The free discussion will happen 7 p.m. in the Emma Ritchie Auditorium at the Butler County Historical Society, 327 N. 2nd St., in Hamilton.
Ford initially opened the factory in 1920 to build gas-powered Fordson tractors, but shortly afterward its purpose was redirected to manufacturing more than 12 million Model T automobile wheels between 1920 and 1927.
Later, it produced 22 million wheels for the Ford Model A car from 1927 through 1937. During World War II, according to the historical society, the plant made parts for bomber engines. The property later was owned by the Bendix Aviation Corp. from 1951 and 1962. Later, the Ward Manufacturing Co. made camping trailers there before the Chem-Dyne Corp. opened an infamous chemical-waste storage facility.
B.J. Miller has been co-owner of Ron’s Auto Body Shop with Casey Miller since 2010. His father, Ron Miller, built a “salt flat car” with his friend Mark Radke that set world records in 2007, 2009 and 2012 in Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.
They had used a vintage Model A-powered sprint car they had built. The Miller family’s collection of Model Ts and Model A vehicles are in the Salty Dog Museum, next to their auto body shop.
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