In 1953, the Ford Motor Company announced that it would be constructing a new plant in Milpitas after relocating from Richmond, California, according to The Milpitas Community Museum. Ford purchased 160 acres of land in the Milpitas area, allowing for the construction of what would be known as the San Jose Ford Motor Assembly Plant.
The announcement of the new auto plant directly influenced the establishment of Milpitas as a legal city. According to the Milpitas Community Museum, after the announcement of the new plant, the city of San Jose had started to push for an annexation of the unincorporated city of Milpitas in 1954.
Residents of Milpitas formed an armed defense to fend off occupation from San Jose and to prevent San Jose from becoming the sole economic benefactors of the new auto plant. After heavy advocacy, the city of Milpitas was legally deemed a city just before the grand opening of the new plant.
After helping to establish the city, the plant was also a direct contributor to the introduction of Mayor Ben F. Gross to Milpitas.
According to Patch Media, Gross was a leader of the Local 560 Auto Union and was assigned to deal with issues at the new Milpitas plant. According to The Milpitas Beat, after gaining influence in Milpitas, Gross served as a city council member and mayor for two terms. He was the first African-American mayor of Milpitas and one of the first African-American mayors in the United States.
According to Patch Media, when Gross moved to Milpitas, he was also tasked with the job of ensuring all
the workers in his union were settled in affordable housing, regardless of their race. This gave Gross the idea to develop the Sunnyhills neighborhood in Milpitas for his workers, which became
one of the very first racially integrated neighborhoods in the entire country.
According to Hemmings Motor News, the San Jose Ford Motor Assembly Plant shut its doors in 1983. According to the Milpitas Community Museum, in 1994, the Great Mall of the Bay Area opened its doors after an extensive renovation of the abandoned Ford factory.
According to The Milpitas Beat, the mall is one of the largest malls in Northern California.
The establishment of the San Jose Ford Motor Assembly Plant gave Milpitas its cityhood, leaders, diversity, economy, and much more. In an interview with The Milpitas Beat, long-time Milpitas resident and original employee of the auto plant Patrick Sabin said,
“‘If it wasn’t for Ford Motor Company, this place would’ve never been what it is. Ford was the cause of all this growth in Milpitas.’”