Evening star., 1922-11-23
|$75,0DQ,oO AUTO
TOWN IS PLANNED
Ford and Firestone Believed
Behind Huge West vir-
ginia Project.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

MARTiNSBURG, W. Va, November
| determination Of titles for the
| formal deciding to q group OF Pitts
burgh and Detroit capitalists of be-
| tween $500 and 5000 acres of con-
| tiguous level land about Ridgeway, on
| the southern edge of this county,
| which will be utilised as a location
| for a huge manufacturing plant for
| automobiles and the erection of the
| settlement Of homes that will follow
| the plant. has been begun by local at
! torney-agents for the interests back
! ing the project.
| orders have also been given for the
! immediate preparation OF q deed foI
| the George J. Setback 162-acre tract.
lying at Ridgeway station. on the
| Pennsylvania Cumberland Valley d.
vision) railroad. which will be used
for the erection of the first of five
| 600-feet units for the manufacturing
plant.
! Plan 45.5oO,OOO Factory.
These moves, coming after ten days
of subsurface negotiations for op-
| tionS on the property, are accepted as
| conclusive evidence of the 1mpendinG z
Introduction of an industry in the
county the magnitude of which is lit
tie comprehended locally because OF
| the scope Of the plans. William Jor-
dan of Detroit. who appeared as agent
| for the financial interests. while here
| made the announcement that the cor
poration expected to spend $5.500.0O0
| in its factory. steel and brick crea-
| ton. which will be 5000 feet In
length. this amount not including the
estimated $S00,000 which will be spent
I; for the land.
| In addition, he said. the present
plans call for 10000 homes on the
tract eventually. which will be sold
! to employees. the number being ex-
! pected to furnish at least $4,000 man
! employees. With the value of the
! homes, he said, the total investment
at it's height would be in excess OF
| $75,0O0.000 The total valuation of
| Berkeley county, exclusive of public
! utilities. today is approximately $780,
| 100000. the magnitude OF the new
project being evident by comparison
Of the wealth which it will repre-
sent.
| Electric Line Likely.
| The land so far optioned. amount
| ing to approximately 1900 acres,
| abuts the Winchester pike. north
I and south highway, from Bunker Hill
| to the Virginia state line at Ridge
| way. The creation Of the homes IS
| expected to make a continuous set
! tlement from this city to the Virginia
line and to bring in Its wake probably
| an electric car system. Lani op-
| toned. at an average price of slightly
| more than 5000 an acre. includes a
| source of water. The Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad has a station less than
| a mile from the tract.
| The entire tract is underlaid with
! limestone, which abounds SO much in
| adjoining eastern land that it is worked
| commercially. Agents of the corpora
ton have denied any intention on the
~ of aSNtk 1tcfIy ff
| this limestone deposit in their business.
! Building Contract Let.
! Announcement has been made that
plant has been awarded to Pthl &
! Miller, contracting engineers of Pitts
burgh. and their foreman. w. H.
Marshall. who inspected the tract last
week and gave his approval, declared
! he would be able to start work within
a week. The order for the steel itself
! has been placed for ten days. it was
said, and while here Mr.. Jordan said
; he had given orders to have 1t forwarded
J to Ridgeway for use.
| A c. Anderson Of Detroit. said by
! Mr.. Jordan to be prominent In the auto
mobile manufacturing world, but not
known locally, is announced as the dis
| bursting agent for the corporation and
! it was explained that he would be here
| within a few days to assume direction
4 VI liC cASSolloiA VI tIiC plduS
Ford's Hand Seen.
Much mystery hangs about the identi-
, ty Of the capitalists behind the project.
but the Indications are that both H. S.
q, Firestone, rubber products manufac-
I turer, and Henry Ford have a hand in
! it. 1t is known that the agent who
foptioned the land here has also been
optioning land in Alabama for automo-
bile interests about Muscle Shoals. and
! while no. authoritative confirmation
! comes. the inferential connection of
these figures with the deal is not denied.
| 1t was explained that the exact source
of the backing would probably not be
known for months.
! Asked why the plant had chosen a
site here, agents declared it was satis-
! factory geographically to them as being
near the gateway to the south, that it
was one of few tracts of such extent
! that could be bought at a reasonable
/ figure. and that they were anxious to
| get away from the labor-troubled manu-
featuring zone in Detroit. They added
| that they plan to market the car on a
! factory-d -to-the-consumer basis and
will establish distributing agencies at
short intervals along the main highways
! of the country for this purpose.