A long time ago, this site began life back in 2002 as a site featuring old postcard views of the city. Over the years, the site evolved and some of the older posts that were done in the pre-blog format were lost. So it occurred to me, after getting an email form a long time reader, that many of these card that were posted long ago, are pretty much like all new material. So over the next little while I’ll be posting some of these old postcards here and there…
So today is a good view from the water of the massive plant that once occupied the waterfront east of Hiram Walker’s. The postcard dates to about 1925, and still lists Ford, Ontario as the location. Ford City became East Windsor in 1929, and then part of Windsor in 1935.
I really wish this was still around and being used for something. Driving by on the boat and seeing this lot just wide open just leaves too much to the imagination.
Was the church (Our Lady of the Rosary I believe)not built yet?
A very interesting anecdote gleaned from WIKIPEDIA which further adds to your post:
Ford City was a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the municipal boundaries of Windsor. The community was founded by the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900s as a separate company town where Ford had a big plant at the corner of Riverside Drive and Drouillard Road, which at one point employed 14,000 people.
The boundaries east to west were Pilette Ave to Walker Road, and the north and south boundaries were Riverside Drive to Grand Marais Boulevard. Ford City’s downtown main street was Drouillard Ave. The last remaining building of Ford is the engine plant. In 1935, Ford City merged with the City of Windsor, along with the towns of Sandwich and Walkerville.
The area is also famous for the historic 99 day 1945 Ford Strike during which the workers fought to be unionized, and set up a blockade around the plant. The Rand Formula was created at the end of the strike where workers would have to pay union dues for having a union in their workplaces, which set the standard for all unions in Canada. Ford left Windsor for Oakville in 1953, closing the Riverside Dr. plant and leaving thousands unemployed as only the casting and engine plants remained.
my father worked in this plant after the 2nd world war i have very vague memories of the plant on this site it would be nice if something could be done with this empty space but! i guess it fits into windsor”s new look…vacant lots
While the Rand formula is a wonderful thing I wonder what Windsor would look like today had Ford Motor Co. stuck around?
I’ve always wondered why Ford has not sold this site for redevelopment. It’s prime waterfront location makes it a natural fit. Is there an environmental contamination issue here? Let’s face it, Ford will never use this for anything.
According to my Brother who does security there, Ford still uses it as an emergency dock for various freighters from time to time. Plus there are tunnels for hydro underneath that still connect all the sites.
And yeah, I’m sure there are significant contamination issues.
Dave, you mentioned the Rand formula. I’ve been trying to find out about that. I remember my dad working part time at his ‘civilian’ job early to mid ’50’s (he was a career soldier at the Windsor Armories). The building he worked from was on the north side of Seminole, not far from Walker Rd. The building was a beige/yellow with red around the windows….all on one floor as I remember, and had a sign on front ‘Remington Rand’ It was something to do with early computers, because my dad brought home this big metal desk type affair with knobs & dials & put it in front of our living room window, with a strict rule for us kids not to ‘touch’. Do you have any pics or do you remember this at all?
LOL Sorry Dave, forgive my ‘stupidity’, the ‘Rand’ formula has nothing to do with what I just posted for you….but, in any case, do you know anything about my posting? Thanks.