On This Day In Alabama History: Officials Broke Ground For The Redstone Ordnance Plant

Alabama News Center | October 25, 2017 @ 5:00 am

By Graydon Rust
Alabama 200

Oct. 25, 1941

Officials broke ground for the Redstone Ordnance Plant in Huntsville. Located in Alabama due to the efforts of U.S. Congressman John J. Sparkman, the plant produced approximately 45.2 million units of grenades, bombs and chemical artillery ammunition during World War II. The plant was renamed Redstone Arsenal in 1943 and won the top Army-Navy “E” award five times during the war. The arsenal later developed the Jupiter C intermediate-range missile that propelled the first U.S. satellite into orbit. Today, the base is the largest employer in the Huntsville area, averaging a daily workforce of 36,000 to 40,000.

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