There are a number of important dates that one could celebrate as the beginning of Bethlehem Steel. There’s the ground-breaking in 1860, the opening of the first blast furnace in 1863, and the day it became the Bethlehem Iron Company in 1861. But before that, a small company called Saucona Iron Company was officially chartered on this date (April 8, 1857) 162 years ago today. Being “chartered” means that is the date the legal documents were officially filed and recognized, making it an official company. Saucona Iron Company would of course become the Bethlehem Iron Company and then the international force known as Bethlehem Steel. See more about the earliest days of Bethlehem Steel here.
And see more local history at our Bethlehem timeline at bapl.org. Happy Bethlehem Steel Day!
Bethlehem Iron Company in 1879