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Famous American factories that turned to rust

From boom to rust
Ford Piquette Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Ford Piquette Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Ford Piquette Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Armour Meat Packing Plant, East St. Louis, Illinois
Armour Meat Packing Plant, East St. Louis, Illinois
Armour Meat Packing Plant, East St. Louis, Illinois
Fisher Body Plant 21, Detroit, Michigan
Fisher Body Plant 21, Detroit, Michigan
Fisher Body Plant 21, Detroit, Michigan
Swift and Co. Meatpacking Plant, Sioux City, Iowa
Swift and Co. Meatpacking Plant, Sioux City, Iowa
Swift and Co. Meatpacking Plant, Sioux City, Iowa
Hudson Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Hudson Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Hudson Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Chevrolet Plant, Muncie, Indiana
Chevrolet Plant, Muncie, Indiana
Chevrolet Plant, Muncie, Indiana
Packard Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Packard Plant, Detroit, Michigan
Packard Plant, Detroit, Michigan
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Associated Press/Alamy Stock Photo

From boom to rust

In the early 20th century, Midwestern cities were booming. There were plenty of jobs in the burgeoning manufacturing industry, where everything from meat to motorcars was being produced at speeds never seen before. But in the century since, new technology and cheap labor have changed the face of manufacturing, luring factories to foreign shores.

Although some of these plants have been preserved, others, once the jewels in the Midwestern crown, lie abandoned. Read on to see the haunting photos of America's famous Midwest factories that are no more. 

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Alice Cattley

15 April 2025

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