Incorporated in 1905, Ambridge was named after the American Bridge Company, which bought most of the land that belonged to the original Harmony Society settlers. Located just to the south and across the Ohio River from Aliquippa, American Bridge attracted thousands of immigrants to work in the steel mills that were the focal point of the town.
Ambridge became known for bridge building, metal molding, and the tube manufacturing. During World War II, the American Bridge Company fabricated steel that went into crafting Landing Ship Tanks.
MORE TO COME….
I graduated from Ambridge High in 1971, my father worked at Spangs/then Armco for 40 years, retiring in 1977 a few years before the steel industry started to collapse. Ambridge was a melting pot and Nationality Days was the showcase of all of the ethnic groups that settled there and worked in the steel mills. Almost every nationality had its own church and it was said that Ambridge had more churches and bars per capita than any other town. I moved out west after college and the last time I was back in the late 90’s, the town had changed for the worse.
I remember going to Nationality Days when they were going strong. Now they don’t even have them in the town. Sad to see them decline.