Lamp Socket

       A faulty light lamp socket is often the culprit when a lamp doesn't work. Whether your lamp stopped working suddenly, or you want to restore a thrift store lamp to usefulness, replacing the lamp socket is likely to solve the problem. As long as you unplug the lamp before starting, you'll have no risk of electrical shock. The safety factor makes this task appropriate for even beginning do-it-yourselfers.

     Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Company was a Chicago, Illinois electrical company founded in the late 19th century.The company was founded by Reuben B. Benjamin, and filed its first patent for an electric lamp socket in 1898. The company went on to manufacture various other electrical products. One of Benjamin's most notable products was their series of non-contact fire alarm horns, introduced in the early 1920s. They were available in flush-mount, single, and double projector versions, in either red or gray. These horns were mainly used by IBM, and later SimplexGrinnell up until the 1960s. In 1958, Benjamin was bought out by Thomas Industries, Inc.

     Products the factory made included headlight, taillight, and interior light shells, reflectors, and lamp socket. Five hundred men working two shifts at the plant could produce half a million headlights a month. During World War II, all of the 26 or so village industries were converted to participate in the war effort. The Flat Rock plant which produced head and tail lights, continued to produce these during the war, but for army trucks, Jeeps, tanks, the universal carrier, and the armored car. The Flat Rock plant also manufactured junction boxes for the B-24 bomber.

     Benefits of having the Ford factory in the Village of Flat Rock were numerous. First, there were the jobs created. Employment rose from 50 workers in 1924 to 500 by 925 and a peak of 1200 people in 1929. In wages alone, over a half-million dollars in wages were paid in the peak years of 1929 and 1930. Approximately a third of the tax revenue for the Village of Flat Rock was also generated by the plant.

     Another benefit came from the water filtration plant. This produced water for the factory, but also for the Village of Flat Rock, Rockwood, and South Rock. The original filtration plant built in the 1920s was sold to the then City of Flat Rock in 1951 and continued to operated until 1957 when a new plant was built on the island, directly opposite and to the south of the Ford plant. This filtration plant too was eventually abandoned, though has not been demolished due to prohibitive cost associated with demolition.

     Commentators attribute the demise of the village industries concept, which the Flat Rock plant was part of, to a variety of factors including company leadership not understanding the value or money-making potential of these enterprises, obsolescence of facilities, and most prominently – unionization (Siegel).

     Production at the Flat Rock Head & Tail Light Plant ceased in 1950 and operations were moved to the larger Monroe, Michigan factory. In 1950 the vacant Flat Rock plant was sold to Moynahan Bronze Company that was then located and Detroit and which subsequently moved. This company produced furniture for Pullman cars, architectural molding, and parts for aircraft. The firm would occupy the plant from 1951-1972. Stearns Manufacturing owned and operated the plant from 1972-1981. Then the present owner, Flat Rock Metals, at first leased the building and then purchased it and has occupied the building to present time