FACTORY PRODUCTION

World War II ended the unemployment problem in the U.S., as wartime production created millions of jobs and the draft took young men into the military. Women joined the workforce to replace the men who enlisted, though in smaller numbers. President Roosevelt stressed that civilian sacrifices on the home front were just as crucial as the soldiers' efforts overseas.

The Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond, California, became the largest on the West Coast and played a key role in the war effort. Built in 1930 during the Great Depression, the plant measured nearly 500,000 square feet and was a major regional employer, helping stimulate Richmond's economy. The factory's design, by architect Albert Kahn, included large windows to maximize natural light, a hallmark of his "daylight factory" style.

In 1942, after Roosevelt banned civilian car production, the Richmond Ford plant switched to assembling military vehicles, including jeeps, tanks, armored cars, and half-tracked personnel carriers. By July 1942, these vehicles were processed at the plant before being shipped out through the nearby deep-water port to the Pacific Theater. The plant became known as the Richmond Tank Depot, supplying American troops with up-to-date equipment and playing a key role in mobilizing wartime production.

This plant’s transformation, along with other industrial efforts, helped establish the "Military Industrial Complex" and was a major part of the "Arsenal of Democracy" that fueled the U.S. victory. It remains a historic example of America's industrial culture during WWII.