Murray Corporation of America During World War Two
Detroit, MI
1913-1981
1913-1924 as the J.W. Murray Mfg. Co.
1924-1927 as the Murray Body Corporation
1927-1981 as the Murray Corporation of America

This page added 3-22-2023.

In August 2013, I made a trip to the Milwaukee Junction area of Detroit to visit the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum.  It was at this plant that Henry Ford first produced the Model T before moving production to the Highland Park plant.  When I was done, I noticed a large, multi-story factory to the north.  As I made my way towards this old factory, I wondered who's former auto factory was.  I was not able to determine this information when I returned home after that trip.  For almost ten years, the ones and zeros that digitally represent the photos I took that day waited on my computer hard drive to be able to turn into photos on one of my webpages.  In March 2023, almost ten years later, while researching the Murray Corporation of America, I realized this unknown factory I visited in 2013 was the former home of Murray, one of the three big automotive body builders of the early automobile industry in Detroit.

Milwaukee Junction got its name from the former Milwaukee Railroad tracks that ran through the area.  While the area was quiet on the Sunday afternoon I was there in 2013, one hundred years before the area was the center of much of Detroit's growing automobile industry.  Many auto companies were located in the geographic area.  Besides Ford and Murray, Anderson Electric Car Company, Brush Motor Car Company, Cadillac, Dodge, Everitt-Metzger-Flanders, Fisher Body, Hupp, Packard, Oakland, Studebaker, and Regal all had factories at Milwaukee Junction.  It is considered the cradle of the Detroit auto industry. 

This image is looking north across the former Milwaukee Railroad tracks towards the former Murray Corporation of America factory complex.  Even from this distance, it can be seen that this Albert Kahn-designed factory is huge. 

In 1915, Albert Kahn designed this seven building 2,200,000 square foot complex for John William Murray, founder and president of the Murray Corporation.

The two angled structures coming out of the third floor of the south side of the west build appear to be the location where the finished bodies exited the factory and were then loaded on trailers to be transported to the company's various customers.  Currently, some of the over two million square feet in the complex are part of the Russell Trade Center. 

When it was designed and built, this was a state-of-the-art factory.  The Albert Kahn-designed factories in Detroit all have an elegance not found in today's big box steel shell factories. 

Even from this distance, it can be seen that the buildings are in relatively good shape for being nearly one hundred years old when these photos were taken. 

This image is on the north side of the complex looking east on Clay Street.  Again, it can be seen that the buildings are in very good condition.  While the former Packard complex a mile to the south east of this area is more well known, it is rather derelict.  There are a lot of windows in the building.  Normally, when I visit an old factory like this, many of the windows are broken out.  This is not the case here.  Any broken windows have been repaired. 

Just to the east of the power pole is an entrance into the factory complex.  I have seen this type of entrance at other Albert Kahn factories in the Detroit area. 

This image is looking north from inside the courtyard of the complex.  The area is well maintained.  Vehicles were parked at the north end of the courtyard and people were visiting what shops located there. 

This image is looking to the west from the south end of the courtyard.  Notice how small the vehicles look parked along the building compared to the size of buildings. 

Unfortunately, Detroit is known for many of the dilapidated and derelict buildings that once were proud factories providing jobs and producing automobiles.  The previously mentioned former Packard plant is an unfortunate and well-known example.  In 1960, the former Murray complex was purchased by Packard Properties and re-named the Russell Industrial Center.  Sixty different small companies moved in and used most of the floor space.  However, over the years, ownership of the complex changed, most of the companies moved out, and the Russell Industrial Center started to slide into disrepair.  However, Mr. Dennis Kefallinos purchased the complex in the early 21st century and has spent the necessary money to restore some of its original elegance.

In 1913, John William Murray and his son John R. Murray formed the J.W. Murray Mfg. Co. whose main product was providing steel stampings to the Detroit automobile manufacturers.  The company's products included fenders, hoods, cowls, and frames for Ford, Hudson, Hupmobile, King, and Studebaker.  In 1924, the J.W. Murray Mfg. Co. merged with the C.R. Wilson Body Co., Towson Body Co., and the J.C. Widman Co. to form the Murray Body Corporation.  The C.R. Wilson Body Co. had a large customer base for its bodies that included the Ford Motor Company.  With the merger the new company produced upwards of 70,000 bodies per year.  Both of the original Murrays left the company after the merger and new corporate inept management sent the company into receivership in 1925.  When the company finally emerged from receivership in 1927, it was renamed the Murray Corporation of America and had new management.  The new company continued to produce automotive bodies for various auto companies until 1952.  However, by then General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all had their in-house body making capacities, and Murray's other customers slowly went out of business one by one.  The company had previously diversified into other products including plumbing and household appliances.  This portion of the company continued at least through the early 1980s.

This 1930 Hupmobile has a Murray body.  Author's photo.

Crosley was another of Murray's costumers.  This 1939 Crosley has a Murray body.  Author's photo.  

 Author's photo.  

 This view shows the interior of the Crosley passenger cabin.  Crosley went out of business in 1953.  Some of the last bodies Murray made were for Crosley.  It had finally run out of customers.  Author's photo.  

This former display at the Studebaker Museum illustrates the body drop. The body manufacturers installed all of the carpeting, seats, door hardware, and windows along with all of the upholstery.  Author's photo.

Murray Corporation of America World War Two Products: 

In January 1941, Murray accepted a  $26,000,000 contract from Douglas Aircraft for the manufacture of A-20 inboard wings.  Murray was the first company to utilize automotive mass production techniques for the production of aircraft parts.  It used the same methods and presses for making aluminum parts as it did for making steel auto bodies.  Each A-20  inner wing section consisted of 5,400 parts and 55,000 rivets.  The contract was completed ahead of schedule in 1942.  Author's photo.

In May 1941, the United States Army Air Forces notified the Boeing Company that requirements for B-17s had become larger than Boeing's ability to build them.  This led to the Douglas Aircraft Company and the Vega Division of Lockheed coming on board as builders of the B-17 under license from Boeing.  This was during the same time period that the American aircraft industry was going to Detroit to fabricate airframe components for many of the new military aircraft being built.  Because of the A-20 inner wing project, Douglas chose Murray to build the outer wings, wings tips, and engine nacelles for the B-17F model.  As was typical of the era, it took both Douglas and Murray a year to tool up and begin production.  During that period, Douglas added two new buildings for production of the B-17 at its Long Beach, CA facility.  The first Douglas B-17F came off the Long Beach assembly line in late June 1942.  For the next year, Murray delivered 605 B-17 outer wings and wing tip sets to Douglas.  It also produced 2,420 engine nacelles.  With the introduction of the B-17G model at Douglas in June 1943, Murray's contract was not renewed.  For whatever reason, this contract went to Murray's chief competitor, Briggs. 

This is the B-17F "Memphis Belle" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Riverside, OH.  The "Memphis Belle" was built by Boeing but is identical to the ones Douglas made.  Author's photo.

There are two seams in the wing that separate the outer wing from the wing center section and the wing tip.  One can be seen next to the landing light and the other out towards the tip of the wing.  Author's photo.

The seam where the outer wing joins the center section can be seen in the right side of the photo.  Author's photo.

This shows the seam between the outer wing and the wing tip.  Murray produced both components for the Douglas-built B-17F.  Author's photo.

This Vega-built B-17G "Champaign Lady" is undergoing total restoration at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, OH.  Author's photo.

The wings for the "Champaign Lady" are being built from scratch by museum volunteers.  This view of one of the outer wing sections shows the details of the construction.    Author's photo.

Author's photo. 

This and the next two images were taken at a later date.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This B-17 engine nacelle shows the construction of the unit.  Author's photo.

Author's photo.

Each engine had a General Electric turbo supercharger to allow it to fly at high altitude.  This image shows the location of the unit in the bottom of the nacelle.  Author's photo.

A partially assembled turbo supercharger has been installed, showing how it fits into the nacelle.  Author's photo.

This is an interior view of the engine nacelle.  Author's photo.

This image shows three nacelles awaiting installation.  Once the wings are completed, the nacelles can be installed on them.  Author's photo.

This image shows two the port side engine nacelles on the "Memphis Belle."  Author's photo.

Next, Murray began the production of wings for the Republic P-47G Thunderbolt.  This was the Curtiss-Wright Corporation's license-built version of the P-47.  Only 354 were built.  Author's photo.

This Ford-built B-24J is on display at the Barksdale Global Power Museum at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA.  Murray produced an unknown quantity of various subcomponents for the 6,792 B-24s that Ford at the aircraft assembly plant in nearby Willow Run, MI.  Ford also made 955 knock-down B-24s that were assembled by Douglas in Tulsa, OK and 939 knock-downs that were assembled at the Consolidated plant in Fort Worth, TX.  Ford also made enough spare parts to make another 452 aircraft.  There was plenty of opportunity for Murray to use its stamping facilities and workforce to fabricate sheet metal parts and then assemble into subassemblies for the Ford-built B-24s.  Many of these components were stainless steel stampings.

Murray was also contracted by Curtiss-Wright for the manufacture of rudders for the SB2C dive bomber.  The SB2Cs were assembled by Curtiss in Columbus, OH.  Author's photo.

Murray also made steel stampings for anti-aircraft search lights.  It substituted steel stampings for the replacement of aluminum castings which saved 100,000 lb. of aluminum per month.  There were two different companies that made search lights during World War Two.  One was made by General Electric as shown above.  It is unknown for which company Murray made the search light parts for.  Author's photo.

 The Sperry Gyroscope Company built search lights like the one shown here.  Author's photo.

The  Ford Motor Company produced 12,782 amphibious jeeps during World War Two.  Murray produced the frames for these vehicles.  Author's photo. 

     Dodge built 43,224 WC-62/WC-63 Dodge 6x6 1-1/2 ton trucks at its Mounds Road Plant in Warren, MI.  Murray Company officials noted that Murray also made frames or frame parts for this truck.  Author's photo. 

Murray also had $4,676,000 in major contracts during World War Two. 

Murray Corporation of America World War Two Scranton, PA Plant:  In early 1944 Murray was designated to begin building B-29 outer wing sections.  While the company had floor space at its plant in Detroit, there was a critical labor shortage in the area.  This was not the case in Scranton, PA, so Murray built a government owned factory in Scranton, PA for production of B-29 outer wings.  During 1944, the company had use of a local armory to train employees so they would be prepared to start the manufacture of wings in early 1945 when the plant opened.  After World War Two Murray purchased the plant and produced gas and electric stoves, sinks, and bathtubs.

This image courtesy of the Detroit Public Library  National Automotive History Collection shows final assembly of B-29 outer wing sections at Murray's Scranton plant. 

This Google Maps satellite view shows the plant as of today. 

This is the Google Maps street view looking to the south from the end of South Washington Street. 

One last look at the Murray plant in Detroit, MI.:

This Google Maps street view shows the massive elegance of the Murray plant in Detroit.