During World War 2, a single B-17 Bomber required over $200,000 to be produced. If we convert that into today's economy, that would be around $3.4 million. Since the US Army requested thousands of these warplanes, securing the Boeing factory was a top priority. And by "top priority", I mean the Army went all out by hiring Hollywood set designers to construct a fake neighborhood on top of the factory and even hired actors to act like it was a real neighborhood.
This movie prop "neighborhood" was built in 1944, with John Stewart Detlie as the set designer to hide the Boeing Plant No. 2. He used the same techniques used in movie towns, like building fake streets, sidewalks, trees, fences, cars, and houses, to trick potential attackers.
Meanwhile, underneath this fake neighborhood, about 30,000 workers - both men and women - worked tirelessly to build around 300 bomber planes per month. The aircraft were used to fight against the Nazis, with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses alone dropping over 640,000 tons of bombs over Germany during the conflict. Despite the high production numbers, only around fifty of the 12,731 Boeing planes were built to remain in complete form.
Fast forward to the 1960s, and the first Boeing 737s were assembled in Plant 2 but completed in the neighboring Thompson Site. Eventually, the production of the 737 was fully transferred to the Thompson Site. By the 1980s, Plant 2 was being used as a machine shop, but that soon ended as work shifted to more modern facilities. The structure fell into decay and was demolished by Boeing in 2010.
#1. A Seemingly Ordinary Day In A Sunny Village Turns Out To Be Anything But!
#2. This Town Held A Massive Military Secret - A Boeing Factory!
#3. Back In WWII, The U.S. Army Created A Fake Neighborhood To Throw Off Possible Air Attacks
#4. The Roof Of The Boeing Plant 2 Was Covered In Camouflage, With Trees And Structures Shorter Than A Person!
#5. Those "Trees" Were Made Of Chicken Wire And Feathers! Can You Believe It?
#6. Check Out The Street Sign On The Corner Of "Synthetic Street" And "Burlap Boulevard" - A Clever Nod To The Fake Neighborhood!
#7. Suzette Lamoureaux And Vern Manion Inspect One Of The Miniature Bungalows In What They Called "Boeing Wonderland"
#8. From Above, The Structures Parked Along The Fake Street Looked Like Real Cars!
#9. In Fact, The "Streets" On The Roof Of Boeing Plant 2 Were Even Aligned With Nearby Residential Neighborhoods!
#10. Here's Joyce Howe And Susan Heidreich Walking On Top Of The Camouflaged Boeing Plant 2
#11. This Aerial Photo Of The Boeing Plant Was Taken From 5000 Feet In Either 1944 Or 1945
#12. Thousands Of Boeing Workers Gathered Before Boeing Plant 2 For Ceremonies Marking The Changeover From B-17 To B-29 Production On April 10, 1945!
#13. Check Out This Photo Of The First B-52A Being Rolled Out At Boeing's Seattle Plant On March 18, 1954! They Had To Fold Down The Plane's 48-Foot-High Tail Just To Clear The Hangar Doorway!
#14. A Picture Of The 5000th Celebration At Boeing Plant 2!
#15. Take A Look At This Photo Of The B-17G Flying Fortress Cockpits Under Construction At Boeing Plant 2
#16. Here's A Snapshot Of The B-17f Production Line At The Boeing Plant 2 On July 14, 1942
#17. This Is "Rosie The Riveter," Hard At Work At Boeing Plant 2 During The War Effort
And This Is What The Place Looks Like Today - A Far Cry From The Busy Factory Of WWII!
