re: SOMERVILLE - Model A Ford Assembly plant
At that Somerville, Massachusetts plant next to the Mystic River, there was a sidewalk running the length of the street front assembly building. There, spectators could walk along and pace the line of Ford automobiles being put together on the other side of those big windows. Back in 1964, I purchased a 1957 Ford fordor hardtop from an original owner. Remember him telling of being tipped off by the dealership as to when his new black Fairlane was coming down the line at Somerville. While watching his Ford being assembled, he caught the eye of a worker inside. Pointing to his car that a guy was working on and then to himself, he made a wrench tightening gesture. The Ford worker smiled and then mimicked the new owner's exaggerated torque motion.
In the 1950s, we kids used to walk across the Wellington bridge from Medford to the Somerville Ford factory to see cars getting made. Actually visited there several times and strolled along that sidewalk starting when we moved to the area in 1954 until the factory shut down a few years later. Though record information says otherwise, local folklore always had it that the last automobiles put together at Somerville were 1959 model year Edsels in late 1958.
During World War II, the Somerville Ford plant assembled amphibious GPA model military Jeeps which were nicknamed "SEEPS." Convoys of the newly put together GPA Jeeps would roll across the Wellington bridge into Medford and then travel along the Fellsway up to the Mystic Lakes for swim testing. There are photographs around showing many aspects of the Somerville GPA military "SEEP" production including groups of vehicles floating upon the lake known as "Big Mystic".
Convoy of GPA "SEEP" Jeeps that look to have already been used for amphibious water testing are seen in this obviously staged photo. Picture was made in 1943 at the FORD assembly plant in Somerville, Massachusetts.