson division at Janes- ville was equipped with new facilities, providing for a capacity of many thousand tractors per year, while it still continued to produce farm trucks and agricul- tural implements. General Motors truck division at Pontiac was provided with additions to permit an annual production of 20,000 trucks.
596
CITY OF DETROIT
INTEREST IN BODY PLANT
In the same year the corporation acquired an important interest in the Fisher Body corporation, the largest maker of automobile bodies in the world. An investment of more than $27,000,000 was used to expand and develop the Fisher plant. Other properties were acquired in 1919, to add new lines to General Motors products. These included Delco Light company, producing complete farm and home electric light and power plants; Frigidaire corpor- tion, making a line of mechanical refrigerators; Dayton-Wright company, Day- ton, producing aeroplanes and aeroplane parts. This company holds important contracts with the United States government.
In 1919 there began the work on the General Motors Building, a picture of which is reproduced herewith. This building, with the General Motors Building at Broadway and Fifty-seventh Street, New York City, form the two principal office units of the company. The Detroit building was projected by Mr. Durant and was at first to have been called the "Durant Building," but with the advent of new controlling interests in the corporation this plan was changed, also the plan to have the Detroit structure house the whole General Motors office force.
In November, 1920, Mr. Durant was succeeded as president by Pierre S. du Pont, representing new interests in the control of the organization, including E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company and J. P. Morgan & Company. The organization of the General Motors Corporation now includes, as manufactur- ing units, the following: Buick Motor, Buick Manufacturing Company, Cadillac, Oakland, Olds, Sheridan, General Motors Truck, Samson Tractor, Central Axle, Central Forge, Central Gear, Central Products, Michigan Crank- shaft, Saginaw Products, Northway Motor & Manufacturing, Buffalo Metal Goods Company, Frigidaire Corporation, Muncie Products Corporation, Sam- son Tractor of California, Champion Ignition, General Motors Research, Dayton- Wright Company, Delco Light, Sunnyhome Electric, Saginaw Malleable Iron and Scripps-Booth Corporation, under the General Motors group; under the . United Motors group are the Hyatt Roller Bearing, Remy Electric, Jaxon Steel Products, Lancaster Steel Products, Dayton Engineering Laboratories, Klaxon Company, Harrison Radiator Corporation and New Departure Manufacturing; under the Chevrolet group are Chevrolet Motor of Bay City, Chevrolet Motor of California, Chevrolet Motor of Michigan, Chevrolet Motor of New York, Chevrolet Motor of St. Louis, Chevrolet Motor of Texas, and Toledo Chevrolet Motor Company. The products of the General Motors Corporation are: passenger cars, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, MeLaughlin, Oakland, Oldsmobile, Seripps-Booth, and Sheridan; trucks are the Chevrolet, General Motors, Olds- mobile, Samson; farm machines and implements include the Janesville line; Frigidaire ice machines; accessories and parts are the A-C spark plugs, Titan spark plugs, Delco systems, Harrison radiators, Hyatt roller bearings, Jacox steering gears, Jaxon rims, Klaxon horns, New Departure bearings, New De- parture brakes, Remy system. These named do not include the General Motors of Canada, Ltd., with its manufacturing units and sales units. The General Motors has thirty-five sales units in this country, in Canada and in Europe. It also has control over the Fisher Body Corporation, General Motors Acceptance Corporation, General Exchange Corporation, General Motors Building Corpora- tion, and the Modern Housing Corporation.
597
CITY OF DETROIT
AUTOMOBILE ACCESSORY AND BODY PLANTS-FOUNDRIES, MALLEABLE IRON AND CASTINGS, RADIATOR COMPANIES, MOTOR PLANTS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES
The automobile industry in itself is of recognized magnitude, but the growth and development of those manufactories which are allied to the big automobile plants is a subject of less common knowledge. The making of auto bodies, various accessories, sheet metal, wheels, axles, lamps, in fact, everything which goes into the making of a motor car, requires manufacturing plants of vast size and number, each a specialist in one phase of the industry.
The largest factory of this type, and the largest of its kind in the world, is the Fisher Body Corporation, now under the control of the General Motors Corporation. The Fisher Body Corporation was incorporated August 21, 1916, under the laws of New York, and acquired all the property of the Fisher Body Company, the Fisher Closed Body Company, and the Fisher Body Company of Canada, Ltd. The organization known before as the Fisher Body Com- pany was incorporated July 22, 1908, and the Fisher Closed Body Company on December 22, 1910. Some conception of the size of the Fisher Body Cor- poration may be given by the statement that the organization operates a total of thirty-two plants for the manufacture of open and closed bodies for automo- biles, body hardware and accessories. Twenty-five of these plants are located in Detroit. The Detroit plants include a total of 4,500,000 square feet of floor- space. All of the plants of the company have a combined floor space of about 5,500,000 square feet, which would be about 280 acres. The Fisher Body Corporation supplies an important percentage and in some cases the total requirement of the Ford, Cadillac, Buick, Hudson, Essex, Studebaker and Chandler cars. The Fisher Body Company of Ohio was incorporated on October 17, 1919, to build and operate a plant at Cleveland. The National Plate Glass Company, a subsidiary concern, was incorporated in 1920. About November, 1919, the General Motors Corporation acquired control of the Fisher Body Corporation through the acquisition of 300,000 of the 500,000 shares existing at $92 per share. The officers of the Corporation now are: Louis- Mendelssohn, chairman of the board; Frederick J. Fisher, president and general manager; Charles T. Fisher, vice president; Louis Mendelssohn, treasurer; A. Mendelssohn, secretary; William Butler, comptroller. The corporation is capitalized for nearly $36,000,000. Nearly 10,000 people are given employment.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.