Site Was The Birthplace Of "Rosie The Riveter"

Between Boeing Field and The Duwamish River in south Seattle sits Boeing Plant 2, a rambling, low tech assembly line building that has a lot of history, but little modern use.

And so, the plant which opened to build the prototype B-17 Flying Fortress is being razed. Boeing will restore more than a half mile of the Duwamis river and create about 5 acres of wetlands in accordance with an agreement the company made with Indian tribes and the state and federal governments.

About half of the 13,000 B-17 bombers manufactured were built at Plant 2, according to the North Country Times. Some equate the level of technology of the time at Plant 2 to Seattle's reputation today as a center for high technology. The plant employed thousands, at one time nearly half of them women, which caused major changes in workplace rules and attitudes towards workers nationwide.

B-17 File Photo

But now, Boeing facilities director Mark Calkins says some areas in the building are too dangerous even to go in. The usable parts of the building are being employed as storage areas for mostly-unusable vehicles and office equipment. Another area is being used on a temporary basis by volunteers for the Museum of Flight who are restoring an B-17, a B-29, and a Super Connie.

All that being said, the end for Plant 2 is pretty much inevitable. The date with the wrecking ball is set for fall of this year.

FMI: www.boeing.com