The Lehigh Valley Railroad
established the Bethlehem Iron Company in 1860 along the Lehigh River in
South Bethlehem. The Bethlehem Iron Company manufactured the largest
steel axle to date to support the first Ferris wheel at the 1893 World's
Fair. Bethlehem Iron Company became Bethlehem Steel in 1899. In 1904,
Charles Schwab incorporated the company, and ultimately, it became the
second-largest steelmaker in the United States. Bethlehem Steel built
battleships, such as the USS Massachusetts and USS Missouri, and
bridges, such as the Golden Gate and George Washington, and provided
steel for iconic structures, such as the US Supreme Court Building and
Madison Square Garden.
