Johnstown had several mills. As I come across details of what was where, I'm writing notes for each mill.
This plant was built in 1911 after the 1889 Johnstown Flood destroyed the Gautier Works. [wikimapia]
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| Bradly C Jacob posted Liberty Wire in Johnstown, PA. Previously Johnstown Wire Technologies and previously before that Bethlehem Steel Wire Division. James Baker: They running yet? Matthew Karnes: James Baker never stopped. Still running strong as ever. Andrew Stewart: Use to haul coiled rod from Charter Steel in Saukville, WI in their. Also from Packer Marine Terminal in Philly. That rod came from Kobe Steel in Japan. |
The purchase of Johnstown Wire Technologies by Liberty Steel is recent because Google shows this mill as Johnstown Wire Technologies and offers a mill in Pekin, IL, when you search for Liberty Wire.
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| Satellite |
This is another mill in Pennsylvania squeezed between a river and a hill. The mill was served by the Pennsy RR.
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| 1964 Johnstown Quad @ 1:24,000 |
“LWJ is the largest producer of value added carbon and alloy wire in North America.” [JohnstownWire]
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| JohnstownWire-history "The Johnstown Wire Mill started operations in 1911 as part of Cambria Steel’s integrated plant and was acquired in 1923 by Bethlehem Steel Corporation. From 1911 through 1992, the plant operated continuously and grew to become one of the largest value added wire mills in North America. The company was purchased from Bethlehem and taken private in late 1992, creating JWT. The company was acquired by GFG Alliance in 2019 and became Liberty Wire Johnstown, a proud part of the Liberty Steel Group." |
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| Don Cassata posted A view of the "Drawing Room" at Johnstown Plant Bethlehem Steel. Wire Mill Div. 1951. Coil stock is drawn thru machines to produce Wire of various diameters. The only part of the plant that's still really working. Matthew Karnes: True the drawing room is still running and being added to. Also the cleaning lines, plating lines, and annealing furnaces are still running and have been for the last 28 years that I have worked there. Richard Sabo: The patent furnace is shown in the picture also. We used to patent rod to make wool wire. Michael Stilwell: Bethlehem's Sparrows Point plant had them, too. Bethlehem made wire for Michelin's steel belted radial tires, and for the Slinky toys. Mark Wadsworth: Looks like the Farm Side. |
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| Don Cassata posted Today's tour of 1951 Johnstown Plant Bethlehem Steel, we find ourselves back at the Wire Mill. These machines make nails, staples & barbed wire. Richard Sabo: They also had a fence room where they made chain link fence. There was a large supply still around when I started around the mid 60s. Rick Yerly: What’s your showing are gladder nail machines I ran them for years. 5:10 video of a nail making machine, it starts operating at 2:33 |
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| Don Cassata posted As we continue our tour of 1950 Johnstown Plant Bethlehem Steel, we are back at the Wire Mill where this worker is making galvanized fence. Johnstown did it all. James Torgeson: Fencemaking is a neat process. I was on a group tour of Anchor/Master Halco near Baltimore in 2000. |
"The company’s manufacturing processes include hydrochloric acid cleaning and coating, wire drawing, electro-galvanizing, aluminizing, and continuous coil annealing." [JohnstownWire-profile]
I poked around their web site for a bit, but I could not find any photos of the equipment, only photos of coils of wire.
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