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Plymouth Township named Michigan’s first and only World War II Heritage City

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Plymouth Township named Michigan’s first and only World War II Heritage City

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Plymouth Township on Tuesday was one of eight newly named communities to receive the National Park Service’s American World War II Heritage City designation.

The American World War II Heritage Cities program was created by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act of 2019, a bipartisan package of more than 100 bills to honor Michigan’s longest-serving member of Congress. The program recognizes local contributions to the U.S. home front during World War II.

Thirty-eight states and one U.S. territory have an American World War II Heritage City. The legislation allows for just one location in each state or territory; Wilmington, North Carolina, was the first city to receive the designation in September 2020. Plymouth Township was nominated by the Historic District Commission.

“When we learned of the program, we immediately thought of Plymouth’s ladies who worked at the Phoenix Mill during World War II producing electrical parts for the B-24 Liberators,” said Plymouth Township Historic District Commission Chairperson Wendy Harless. Female employees had to be single or widowed, but earned the same wages as men in other Ford factories. “It really was a workplace like no other at that time with most of the workforce being local women,” Harless said.

The Phoenix Mill site originally included a dam and a gristmill. It was one of Henry Ford’s village industries in Southeast Michigan and Canada. The manufacturing building, with modifications by Albert Kahn & Associates, opened in 1922. It currently operates as an event planning space.

“The Rosies played an integral role in the United States’s war efforts and their patriotism is a critical aspect of the American Story in World War II,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, in a letter supporting the township’s nomination. “Rosies” refers to women who worked in factories to support the war effort and references a character in a song and movie from the period.

Mill workers manufactured electrical harnesses used for assembly at the Willow Run plant for B-24 bombers and, among other items, electrical wiring for the M7 machine gun director. American World War II Heritage Cities are featured on the National Park Service website.

“Plymouth Township’s designation as a WW2 Heritage community underscores our important role in that conflict and the dedication of our Historic District Commission to bring that story to life for our residents and future generations,” said township supervisor Kurt Heise.

More: In their twilight, the Greatest Generation, especially the Rosies, are finding fame

“World War II not only impacted those who went to war but also those who carried on the life and work of the home front,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams in a news release, “It’s important we remember that cities and towns both big and small made major contributions at home to the war effort, all of which helped Allied forces defeat the Axis powers.” 

The writer has a long-standing friendship with Plymouth Township Historic District Commission Chairperson Wendy Harless. Contact Kristi Tanner: ktanner@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @MIdatalove.

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