Republic Steel
Republic Steel was once the third largest
steel producer in the
United States.
The
Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in
Youngstown, Ohio, in
1899.
In
1927 Cyrus Eaton acquired and combined Republic with several other small steel companies, with the goal of becoming large enough to rival the
United States Steel Corporation. The
Great Depression made things difficult, but eventually the newly named
Republic Steel Corporation became America's third largest steel company, trailing only U.S. Steel and
Bethlehem Steel. Its headquarters was in
Cleveland, Ohio.
Republic Steel was notable for its labor problems during this time, as evidenced by the
1937 documentary film
Republic Steel Strike Riot Newsreel Footage, but relations improved after
World War II.
Republic Steel was one of the last major steel firms to use low-phosphorus
Adirondack magnetites, operating the Chateaugay Ore & Iron Company in
Lyon Mountain, New York in 1939-1967. The Chateaugay mine was one of the deepest commercial iron ore mines in the United States, with stopes as much as 3,500 feet (1,050 m) below the surface.
Republic Steel remained prosperous until the 1970s, when rising foreign imports, labor costs, and other issues caused severe stress at Republic and throughout the American steel industry.
In 1984, Republic merged into the
Jones and Laughlin Steel subsidiary of the
LTV Corporation, with the new entity being known as LTV Steel.
In December 2001 LTV filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy, and a few months later
International Steel Group purchased LTV.
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Western Reserve Historical Society history
