Ford City is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States, 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Pittsburgh along the east bank of the Allegheny River and 4 miles (6 km) south of Kittanning, the county seat. The population was 2,859 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

Ford City came into being from the plans of Captain John B. Ford (1811-1903), an industrialist interested in establishing a plate-glass industry. In prior endeavors, Ford had owned and operated, among many things, a river shipping line from which he drew his capital. The site upon which Ford City is located consisted roughly 460 acres broken primarily into three farms owned by Ross, Spencer and Graff families.

Ford’s explorations of the area prior to his land acquisitions had discovered the Allegheny River offered a unique asset in its composition. Besides the obvious advantage of low-cost shipping, the Allegheny River is a gravel-bottom river. Characteristics of this type of river were massive deposits of glacial sand, an essential element in the manufacture of glass. Also discovered in the area were huge deposits of natural gas, the fuel source required to fire the immense kilns used to melt the glass’s elements. Having secured his resources, all that Ford required to begin his venture was a very large labor force.

As legends tell, Ford sent agents to glassmaking towns all across Europe. From existing European glass enterprises, his agents quietly recruited experienced glassworkers. Offering a fair day’s wage and affordable housing, Ford’s agents were highly successful in getting the workers Ford needed. They were so successful that some towns in Europe were left nearly emptied of male adult glassworkers. An excellent example of this took place in Stolberg, Germany from which Ford recruited a large number of Ford City’s first glass-working immigrants. From Ireland and France, Ford lured away men experienced in the supervision of glassworks. The early recruited foreman was offered an excellent wage and the promise of a house with marble-mantled fireplaces. These early workers also brought with them their various faiths in God, which manifested in many different Catholic churches of Ford City, including Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church; Christ Prince of Peace; and St. Francis DePaul.

On July 1st, 1898, Ford City submitted its charter, which was approved September 21st, 1898. Previously part of Manor Township, Ford City Borough became one of the fastest-growing boroughs in the United States, gaining over 3,000 in population in only 10 years. Drawing workers and their families from over 35 identifiable European ethnic groups, Ford City became the quintessential example of America’s melting pot. Uniquely, Ford City never experienced racial or ethnic strife- Ford’s glass factory made all men equal. Through the early 20th century, Ford’s company, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), became the leading manufacturer of glass in the entire world. Producing a better type of glass at a lesser price than its European competitors. PPG’s efficiency and product quality virtually ended the importation of European glass to the United States. As demand increased, the need for more laborers in the Ford City Works factory also increased. The town grew daily.

Through the early part of the 20th century, Ford City prospered. It touched every skyscraper of the United States in the glass that formed the exteriors of the magnificent structures. The common bond was found in the changing of the shifts at PPG and at the Friday-night basketball games. Ford City High School basketball has seemingly prospered the life of the town. Winning the section title was an annual event, and the teams amassed a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) record 34 section titles. It used to be said that every garage in every alley in Ford City had a basketball hoop attached to it. Boulder Park became a mecca of summer league basketball, drawing teams from as far away as Pittsburgh and New Castle.

In the early 1970’s, manufacturing changes at PPG caused a relocation of many of the town’s workers. This trend continued for 20 years, with the workforce gradually being reduced or transferred to PPG’s other plants. Finally, in 1992, PPG permanently closed its gates and began the demolition of portions of the Ford City Works, formerly the largest plate-glass factory in the world. As its peak, PPG employed over 4,000 workers. Its loss to Ford City was profound and deeply felt. To this day, the number of pensioned workers from PPG Ford City Works is greater than the total workforces of many of PPG’s existing operating facilities. The loss of PPG was economically devastating to the town. In 1987 Natures Blend moved to a portion of the former factory. In 1989 it began manufacturing cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and framing for some of the area’s largest housing builders. By 1999, Nature’s Blend had grown in sales and product offerings, necessitating expansion. They doubled their production floor space to over 80,000 sq. ft. and invested in additional equipment. This expansion provided them with the means to process hardwoods from kiln-dried state to finished product, ready to install.

In 1989, KPM, founded by Sam Kube and Albert Plekker in Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1983, moved into the new company headquarters in Ford City, Pennsylvania in a small portion of the former plant. The presidents decide to specialize in the modernization of roll grinders in 1990. In 1999, KPM became part of the Herkules Group providing employment opportunities within the Borough. Dallas-based Eljer had operated a facility in Ford City since 1918 when the company acquired a former pottery plant from PPG Industries and Ford City founder John B. Ford. The name "Eljer" was formed by founders Raymond Elmer Crane and Elmer Jerome Bacchus putting together the first few letters of their middle names. Today, American Standard, which merged with the well-known plumbing brands Eljer and Crane, is owned primarily by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, with private equity firm Bain Capital Partners Inc. holding a minority share.