Twin Cities Assembly Plant

In 1912, the first assembly and sales activities were started in a former warehouse in Minneapolis by Ford Motor Company. By 1925, the Twin Cities Assembly Plant had relocated next to the Mississippi River in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It was in operation from 1925 to 2011. At the time of its closure, it was the oldest Ford plant still in operation.

The plant's final products were the Ford Ranger pickup truck. Previously, the plant had manufactured the Ford Model T, Model TT truck, Sportsman convertible, Galaxie, and LTD.

In 2006, Ford officials announced plans to close the factory, though it operated for three years past the 2008 closure date initially announced. The plant's final truck was completed on December 16, 2011. Most of the buildings have been demolished since then.

The promise of cheap hydropower was the chief reason why Henry Ford agreed to build a plant in St. Paul. The dam was initially completed in 1917, making it one of the oldest on the river. However, hydroelectric power required a rather large dam, which meant that the first lock and dam built on the Mississippi would have to be demolished. Some remains of the upstream Meeker Island Lock and Dam still poke out of the water when the river is low. A major upgrade to the Ford Dam was completed in 1929, and the completion of locks by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers followed in 1932. The dam was acquired by Brookfield Renewable Power in April 2008.

The Ford name is also attached to a nearby bridge, completed in 1927. Officially known as the Intercity Bridge, it connects 46th Street on the Minneapolis side of the river to the Ford Parkway in St. Paul.

...
Wikipedia