Youngstown Sheet and Tube

Last updated
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company
Type Public
Industry Steel
FoundedNovember 23, 1900;122 years ago (1900-11-23) in Youngstown, Ohio
DefunctSeptember 19, 1977 (1977-09-19)
FateClosure
Headquarters,
Key people
James A. Campbell, George D. Wick
Products Steel
Number of employees
27,000 (1950)

The Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, based in Youngstown, Ohio, was an American steel manufacturer. Officially, the company was created on November 23, 1900, when Articles of Incorporation of the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company were filed with the Ohio Secretary of State at Columbus. In 1905 the word "Iron" was dropped from the company name to reflect the company's shift in focus from producing wrought iron products to basic steel products. It acquired the Mark Manufacturing Company in 1923. [1] Youngstown Sheet and Tube remained in business until 1977. A Youngstown resident acquired the name, trademark, and logo in 2014 and opened a small business promoting the economic redevelopment of Youngstown.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

In 1888, Youngstown industrialists George D. Wick and James A. Campbell organized the Mahoning Valley Iron Company, with Wick as president. Charles Dayton Arms, Wicks brother in law and also an iron entrepreneur, was brought in as president. Five years later, the two men resigned from the firm when it was taken over by the Republic Iron and Steel Company, and their next project would come in response to major changes that occurred in the community's industrial sector. Youngstown's industrial leaders began to convert from iron to steel manufacturing at the turn of the century, a period that also saw a wave of consolidations that placed much of the community's industry in the hands of national corporations. To the rising concern of many area industrialists, U.S. Steel, shortly after its establishment in 1901, absorbed Youngstown's premier steel producer, the National Steel Corporation.

During the previous year, however, Wick and Campbell combined resources with other local investors who wanted to maintain significant levels of local ownership within the city's manufacturing sector. The group established the Youngstown Iron Sheet and Tube Company with $600,000 in capital. Wick, who emerged as the steel company's first president in 1900, appointed Campbell as secretary. [2] The word "Iron" was dropped from the company's name in 1905. Although the company's focus began with sheet and tube, it eventually became one of the nation's most important steel producers with a varied product line.

Brier Hill works Historical Collections of Ohio- An Encyclopedia of the State; History Both General and Local, Geography with Descriptions of Its Counties, Cities and Villages, Its Agricultural, Manufacturing, Mining (14586494418).jpg
Brier Hill works

In 1923, Youngstown Sheet and Tube purchased the assets of the Brier Hill Steel Company (also located in Youngstown, at Brier Hill), as well as the facilities of the Steel and Tube Company of America in East Chicago and Indiana Harbor, Indiana, making it the fifth largest steel maker in the United States and the largest employer in the Mahoning Valley.

The home plant of YS&T was known as the Campbell Works, located in Campbell and Struthers, Ohio. This plant contained four blast furnaces, twelve open hearth furnaces, several blooming mills, two Bessemer converters, a slabbing mill, a butt-weld tube mill, a 79-inch (2,000 mm) hot strip mill, seamless tube mills, and 9-inch (230 mm) and 12-inch (300 mm) bar mills at the Struthers Works. The Brier Hill Works consisted of two blast furnaces named Grace and Jeannette, twelve open hearth furnaces, a 40-inch (1,000 mm) blooming mill, a 35-inch (890 mm) intermediate blooming mill, a 24-inch (610 mm) round mill, 84-inch (2,100 mm) and 132-inch (3,400 mm) plate mills, and an electric-weld tube mill. During much of the Depression, the Brier Hill works was shut down, but it reopened in 1937. Much of the reopened plant's production comprised tube rounds for the Campbell seamless tube mills. Due to the imbalance of ironmaking and steelmaking facilities at the two plants, rail shipments of molten iron "hot metal" were sent from Campbell to Brier Hill from 1937 until 1979.

Company housing in Campbell Jackson east of Chambers in Campbell.jpg
Company housing in Campbell

In 1916, Sheet and Tube workers at the East Youngstown plant rioted during a strike over working conditions, which resulted in most of the town's business district being burned to the ground. The strike was quelled by the arrival of National Guard troops. After the riots, East Youngstown was renamed Campbell in honor of the company's president. In 1937, Youngstown Sheet and Tube played a prominent role in the Little Steel Strike, along with Republic Steel, Inland Steel, Bethlehem Steel, and Weirton Steel. The so-called "Little Steel" group, led by Republic's Tom Girdler, operated independently of United States Steel, which had previously signed a labor agreement with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and its subordinate Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC). Violence during this strike resulted in the deaths of workers in Chicago and Youngstown.

In 1952, during the Korean War, President Harry S. Truman attempted to seize American steel mills in order to avert a strike. This led to the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company v. Sawyer , which limited presidential authority.

The company abruptly closed its Campbell Works and furloughed 5,000 workers on September 19, 1977, [3] a day remembered locally as "Black Monday." The Brier Hill Works and the company's plants in Indiana were sold to Jones and Laughlin Steel, later acquired by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV), a conglomerate. The Brier Hill Works closed in 1979 as part of a continued wave of steel mill closings that devastated the Youngstown economy. The Brier Hill Works was eventually reopened in 1986 by Cargill Corporation, under the name North Star Steel. In 2002, Cargill sold the operations to recycling minimill Vallourec Group, a French conglomerate. The Indiana Harbor mill continues operating, owned by Cleveland-Cliffs.

Present day

The company currently operates under the Youngstown Sheet and Tube name at www.sheetandtube.com. The company promotes economic redevelopment in Youngstown, and has partnerships with local manufacturers. It currently has an online shop where people can purchase apparel and consumer goods, and has a long-term plan of opening up its own factory in the Youngstown area. [4] [5]

Notable employees

See also

Notes

  1. Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2011). Marktown: Clayton Mark's Planned Worker Community in Northwest Indiana. South Shore Journal, 4.
  2. Blue et al. (1994), p. 94.
  3. Christie, Les. "The incredible shrinking city". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved 2004-04-24.
  4. "Man preserves century-old Sheet & Tube company homes". vindy.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  5. "Historic bank opened for visitors". WYTV. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Campbell is a city in eastern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, along the Mahoning River. The population was 7,852 at the 2020 census. Located directly southeast of Youngstown, it is a suburb of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Struthers, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Struthers is a city in eastern Mahoning County, Ohio, United States, along the Mahoning River. The population was 10,063 at the 2020 census. Located directly southeast of Youngstown, it is a suburb of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youngstown, Ohio</span> City in Ohio

Youngstown is the largest city in and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 60,068, making it the 11th-largest city in Ohio. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, which had a population of 541,243 in 2020, making it the seventh-largest metro area in Ohio and 107th-largest metro area in the United States. Youngstown is situated on the Mahoning River, 58 miles (93 km) southeast of Cleveland and 61 miles (100 km) northwest of Pittsburgh. In addition to having its own media market, the city is part of the larger Northeast Ohio region. Youngstown is midway between Chicago and New York City via Interstate 80.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Steel</span> American steel-producing company

United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in Central Europe. The company produces and sells steel products, including flat-rolled and tubular products for customers in industries across automotive, construction, consumer, electrical, industrial equipment, distribution, and energy. Operations also include iron ore and coke production facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic Steel</span> Steel manufacturing company

Republic Steel is an American steel manufacturer that was once the country's third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Century, Republic suffered heavy economic losses and was eventually bought out before re-emerging in the early 2000s as a subsidiary. The company currently manufactures Special Bar Quality (SBQ) steel bars and employs around 2,000 people. It is currently owned by Grupo Simec, based in Guadalajara, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie Steel Company</span> 19th-century steel production company in Pennsylvania, US

Carnegie Steel Company was a steel-producing company primarily created by Andrew Carnegie and several close associates to manage businesses at steel mills in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in the late 19th century. The company was formed in 1892 and was subsequently sold in 1901 in one of the largest business transactions of the early 20th century, to become the major component of U.S. Steel. The sale made Carnegie one of the richest men in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jones and Laughlin Steel Company</span> Former steel company that operated in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation began as the American Iron Company, founded in 1852 by Bernard Lauth and Benjamin Franklin Jones, a few miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. Lauth's interest was bought in 1854 by James Laughlin. The first firm to bear the name of Jones and Laughlin was organized in 1861, and headquartered at Third & Ross in downtown Pittsburgh.

Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel was a steel manufacturer based in Wheeling, West Virginia.

Brier Hill is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, that was once viewed as the city's "Little Italy." The neighborhood, which was the site of the city's first Italian settlement, stretches along the western edge of Youngstown's lower north side and encircles St. Anthony's Church, an Italian-American Roman Catholic parish. Each year, at the end of August, the Brier Hill Fest attracts thousands of visitors from Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inland Steel Company</span> American steel company

The Inland Steel Company was an American steel company active in 1893–1998. Its history as an independent firm thus spanned much of the 20th century. It was headquartered in Chicago at the landmark Inland Steel Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel strike of 1919</span> 1919–20 nationwide steelworkers strike in the United States

The Steel Strike of 1919 was an attempt by the American Federation of Labor to organize the leading company, United States Steel, in the American steel industry. The AFL formed a coalition of 24 unions, all of which had grown rapidly during World War I. In the lead role would be the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers (AA) with a five-member steering committee. The strike began on September 22, 1919, and finally collapsed on January 8, 1920. The opposition led by Elbert H. Gary, president of U.S. Steel had triumphed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazelton (Youngstown, Ohio)</span> Neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, United States

Hazelton is a neighborhood in Youngstown, Ohio, located on the city's east side. It is bordered by the cities of Struthers and Campbell. In the early 20th century, the neighborhood was alternately referred to as "the East End".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahoning Valley</span> Metropolitan area in the United States

The Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area, typically known as the Mahoning Valley, is a metropolitan area in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania with Youngstown, Ohio, at its center. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio and Mercer County in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the region had a population of 541,243, making it the 107th largest metro area in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph G. Butler Jr.</span>

Joseph Green Butler Jr. was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and popular historian. He is remembered primarily for establishing the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to American art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Anson Campbell</span>

James Anson Campbell was an American business leader known for his role as chairman of Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, one of the largest regional steel-production firms in the United States. Campbell served as director of the American Iron and Steel Institute during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George D. Wick</span>

Colonel George Dennick Wick was an American industrialist who served as founding president of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company, one of the nation's largest regional steel-manufacturing firms. He perished in the Atlantic during the sinking of RMS Titanic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Youngstown, Ohio</span>

The economy of Youngstown, Ohio, flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with steel production reaching all-time highs at that time. The steel boom led to an influx of immigrants to the area looking for work, as well as construction of skyscrapers in the area. The city's population peaked at 170,002 in 1930, just at the onset of the Great Depression. World War II also brought a great demand for steel. After World War II, demand for steel dropped off dramatically, and industrial base of Youngstown began to see a decline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas J. Bray</span> American engineer

Thomas Joseph Bray was an American engineer, inventor and corporate leader of the iron and steel industry, becoming president of the third largest steel company in the US – Republic Iron and Steel Company. He was a leading member of Youngstown society and lived in its historic Crandall Park where he prospered, raised a family and led a project to develop transport on the rivers of the area. He was an industrial leader of the Mahoning River steel industry.

The Mahoning Valley Steel Company was formally organized on July 12, 1916, with a capital investment of $600,000. The original officers were Jacob D. Waddell, president; T. E. Thomas, vice president and treasurer; W. Aubrey Thomas, secretary; directors, John M. Thomas and M. T. Clingan and the officers named above. An interesting family dynamic was that Jacob D. Waddel married Mary Ann Thomas in Dec. 12, 1917, making him the brother-in-law to the other directors, all children of John Rhys Thomas.

Jesse Reese, was a black communist and militant trade unionist in the United States.

References