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Bethlehem Steel: Patterns of the Past
Memories in monochrome
My hometown, Bethlehem, PA, was the USA’s second-largest steel producer with revenues of $3.5 billion and shipments of 7.5 million tons of steel products, and it employed some 11,000 workers (in 2002). Bethlehem Steel was founded in 1904 and operated at various locations until 2003, when it was sold to International Steel Group, and the Bethlehem plant was closed.
Bethlehem Steel helped build the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, the Golden Gate Bridge, and many other landmarks. It supported countless automotive, construction, machinery, appliance, container, service center, military materiel (more than 1,000 ships), and rail applications.
Today, the old blast furnaces and other facilities are a tourist attraction. They tower over a visitors’ center, an entertainment complex, a shopping plaza, and a casino. An elevated walkway allows views of the remains of the huge steelworks and provides information on the steelmaking process.
