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The Chamber of Commerce of South Bethlehem, Pa., was organized under the name of “Municipal League” at a meeting held January 16th, 1903, in Council Chambers. The first officers elected were: — President, George W. Rhoad, now a resident of Phoenixville, Pa.; Vice-president, Alexander Worsley; Treasurer, Cyrus Tacoby; and Secretary, Michael Cunningham, deceased. Under date of October 27th, 1903, the name of the body was changed to "Commercial League”, under which name the work was carried on until July 13th, 1914, the name was changed to that of “Chamber of Commerce."
The organization is composed of most of the business men and prominent citizens of the community, who have the welfare of our town at heart and is always ready to aid and develop its commercial, industrial and business interests.
The Chamber of Commerce occupies three rooms on the second floor of the Drissel & Eberts Building, No. 23 East Third Street. which are completely furnished and equipped.
The Officers for 1915 are as follows: JAMES M. DEGNAN, President. Directors: |
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| ROBT. K. BERKEMEYER HON. J. DAVIS BRODHEAD HARRY A.R. DIETRICH ALEXANDER C. GRAHAM CHARLES H. GREEN ABNER H. GROSS EPHRAIM H. KRESGE JOHN P. McFADDEN MICHAEL O'REILLY |
ROBERT PFEIFLE OSMAN F. REINHARD ROBERT E. RICE CHARLES M. SCHWAB WILLIAM H. SCOTT WILLIAM SINWELL WILLIAM H. STUBER HARVEY M. UEBERROTH CHARLES A. WORSLEY |
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
At the beginning of the year 1857, the project of building an iron works at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was inaugurated by residents of that vicinity, and a charter was taken out for “The Saucona Iron Company” on April 8th, 1857, the same being changed by Act of Legislature, March 31st, 1859, to “The Bethlehem Rolling Mills and Iron Company”, and again, May 1st, 1861, to “The Bethlehem Iron Company”.
On July 16th, 1860, ground was broken, but the early construction was much delayed by the disturbance of the Civil War then in progress. The first blast furnace was blown-in January 4th, 1863, the puddle furnaces were completed and began operations July 27th, 1863, and the first rails of puddled iron were rolled on the rolling mill September 26th, 1863.
The infant industry prospered from the first, partly due to its favorable location in the Lehigh Valley in close proximity to supplies of ore and fuel, but mainly to the mechanical genius of its then General Superintendent, the now world-famous Mr. John Fritz, and the plant, from an early period of its existence, has commanded the attention and interest of steel men both at home and abroad, both for the ingenuity and engineering skill shown in its design, and for the uniformly high quality of its output. Many of the methods and devices now in general use in the manufacture of iron and steel had their birthplace at Bethlehem. It was of these works that the late Alexander Holly, an Engineer of international reputation, said, “I never come but that I go away with something good”.
In the early 70s the then recent invention of the Bessemer Process of making steel was taken up, and the first steel was made by this method October 4th, 1873, the first steel rail being rolled on the 18th of the same month.
Up to 1885 the output of this Company was pig iron, billets, rails and similar products, but during that year plans were made for a plant for the manufacture of heavy forgings and castings from Open Hearth Steel, including forgings for guns of large calibre. In 1886 it was decided to establish an Armor Plate works, and during the following year contracts were taken from the United States Government for Armor Plate and Gun Forgings. During the next twenty years the attention of the Company was directed more and more to the development of the Armor Plate plant and the plant for the manufacture of guns and other high-grade forgings and castings, the Bessemer Works and Rail Mill being abandoned. Recently (1906) an entirely new plant was built, adjacent to the then existing works, with furnaces and rolling mills for the manufacture of rails and structural shapes of Open Hearth Steel exclusively, the Company thus re-entering its original line of business.
In its ordnance work the Bethlehem Company has not only produced material of the highest quality, but has always been a leader in the design and development of ordnance equipment now in use not only by the United States, but also by the other great countries of the world.
The plant at Bethlehem is now equipped for the manufacture of the complete armor, armament, ammunition, shafting, etc., for the largest battleships, and, in conjunction with the affiliated shipbuilding plants (mentioned below) to build battleships complete.
Moreover, all the material manufactured at Bethlehem is produced by that Company from the ore, so that the entire chain of metallurgical and mechanical processes is under the direct supervision of that one great Company.
On April 17th, 1899, the Bethlehem Steel Company was incorporated with a larger capital stock, which was taken pro rata by the shareholders of the Bethlehem Iron Company, and the business was thereafter carried on in the name of the Bethlehem Steel Company.
As an example of the many contributions by this Company to the improvements in methods of manufacture, there may be mentioned the development, about this time, of the now universally-used “High Speed Tool Steel" which was invented and perfected at the works of the Bethlehem Steel Company by its Engineers, Messrs. Fred W. Taylor and Maunsel White. This tool steel was first exhibited at the Paris Exposition in 1900, and astonishing results in speeds of cutting steel were publicly demonstrated. With tools treated by the Taylor-White Process it was possible to double or triple the best previous speeds of machining, and it is not too much to say that this invention has revolutionized machine shop practice the world over.
Another example of its enterprise in development along ordnance lines, may be cited in the two-hand drive for elevating and training gears for rapid-fire guns, patents covering which are in force in all large countries, and which is employed on guns of this type used by both the United States and Great Britain.
Since the formation of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, about nine years ago, Mr. Charles M. Schwab has devoted practically his entire time to the development of its properties. Not only have all of the plants of the Corporation been extended and enlarged, but in every department they have been brought to the highest possible physical condition for attaining the maximum output with minimum costs. Conjointly with the upbuilding of the plants Mr. Schwab has paid particular attention to the development of an organization modeled largely along the lines that proved so successful during his administration of the affairs of the Carnegie Steel Company.
Title–9 | 10–19 | 20–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–51 52–53 54–55 56–57 58–59 | 60–69 | 70–79 | 80–89 | 90–99 | 100–109 | 110–119 | 120–129 | 130–139 | 140–151