St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

[Joseph T.]

Original Mill building that became the St.Louis Corvette Plant

[Kenneth B.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

Do you know what kind of a mill it was?

[Joseph T.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

Wood Mill..that made Wodden car parts..1918!

[Dick W.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

A lot of people do not realize that the framework for the early car bodies was made of wood. That is one of the reasons you do not see many Chevrolet (and several other marques) made in the teens and twenties. The body would collapse when the wood rotted.

[John H.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

They used mostly oak and ash for the body framing members; English sports car maker Morgan still builds them that way, and has for 50+ years.


Morgan2.jpgMorgan3.jpgMorgan6.jpg

[John D.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

While working in St. Louis a few years ago I drove into the site and it looked like a cardboard recycling business was operating there. Not sure if it still is. Not the nicest part of town.

[Joe L.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

While working in St. Louis a few years ago I drove into the site and it looked like a cardboard recycling business was operating there. Not sure if it still is. Not the nicest part of town.

John------


Yes, the last time I drove by, albeit quite some time ago, there was a Smurfit paper recycling plant in the location where the Corvette plant used to stand. The main GM plant buildings were still there, though, and "transformed" into a "multi-use" manufacturing and warehousing facility. They were obviously pretty much "third tier" type operations.

[Kenneth B.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

Henry Ford was trying to find something to do with scrap wood except to burn it. H e wanted to make money on everything he could. He hooked up with a guy whose last name was King. They went in business together & made charcoal out of it. Hence the name Kingsford. When you BBQ think of Henry. Now you know the rest of the story.
KEN

[Dick W.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

Henry Ford was trying to find something to do with scrap wood except to burn it. H e wanted to make money on everything he could. He hooked up with a guy whose last name was King. They went in business together & made charcoal out of it. Hence the name Kingsford. When you BBQ think of Henry. Now you know the rest of the story.
KEN

King was Henry's son in law

[Paul J.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

Henry Ford was trying to find something to do with scrap wood except to burn it. H e wanted to make money on everything he could. He hooked up with a guy whose last name was King. They went in business together & made charcoal out of it. Hence the name Kingsford. When you BBQ think of Henry. Now you know the rest of the story.
KEN

The guy he hooked up with was his son-in-law, as it was Ford's idea and he gave him a job. It's all on the package.

[Paul J.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

They used mostly oak and ash for the body framing members; English sports car maker Morgan still builds them that way, and has for 50+ years.


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There's two parts to this, if anyone's interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fFToJm-fpo

[Kenneth B.]

Re: St.Louis Corvette Plant..Vintage Photo

The guy he hooked up with was his son-in-law, as it was Ford's idea and he gave him a job. It's all on the package.

Thanks for the rest of the rest of the story. I never looked at the bag. I just used it. I guess a lot has not changed. Dad's have to give the son in law a job to keep his daughter & grandkids from starving. LOL