Green River Ordnance Plant Records (Amboy/Dixon)

The Green River Ordnance Plant construction was completed on December 15, 1942, occupying approximately 8,000 acres in Amboy and Marion Townships in Lee County.  Though the site was located only a mile or so outside of Amboy, the address for the GROP was Dixon, Illinois because it was thought that the Amboy Post Office could not handle the large amount of mail that was anticipated.  The Plant was created by Federal Government War Department to serve as Illinois’ largest industrial contribution to World War II and became the leader in munitions production for the nation.  At one time the plant provided jobs for 4500 employees, both men and women.  By July 1944, the number of women employees nearly double that of the men employees.  Employees were active in creating baseball teams, a band, an orchestra, and various group events to create community at the plant. Friendships were forged and employees met and were married.  It took only two months for the government to be prepared to begin construction on the plant.  Production building were called “lines” that were used to produce various munitions.  The Green River Ordnance Plant, like other surrounding Illinois ordnance plants, was constructed for a single purpose only and quickly shut down after V-J Day in August 1945.

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