Towns and Nature: Warren, OH: Abandoned/Republic/Trumbull Cliffs Steel Mill

Lawrence Roth posted
Warren plant of Republic Steel. Probably late 40's or early 50's. 56 " hotstrip and BOF shop not built yet.
Mike Deley: The open hearth building was awesome. However, I never got to see it when it was in operation.
The crane and building where they stripped the ingots from the molds was very impressive too.

Scott Woods commented on Lawrence's post
Here's what their BOF will look like in 25 years.

John Simpkins posted

Ariel view from Google Maps of the Warren, OH Blast Furnace shortly before it's demolition. 

When built in 1921, it was known as Trumbull Cliffs — the largest blast furnace in the country. For most of its life, it was part of Republic Steel, but changed ownership nine times.

Was this entire industrial area once part of the steel mill?

1979 Warren Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Rick Fleischer posted, cropped

My photo. Warren, Ohio, The Trumbull Cliffs blast furnace built in 1921 to supply the Trumbull Steel Company with iron. The coke plant, to the left, was built in 1927.

Trumbull Steel Co. and the Trumbull Cliffs Furnace were merged into the Republic Steel Corporation in 1930. This mill possibly had 9,000 employees at one time and covered 1100 acres of land.

The blast furnace was rebuilt and enlarged in 1939 to become the world's largest blast furnace at the time. The plant had electric furnaces at one time but was later equipped with a BOF in the 1960's. It also had a continuous caster.

The coke plant is still in operation and is now owned by Cleveland Cliffs.

The rest of the complex, including the blast furnace has been torn down and is now an empty field.

The City of Warren has declined in population from about 65,000 in the 1960's to about 38,000 today. That's about what the population was in 1930.

Since the mid-1970's, I believe the Mahoning and Shenango Valles have lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs.

Robert March: The Coke Plant in your picture isn’t the old one. It is the new one that was built in 1977!

Raymond Boothe posted
The WCI blast furnace in Warren, Ohio (formally Republic Steel) after closure (unkn/Dr. Raymond Boothe collection).

Jon Wolfe posted

Pictured here is the blast furnace of the now demolished Warren Ohio steel mill complex.

Built in 1922 in Warren, Ohio this blast furnace was once the largest in the country. It was also the last standing blast furnace in the Mahoning Valley. The steel mill was founded in 1912 by Trumbull Steel and was once called Trumbull Cliffs. Since then ownership has changed hands many times. In 1929 Republic Steel & Iron took over operations. Then during a J&L Steel (Jones & Laughlin) takeover in 1984, LTV Steel was born. LTV Steel gave way to WCI Steel. The Renco Group bought WCI in 2002 and in 2008 Severstal SA of Russia took over. From this RG Steel formed in 2012. The mill last operated as RG Steel when in 2012 it declared bankruptcy and 1200 steel workers lost their jobs.

This relic is the last remaining piece of the historic Warren, Ohio steelmaking era. It's recent demolition will mark the end of steelmaking in the Mahoning Valley.

1 of 19 photos posted by Ray Moore
Laser Raw Material Survey of the Warren BF pellet yard and coke stockpiles - 12/29/2008

Phil Jadlowiec posted
Warren Ohio

Phil Jadlowiec posted two photos with the comment:

Warren Ohio
Blast furnace
Taken 2014

Steven Heselden posted
Warren, Ohio Blast Furnace

Michael Batzli posted five photos with the comment: "RG Steel Warren. Blast furnace during demolition and BOF shortly after closing."

Michael Jones posted
Warren, OH…no longer standing

Raymond Boothe posted
WCI Warren, Ohio (formally Republic Steel): View of the former Trumble No. 1 blast furnace (Note: This blast furnace has recently been demolished). (Harald Finster Photograph).
Richard Allison: It was the Trumbull No. 1 Blast Furnace. When Republic Steel had it, it was the pride of the Corporation.

Bill McKinney commented on Michael's post
Taken a few weeks before they pulled it down.

Lawrence Roth posted
Warren Blast furnace after a burden slip.
I believe April 2012.
Robbie Thompson: Awwwwwww memories......lol lol ....that's a baby burp.
John Teague: Popped the bleeders to relieve dangerous pressure in the furnace!
Mike Stephenson: John Teague ya and the tree huggers will issue a fine!
Martin Maaskant

Bob Daykin here is one from blast furnace 6 at my site. https://youtu.be/ZvCSN3yO3UY

[Some comments indicate that slips happen when the furnace needs to be relined.]
Donnie Powell: I was an Ironworker on the ore bridge when this happened. Got under cover when it went off cause ore pellets were landing all around us. Remember it well!

Jon Wolfe posted
I lived in warren ohio for years and always drove past WCI Mill. The sounds and smells from the mill were always present.
Brian Foley Jr: 9million sq ft Structure going up in the Future on the old blast furnace site.. haven’t got the whole run down from our Business agents yet as to what it’s function will be but excited to see what it will become.
George Kramer: J&L Specialty sent stainless slabs to roll on the WCI mill.

Steven Heselden posted
Warren, Ohio Blast Furnace just prior to demo April 2017

Steven Heselden posted
A view of the Warren, Ohio Steel Mill prior to demo.
Carl Jacobson: Erick Roman What is even more interesting is that this blast furnace was the largest one in Ohio. It was rated at 5,000 tons a long time ago. It was doomed when LTV Steel sold this plant to Warren Consolidated Industries but didn’t sell them the coke plant. The coke plant is still running, the coke goes to Cleveland, Ohio.
Tod Brooks: Actually that’s the boiler house it’s still there.
Patrick McHugh: Republic Steel?
Ray Lickrhunt: Patrick McHugh Originally Republic. Later LTV, WCI Steel, Severstal and finally R.G. Steel.

Joe Fulong posted, cropped
RG Steel Warren,OH
James Mitchell: What's on the ground in the picture

Michael Batzli commented on James' question
That's the blast furnace. Here's a picture of it before they put it on the ground.

Michael Batzli commented on James' question

Stephen Haluska commented on Joe's post

Stephen Haluska commented on Joe's post, cropped

Kenneth Treharn shared a photo
This is the coiler area of WCI/RG Steel's 56" hot strip mill in Warren, Ohio. It was formerly a Republic/LTV Steel mill. This was a United Engineering Mill made in nearby Youngstown, Ohio. It was an overbuilt six stand finishing mill. Originally 3 pusher type furnaces later upgraded to one walking beam furnace. One reducing scale breaker 2-high mill, then one reversing 4 high Roughing Mill. The original 9" slab heads to the 6 stand finishing mill as a one inch thick bar. The 6 finishing stands were "heavy" 4 high Roughing mill stands. The mill was designed"heavy" to be also able to roll stainless steel. The strip then traveled to three heavy United Engineering down coilers, the number three coiler was tore out and replaced by an SMS Super Coiler capable of coiling one inch thick strip. This money making mill ran from 1963 till permanently shutting down in 2012. RG Steel went into bankruptcy do to Sparrows Point Problems.

Lawrence Chance posted three photos with the comment: "This was the mill I worked on in the summer of 1969, Republic Steel, Warren. 56” Hot Strip."

John Hynes: Much of that steel bound for Republic's #5 EWT (Electric Weld Tube Mill). We would convert it to pipe. Operator there 1975~1981. The pipe mill was in Youngstown.

Ray Moore posted four photos with the comment: "A frigid day 12/05/2007 surveying the pellet yard stockpiles at the WCI Steel blast furnace...Warren, OH."

Justin Lieb: When did this furnace idle?

Ray Moore: Justin Lieb I don't recall the exact date, but it would have been around mid-year 2012. After WCI Steel, we became Severstal-Warren, and then R.G. Steel-Warren. RG was short lived and then bankruptcy and facility closure.

Tyson Leiterman: Anybody know the capacity in Tons per day or annual of this furnace?

Ray Moore:Tyson Leiterman If my memory is correct, I believe this was a 4,000 tons per day furnace.