Cambria Iron Company facts for kids
|
Cambria Iron Company
|
|
.jpg)
Blacksmith Shop in 1958
|
|
 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Johnstown, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Area | 482 acres (195 ha) |
| Architect | Cambria Iron Co., et al. |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001101 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | June 22, 1989 |
| Designated NHLD | June 22, 1989 |
The Cambria Iron Company was a very important company in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It made a lot of iron and steel. The company worked on its own from 1852 to 1916. It used many new ideas for making steel. These ideas came from inventors like William Kelly and Henry Bessemer.
The company started in 1852. Within 20 years, it became the biggest steel factory in the country. In 1898, it changed its name to the Cambria Steel Company. Later, in 1916, Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company bought it. Then, in 1923, Bethlehem Steel Company bought it.
The company's factories stretched for about 12 miles (19 km). They were along the Conemaugh and Little Conemaugh Rivers. These factories kept working until 1992. Today, the old factory areas are a special place. They are called a National Historic Landmark District. Many things built by the company are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Factory Locations
The Cambria Iron Company had five different factory areas. These were in and around Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The oldest parts were called the Lower Works. They were on the east side of the Conemaugh River. This was north of downtown Johnstown.
The Gautier Plant was just northeast of downtown. It was on the south side of the Little Conemaugh River. Further up that river were the Franklin Plant and Wheel Plant. The Rod and Wire Plant was on the west side of the Conemaugh River. Each area shows a different time in the steel industry's growth. All five of these areas together became a National Historic Landmark District in 1989.
Company Story
The Cambria Iron Company began in 1852. Its main goal was to make iron for building railroads. In 1854, a group of merchants from Philadelphia bought the iron works. They were led by Matthew Newkirk. A big fire destroyed the main factory in 1857. But Newkirk convinced the others to rebuild it even bigger.
The company grew very fast. By the 1870s, it was a top steel maker. It also led the way in new steelmaking ideas. They tried early tests with the Kelly converter. This was a new way to make steel. They also built the first blooming mill. This machine shaped steel. Cambria was one of the first to use water power (hydraulics) to move heavy steel. They also built one of the first large factories to use the Bessemer process. This process made steel much faster. The company's new ideas helped the whole steel industry.
The company was at its best in the 1870s. This was under the leader Daniel Johnson Morrell. He helped the factories grow very large. They became one of the biggest makers of railroad tracks in the United States. This helped America stop relying on tracks from Britain. Morrell was also a member of the U.S. Congress.
Morrell became worried about the South Fork Dam. This dam held back Lake Conemaugh above Johnstown. The Cambria Iron Company's factories were below it. To keep an eye on the dam, Morrell joined the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. This club owned the dam. Morrell asked club leaders to fix the dam. He even had his own engineers check it. He offered to pay for some repairs himself. But the club president, Benjamin F. Ruff, said no. Morrell died in 1885. His warnings about the dam were not listened to.
On May 31, 1889, the dam broke. This caused the terrible Johnstown Flood. The flood took the lives of over 2,200 people. It was the biggest disaster in U.S. history at that time. The flood also badly damaged the Cambria Iron Company's factories. But the company reopened quickly on June 6, 1889. It kept working on its own after the flood.
Cyrus Elder took Morrell's place in the club. Elder was the main lawyer for Cambria Iron Company. He was from Johnstown and lost his wife and daughter in the flood. He was an important leader in the town. He also wrote books and poems.
In 1916, the Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company bought Cambria. Then, in 1923, Midvale sold the company to Bethlehem Steel. The factories kept running until 1992.
Cambria Steel Company also had its own shipping companies. These were called Franklin Steamship Company (1906) and Beaver Steamship Company (1916). They were sold to Bethlehem Steamship Company in 1924.
Things They Built
The Cambria Company made parts for many important structures. Here are some of them:
- Bell Bridge, a county road bridge over the Niobrara River in Nebraska.
- Boone River Bridge, a bridge over the Boone River in Goldfield, Iowa.
- Borman Bridge, a county road bridge over the Niobrara River in Nebraska.
- Eldorado Bridge, a bridge over the Turkey River in Eldorado, Iowa.
- Johnstown Inclined Railway, a special train that goes up a steep hill in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
- Neligh Mill Bridge, a bridge over the Elkhorn River in Neligh, Nebraska.
- North Loup Bridge, a county road bridge over the North Loup River in Nebraska.
- Republican River Bridge, a county road bridge over the Republican River in Nebraska.
- Willow Creek Bridge, a county road bridge over Willow Creek in Nebraska.
See also
