3 Comments Posted by Herb

I also saw these engines a few years ago, but unfortunately only through a gap in a door. I was told this building was the Studebaker Foundry. Studebaker cast their own engine blocks. I have some original 8x10 glossy shots taken inside this building in the 50s showing the process. I do know that my Mom worked in the foundry, for one day. About a year before she died I asked how she came to leave Studebaker after the war. Remember that there were many women filling in at our factories all over the country while the men were in the service. As men returned to civilian life, they were given their old jobs back at Studebaker, and the women, who had lower seniority like Mom, were "bumped" to the "extra" pools. Mom was forced out of her desirable job at the Chipewa Ave plant and took an available job in the foundry. One day was enough. She told her forman she would NOT work there. I think that was when she left. They built a house and had me, then sister. Dad stayed till it closed, December, 1963.

Thanks for putting the info from that press data sheet in your text. Though my folks worked for Studebaker I know Mom never worked in the Stamping building, and never heard Dad mention it either. I really love these shots because the presses had been removed a few months before my son and I had our "tour" of this facility. There were only the press pits remaining, with a weak 2x4 guard rail around them. It is no wonder they did not want tourists in here. It was dark and dangerous if you were not careful. I work in the Toyota Stamping department at the Kentucky Camry plant. The basic technology on our older presses is no different from these. There is no way they could stamp a panel every six seconds in these however. We use high speed robots to load and unload our presses and I struggle to get them to run 6 second cycles. I have original factory photos of men working on these presses making parts in the early 50's. there would be a team of 3 men on one side lubing and loading the blanks and and 2 on the other side removing the stamped panel. I am only guessing but I think they could probably produce 2 or 3 panels a minute at best. The speed was probably set in the union contract. More than the old buildings, the union was a larger factor in the demise of Studebaker's automotive division, and I say that as the son of a Studebaker UAW Local 5 Steward. (Studebaker Corporation never failed, they just got out of the car business.) I would be happy to scan some of my historic Studebaker press images for inclusion your site if you are interested.

My first posting to your site. Thank you for this great series of shots! I was able to also "visit" this building a few years ago and have some great video. Only a few stills. My parents met and married while working at Studebaker during WW2. They were at Studebaker Aviation (known as the Chippewa Avenue plant)then, not these buildings. Dad worked in many areas later. His last jobs were in the body plant which is still there as of now I believe. I do not know if he ever worked in these buildings, and they are both gone now. Mom left shortly after the war ended, Dad till the last day of auto production in this complex. This "hall" was created by adding a roof between two earlier buildings. It was obviously a later vintage roof system than the buildings. This also explains the windows facing the "hall". I did not notice the gantry crane then but see it now at the far end of this shot. It consists of two beams running left and right. It would be supported by a track on either end so it could move toward and away from this viewpoint. If you look just below the suspended light fixture you will see a "bump" on the beams. That is the trolly for moving the load left and right. I think I can see the hook but not sure. It is probably still there in this shot.