Manufacturing History at the Corner of Norris & Forest
Manufacturing History at the Corner of Norris & Forest
Manufacturing here spanned most of the 20th Century, reflecting the changing economy of Ypsilanti and in America. In 1907 the Ypsilanti Hay Press Company first built a factory here by the Huron River and the railroad tracks to make hay-presses and tractors. Between 1919 and 1964 the site grew to be Central Specialties Company’s 28-acre metal foundry complex, producing items like piston-rings and Sears power tools. After the site’s 19 buildings were sold to Motor Wheel Corporation in 1964, automotive brake drums and rotors were produced here until closing in 1997. Today’s Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery occupies a Central Specialty / Motor Wheel office building.
Submitted by
Bryan Arnold
@nanowhiskers