In 1909, Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation (J&L), which already had a mill on the south side of Pittsburgh, wanted to expand, so it purchased land along the Ohio River near the town of Woodlawn about 25 miles downriver from Pittsburgh. The company expanded the town, building homes and businesses to accommodate the workers of what would become the largest steel mill in the world, stretching for 7 miles along the riverfront.
Renamed Aliquippa in 1928, the town began to thrive, and in the early 1940s, the population swelled to more than 27,000, and as many as 9,000 people were employed at the J&L Aliquippa Works.
The beginning of the economic disaster came in 1984. LTV Corp., which was formed when J&L merged with Republic Steel, closed most of the Aliquippa Works, immediately laying off about 8,000 workers. It was not surprising, since most of the other steel plants in the region had already shuttered or cut operations. But the impact of workers leaving the area to look for work and the skyrocketing unemployment decimated the local economy. It was not long before the tax base followed as LTV Corp. sought and received drastic tax revaluations of its real-estate holdings.
As a result, Aliquippa’s population dropped to 11,734, according to the 2000 census. Today the population hovers just above 9,000.
Some of the old-timers still long for the good old days and talk about how things will be when the mill comes back, but most people realize those days are gone. Most of the storefronts along Franklin Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare, are still boarded up, and a lot of empty lots remain between the buildings.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”1000px” img=”http://searchingfordreamstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/pitt-edit-20.02.jpg” align=”center” lightbox=”off” caption=”United States Gypsum, a manufacturer of construction wallboard and building materials for the construction industries now occupies a part of the former location of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company along the Ohio River in Aliquippa, Pa.” captionposition=”left”]
Recently, the city attracted United States Gypsum, which built a plant on part of the former J&L site along the Ohio River. While the new company has not replace jobs on the scale of those that were lost when the J&L closed, it is a beginning. A lot of land remains vacant on the old mill site — along the river and a rail line. It is a prime spot for new industry, such as a car manufacturer.
The residents understand that the city needs to attract more businesses and jobs if Aliquippa is to fully recover. New businesses will raise the tax base and provide funds to rebuild the decaying infrastructure. The people of Aliquippa are strong, resilient and proud of their heritage. They are doing their best in difficult times and continue to press forward.
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The turn of the century from the 1800’s into the 1900’s was bad timing for the American Laborer. The Civil War took it’s toll out of the American born workforce forcing Industrialists to look over seas for skilled workers. Post WWI and Eastern Europe was being raped by the Russians (post WWI). The influx of Eastern European skilled labor saved America’s ass allowing the plants to maintain their quotas. In the coal region (anthracite) was high in demand, actually, to fuel the steel mills. It has been well documented about how the coal miners were introduced to American Society-pretty much indentured slaves bonded to the Robber Barons of the Anthracite Coal Fields in North Eastern Pennsylvania.
My question is and… I am not belittling any contributions from the steel workers, I haven’t heard any stories from that period of the steel workers compared to the coal miners. But I want to know if immigrant life the same as the coal miners endured in Eastern Pennsylvania/west Virginia/Kentucky?
If someone could direct me to further reading or visual media on this subject, I thank you in advance.
Thanks,
rs
You are looking for history and stories on the coal miners in the region?
Walked in the San Rocco Parade and worked 11 years in J & L Steel Mill.
Hey Ken. Thanks for looking!
Aliquippa is a shell of itself, but somehow still strives to be better
Did you live on Rambler Dr. In Sheffield Heights? My dad was Danny Forte. Please respond to mlforte@verizon.net. looking for pictures of downtown Aliquippa from about 1962 to 1974. Any pictures of JFK in 1962 when he came to aliquippa?
This is amazing work. Born across and down river, Freedom. Was on a text thread with my Quip buddies and one is going to work for a tube company through the Main Gate and I was trying to recall the name of the Main Gate bar. And that’s how I found this link. Thrilled that I did. Can’t wait to see more of your work.
Thanks Jon. You can see more of the project here: https://americanreportage.com/tw-portfolio/searching-for-dream-street/