The Past
Let's take a look at a few of the area's first manufacturing companies:
James Ward and Company, William B. Pollock Company, and the Brown, Bonnell and Company.
Rise of Early Manufacturing in Ohio
Manufacturing began early in the state's history with the Heaton brothers' construction of the Hopewell stone stack furnace at Yellow Creek, Struthers, Ohio in the early 1800s. From then on, men and women continued to stream into the state and many established factories for production of a wide range of commodities. Construction of roads, canals, and the advent of railroads all facilitated the expansion of manufacturing in Ohio.
James Ward and Company
In 1841, following the completion of the Ohio-Pennsylvania Canal, James Ward, William Ward, and Thomas Russell founded the firm James Ward and Company and constructed Ohio's first finishing mill in Niles. This helped to propel Niles into a thriving manufacturing city. The company began operating in 1842, producing products such as bar iron, sheet iron, horseshoe iron, and "Dandy Tire" iron. It was the first to produce iron for the Mahoning Valley. The company consisted of muck bar rolls and three puddling furnaces. James Ward and Company leased the Falcon Furnace in Youngstown to supply iron for these goods before constructing the Elizabeth Furnace in Niles in 1859.
After the death of James Ward, his son, James Ward, Jr. took over and expanded the business. The Falcon Iron and Nail Co. was constructed in 1867 on the bank of the Mosquito Creek, and consisted of twelve puddling furnaces and three roll trains. The Russia Mill was constructed in 1868 aside the Mahoning River, which produced steel sheets.
The Panic of 1873 caused the business to suffer immensely. Shortly after, it had fallen under the possession of other enterprises and eventually disappeared by the turn of the 20th century.
William B. Pollock Company
Founded in 1863, the William B. Pollock Company of Youngstown, Ohio produced equipment for the vast steel industry of America and around the world for 120 years.
Although the company first produced boilers, they later expanded their product selection to construction of blast furnaces, and the fabrication of heavy steel plates, which eventually became hot metal mixers and ladles.
Introduced in 1892, one of their most renowned achievements, Pollock designed and constructed rail cars to transport molten pig iron and slag between the blast furnaces and subsequent stages in the steel production process, which included proper disposal areas.
Though many of its products are no longer extant, they formerly occupied several locations in Youngstown, first on Basin Street, then South Market Street, and finally East Federal Plaza where they were eventually acquired by GATX, closing their Youngstown operations in 1983.
Brown, Bonnell, and Company
Joseph H. Brown, William Bonnell, Richard Brown, and Thomas Brown, were practical steelworkers from New Castle, Pennsylvania. After they had accumulated some savings and experience, they bought the Youngstown Rolling Mill Company for $25,000 and opened Brown, Bonnell & Company in 1845. It was not long until additional capital was secured, and extensive additions were made.
In 1864, the company added a new mill to meet demands resulting from the Civil War. By 1875, the company had acquired three blast furnaces, 54 puddling furnaces, 11 heating furnaces, and 40 nail machines, among bar mills and other machinery. Brown, Bonnell was a complete rolling mill plant that manufactured its own pig iron and semi finished iron, as well as the finished product.
According to the 1880 United State Census, Brown, Bonnell produced 25,000 capacity tons of bar iron annually, and had 900 employees.
In addition to the plant, the Bonnell family owned the first home of the Youngstown Institute of Technology (now Youngstown State University), further contributing to the local economy. The YMCA leased the former home of John Meek Bonnell, nephew of William, in 1922. Due to increased enrollment, the school moved into the Wick Mansion in 1926.
In 1879, the plant was sold and operated under the same name until 1899, when the plant became the Republic Iron & Steel Company. The company is now Republic Steel, headquartered in Canton, Ohio since 2011.
The Past: Conclusion
The establishment of these first manufacturing companies helped to shape the Mahoning Valley into one of the prominent iron and steel manufacturing centers in the United States. These companies influenced the development of the manufacturing industry by providing numerous job opportunities for the community. Both the companies and their employees played a role in ensuring the valley's prosperity throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.