All Things Buick: November 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Inside Factories #81 & #05

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Army Air Force Technical Training

Erwin Seneca Smith 1916-1987 shown in uniform above and also below, in the group photo of his graduating class in Flint, Michigan.

Terey Smith Shelor sent these photos which show her father's graduating class in Flint, Michigan on March 6, 1943. This photo was taken at the main entrance of the I.M.A auditorium. The school located in factory #17 on Hamilton Avenue and Saint John Street (now known as James P. Cole blvd.) had different titles. Popular Mechanics called it "Buick College Of War". The Air Force called it "Engine Specialist School At Pratt & Whitney Engine Division Of Buick Motors". Whatever the name, after about 2700 mechanics graduated, the school was disbanded. There were fifty students admitted each week for the eleven week course. Graduation ceremonies would take place on Saturday morning. According to the book "The City Of Flint Grows Up" these were "colorful" ceremonies. Terey said her father was stationed in England and his nick name was "Smitty".

links:

Factory #17 Southeast Corner 1923

Factory #17 1923

Inside Factory #17 War Work

Factory #17 Truck And Customer Service

Factory #28 #17 & #94 Demolition 2000

World War II Advertising

Liberator Engine work at Buick.

Friends in England

World War II Archeology in England

Buick At It's Battle Stations Factory #17-b and #17 Training School WWII

Monday, November 22, 2010

Factory #40 1974

This is the final line on the first floor. The view is facing north. This was the factory that built the Regal models.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Buick's North Site Ends After 103 Years.

Factory #08 Garage.

October 24, 1906 article of Buick's intention to build factory #08 garage. Judging by the time needed back then for building construction I would guess that #08 was open for business in late 1907 or early 1908.

Article about the beginning of the D.U.R. at the Buick plant.

September 2, 1920 Motor Age announcement.

This south view shows the area of the building being attached to W.F.Stewart #4 body plant. That is the Stewart factory #3 directly south of #08. This is another of those misidentified photos from the Buick Research Gallery. Dated August 17, 1920.

This south-east view taken from the Buick main office shows the third story addition being added in 1920. This is misidentified as the main office.

This west facing view up Hamilton Avenue from St. John Street (James P. Cole Blvd. now) shows the relationship of factory #08 with the other factories located along Hamilton ave.

A close up view of the D.U.R. terminal and ticket office (shown below). In this photo from 1925 it does not look like it was being used anymore. "Notice the Buick body trucks at the left".

Brand new.
Link: Interesting story about the early D.U.R.

Factory #08 is looking quite good now. That is the D.U.R. (Detroit United Railway) terminal for the Inter Urban cars of that period in the foreground.

This west facing view shows a lot of construction work is just finishing up. Dated September 22, 1920.

The announcement for the start of "The Buick Bulletin" in the Horseless age.

Here we have a 1912 Buick sitting in front of factory #08 along Hamilton Avenue. This view is facing north-east with the original Buick main office at the left. The old Imperial Wheel Co. is in the right background. This particular car is stripped for racing. I wish I knew who was sitting behind the wheel?

This street level view (facing south-east) shows factory #08 (or as it was always called) "The Buick Garage". At the time of this photo the two story structure included a showroom and was also the location for the publication of the Buick Bulletin magazine (see article above). After 1920 and the attachment of the third floor with factory #04 body shop, it was now a true manufacturing facility. During World War II some assembly of tank transmissions took place here. When I was a kid in the fifty's we used to park behind this factory and wait for my father getting out of work. The two photos below show construction.

This is the first floor of factory #08 after the cement work that is seen being performed below.

"The Buick Garage" getting ready for cement. In this east facing view we can see the "Flint Axle" factory. The unique smoke stacks of the "Flint Varnish Works" are off to the right. At the far left, across Hamilton Ave., can be seen the "Imperial Wheel Works". Links:
Oak Park Industries Imperial Wheel Company Had Many Faces

Brand new.

Links:
Ruth Nash
Industrial & Hamilton Avenue 1913
Factory #08 1923
Buick 1920 Aerial View
Buick 1910
Overview Buick 1938
Hamilton Avenue #4-#08 And Weston-Mott

Buick Auto-Vim & Power Company.

Link for Historic Markers.

A Kevin Kirbitz photo above this story.. Google Street view of Buick Auto-Vim

Google

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The Boydell building 1980.

1902-1903.

Final Buick City parts will be made Friday

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Site of the Old Imperial Wheel Company 2009.

Same direction as the photo below. I took the photo below where the Flint Axle factory's south entrance is in 1910.

1907.

Facing north-west at the intersection of James P. Cole blvd. and Hamilton ave. I think it is special that two Buick's are in this photo. Mine and the newer Sport Utility.

Link:

South-end of factory #36.

Factory #36 south from the Stewart st. overpass.

North-west view of factory #36 and the Stewart St. overpass.

East side of factory #10.

Factory #36 at the Stewart Street overpass.

East side of factory #10 at the end of Oregon Ave.

All the photos of #10 were taken at the end of Oregon Avenue. The old Buick Heights neighborhood.

Factory #81.

Near factory #81. At the end of Massachusetts Avenue.

East Lieth Street summer of 2009. Click on the main title or here for two reports. Ron Fonger's story on the last days of Buick in Flint, Michigan. Ron Fonger story

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