New documentary explores history of St. Paul Ford plant

Former Ford plant site is undergoing development.
The formerly known site known as the Ford Plant is photographed in June 2017. The city of St. Paul has an ambitious plan to guide as much as $1.3 billion in redevelopment on the former Ford Plant site.
Maria Alejandra Cardona | MPR News

The Ford assembly plant along St. Paul's riverfront produced everything from the Model T to Ford Ranger pickup trucks during its nearly century-long history. When it opened in 1925, it was one of Ford's largest and most innovative sites in the country. Over the years, it employed thousands of Minnesotans and spurred the growth of the Highland Park neighborhood.

The plant, which Ford closed in 2011, is headed for redevelopment.

A new documentary, "Made in St. Paul: Stories from the Ford Plant," captures the history of the plant — from Henry Ford's early interest in the site to the stories of the workers who spent their days making the cars Americans drive. MPR's Angela Davis spoke with producer Peter Myers.

The documentary will air Monday, Jan. 14 at 9 p.m. on channel TPT 2 in the Twin Cities. More information about the documentary can be found here.

Use the audio player above to listen to the program.

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