Butler, PA: Cliffs/AK Steel/ARMCO Steel Mill and Pullman Standard/Standard Steel

Steel: (Satellite)

Freight Cars: (Satellite, from Pillow Street down to the river.)

Cliffs

Karen Lee posted fifteen photos with the comment: "Some old pictures from ARMCO Steel in Butler, PA.  It was ARMCO, AK Steel and now Cleveland Cliffs.  I've worked here for over 30 years.  Hope you like........."

Karen Lee: These pictures are from a calendar put out by our previous union, Butler Armco Independent Union. I am lucky to have a copy of the calendar as it was from 2002.

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Peter Manoth: A big wheel to control the roll gap I suppose.

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Karen Lee: Notice how steel is running on the floor.

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Satellite

The topo maps confirm that they expanded into the next areas down the river where they could find some land between the mountains and the river. The industrial complex that was upstream of the steel mills was Pullman Standard/Standard Steel, which is pictured at the bottom of these notes.

1958 Butler Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

1969 Butler Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

safe_image for Cliffs plant operating after fire
The fire was in an overhead cable tray at the finishing line was on Mar 16, 2022, and they resumed work on the 17th. There were no injuries.
Jeremy Phillips: Everyone say a little prayer for the electricians , may they find correct prints

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Pullman Standard/Standard Steel

Phil Jadlowiec posted

Pullman Standard Company 

Butler County Pennsylvania 

1939 

I remember my father taking up to Butler County to see this plant 

It was a huge site 

Pullman developed the sleeping car, which carried his name into the 1980s. Pullman did not just manufacture the cars, it also operated them on most of the railroads in the United States, paying railroad companies to couple the cars to trains. In return, by the mid-20th century, these railroads would own Pullman outright. A labor union associated with the company, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, founded and organized by A. Philip Randolph, was one of the most powerful African-American political entities of the 20th century. The company also built thousands of streetcars[4] and trolley buses for use in cities.[5] Post-WWII changes in automobile and airplane transport led to a steep decline in the company's fortunes. It collapsed in 1968, with a successor company continuing operations until 1981.

[The railroad between the plant and the river was the Bessemer & Lake Eire. The B&O was on the other side of the river.]

Real Bubba: Standard Steel Car was founded in 1902 by John Hansen and Diamond Jim Brady and became the largest builder of steel rail cars. Pullman purchased a controlling interest of stock in 1929 and in 1934 a merger occurred with creation of Pullman Standard. Butler never built passenger cars and work depended on orders, typically lay offs followed when orders were filled but with a union the workers were assured to be called back. Worked there one summer in a pit spray painting bottoms after cars came out of shot blaster, worst job I ever had.

Phil Jadlowiec posted

Pullman Standard Company 

Butler County Pennsylvania 

Year unknown

Adam Twiss: With four Bessemer and Lake Erie F7s leading a freight train past it.