Ellwood City, PA: 1895 US Steel/National Tube Seamless Tube Mill

(Satellite, this restaurant is in the old gate house)

Jackson-Township historical preservation added to the album Ellwood City
General view of the Shelby Tube Mill in the borough of Ellwood City, Lawrence County in the 1910s.

Jackson-Township historical preservation added to the album Ellwood City
National Steel Tube Company located in the borough of Ellwood City, Lawrence County.
Steve Dunn shared

Daniel Barron shared the link: Seamless Tube Industry
There was a post on this site about the National Tube Division of U. S. Steel in Ellwood City. Questions were asked about whether it was still in operation or not. I live in the Ellwood City area and worked at The Ellwood City Forge from 1978 to 2006 them TMK IPSCO (now Tenaris) Koppel Steel from 2007 to 2021. The properties where the National Tube Mill were are no longer making tube. The majority of the buildings are gone. Those that are left are being used by other companies like Ellwood City Forge and INMETCO. INMETCO recycles batteries. A historical marker is placed on main street in Ellwood City stating that the first seamless tube mill in the world was founded in 1895. My Great-Grand Father, who passed in 1980 at the age of 90, worked there at a very young age and A Great-Uncle worked there from the 50's to the 70's. Some time in the late 80', early 90's U.S Steel shut the place down. The Ellwood City Forge rented buildings to expand production before the buildings were demolished. As an electrician, I was in there many servicing the equipment and overhead cranes. The only thing left of any note is the old Gatehouse. It is now the Dog Gone Bar & Grill.    

"First seamless tube mill in the world" is evidently local folk lore because it is not even the first one in the USA. I wonder what the size of the pipes were. It may be the first for large pipes.

Comments on Daniel's share
ShelbyBycycleHistory

 

1957 Beaver Falls Quad @ 24,000

 

EarthExplorer: Apr 18, 1952 @ 23,600; AR1UH0000020013

Group participant posted three images with the comment: "National Tube/US Steel Ellwood Works. Acquired by INCO in the late 70s to form INMETCO. Still operating today."

Brian Olson: I thought US Steel in Ellwood produced stainless steel tubing. I was under the impression Inmetco ran a submerged arch furnace and was a waste recovery operation.

Group participant: Brian Olson You are correct, I should’ve clarified that it is no longer a tube mill, however it’s still producing steel.

Robert Cody: This plant was USS when it closed in 1973 or 4. It was an industrial park for a while. I think most of the companies have moved out or shut down. A lot of it has been demolished. INMETCO is still there and running.

1

2

3
Steve Dunn shared
Robert Cody: I worked in the building just right of center near the large stack. In the picture, that was the boiler/power house. I worked in the powerhouse section after the mill closed. It was a small fabrication and machine shop. That building as well as many more still stand in 2022.

Dave Alters posted, cropped
Pouring hogs in the background after casting some..probably 5 years ago. Ellwood City, Pa