diVecchia Camillo DiVecchio Lucia diGiovine Patsy DiVecchio Frazzini Site Home

Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, Aliquippa Works
Aliquippa & Southern Railroad Company
The Pittsburgh and Lake Eire Railroad

This Page last updated on .

This page started on 21 Dec 2009.

In 1906, the Jones & Laughlin Steel Corporation began construction of a large steel mill complex next to the small town of Aliquippa, PA. The mill was located along the Ohio River. My father, Patsy DiVecchio,  worked at J&L from the middle 1930's until his retirement in 1979. He worked in the Pipe Shop for most of  the time. The mill was always a place for great paying summer jobs. I worked there in 1968 for one summer. I worked in the welded tube department as a 'hooker'. My job was hook up pipe that came off the production line to a crane and direct the crane operator to put the new pipe onto the correct rack. I had to then climb up the rack and unhook the load. You had to have young legs to do that!

The mills were always called the Aliquippa Works. The town of Aliquippa, which was founded at the site of an amusement park (called Aliquippa Park) dates from the late 1800's. In 1928, the much larger Woodlawn, PA and Aliquippa merged. What was Woodlawn became Aliquippa and what was Aliquippa became West Aliquippa. The mills were still called the Aliquippa works and Woodlawn disappeared.

The mills ran along the tracks of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. The P&LE was a subsidiary of the New York Central. (The Pennsylvania Railroad ran along the other bank of the Ohio River.)  West Aliquippa came to be called that because, as far as the P&LE was concerned, it was more western on its railroad line than Aliquippa.

The mill had its own in-house railroad, the Aliquippa & Southern Railroad. My grandfather, Camillo DiVecchio, worked for the A&S.

He are some postcards and photos that I have of the "Mill".


Early? 1906? Blast Furnaces being built?

Early?
Town name is Aliquippa but view is from the north which means the view is from what is now West Aliquippa. This dates the card to before the merger of Aliquippa and Woodlawn or before 1928. All the open space is another clue. By the 1950's almost every inch of ground was covered with buildings.

1980ca
"Panoramic view of the J & L Steel Mill, one of the world's largest, located in the heart of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania"

Fairly modern photograph. 1960's or 70's?

Tunnel at the Wye
Rolling Mill?
Seamless Tube?
Town name is Aliquippa so this photo is from after 1928.

Colorized Postcard of above photo.

General offices
Town name of Woodlawn dates this photo to before the merger of Aliquippa and Woodlawn or before 1928.
This building was used at Aliquippa Park. It was moved to its new location and a first floor was added under the original building.
In the photo right above this one, you can see this building at the left center. The building was torn down in the late 1990's.

Nighttime version of Postcard above.

Offies, Jones & Laughlin Steel Co.,Woodlawn, PA
Town name of Woodlawn dates this photo to before the merger of Aliquippa and Woodlawn or before 1928.

An aerial view of the North Mill, Aliquippa Works, showing blast furnaces (center) and BOF (upper left), ca 1970.
(Courtesy of Charles Fluharty from the book Portraits of Steel)
--click on photo for large version of photo--
P&LE tracks at the left. PRR tracks on the on the other side of the Ohio.

This postcard was sent to me by Bill Gaughan in Dec of 2011.

Dld steam engine that ran the Blooming Mill J&L Steel Aliquippa Works
Sent to me by Bill Gaughan in Dec 2011 who wrote:

I got this photo off a Blooming Mill foremen at the Hopewell vets about 15 years ago. I can't remember his last name.
Dick, got a senior moment. can't remember. Don't know much about when they tore it out. I think it took 2- 5000 HP.
electric motors to replace it. I don't know if the old boy is still around, if I see him I know he has alot of info.
2005

I took these photos on a trip to Aliquippa in 2005.


Demolition of the mill continues.
2005

Remaining building.
2005

Pump House along the Ohio River.
2005

Old A&S trackage.
2005

Historical marker at the main entrance to the mill.

Taken from the Henry Mancini bridge looking south. Main line of the P&LE. USG wallboard plant as replaced some (~2%) of the mill.

This was Crow Island until the channel in the Ohio River was filled in.

In 2010, Anthony Rubino sent me a couple links to photos that he took of the Mill in 2009:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82896&id=725157072&l=c8f60acf75
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82891&id=725157072&l=d4842e39b8

Aliquippa and Southern Railroad


The A&S was a subsidiary of J&L.


Photo taken about 2005

One of the few buildings remaining at the J&L site. I'm not sure if this was the headquarters of the A&S or not.

Closeup of sign on building

Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad


The P&LE ran from Pittsburgh to Erie. It was part of the New York Central.


Aliquippa P&LE Station

West Aliquippa P&LE Station
The tracks were behind the building, down the hill.

Emails

From:    <d.h.pagancomcast.net>
Subject:    J&L rod and wire dept.
Date:    Thu, 6 Jan 2011 15:04:35 -0500

HI, Great memories on your new site Mark. I worked in the rod and wire dept. as a craneman from 1964-1982 when it shut down. My family and I lived in Sunset Hills in Economy Boro. I now live in St.Augustine since 1983 and worked for Sherwin-Williams   since 1982. until recently when I retired, but work part-time for my son who is a G.C. I miss the people there and wish I knew what became of all those great guys. I check the BVT often and talk with my bud Jim Linko (seamless tube/Anthony Wayne Terrace) often and get some info.  His daughter had twins Dec. 10.

Any news will work Thanks Mark;
Dan “Jose” Pagan

J&L Pittsburgh Works

This postcard is titled to be the J&L Aliquippa Works but it is not. I believe that it may be the J&L Pittsburgh Works. In the center background, you can see the skyscrapers of downtown Pittsburgh. Those buildings would not be visible from Aliquippa.

From:    "robelamm" <robelammverizon.net>
Subject:    J&L
Date:    Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:24:34 -0400

HI, just wanted to say the last picture is of the Pittsburgh Works, J&L: If you look close in center of picture you can see the Hot Metal Bridge, that took hot metal to Southside Works, J&L. Also the track branching off to Panther Hollow.

REL

This site prepared and maintained by Mark DiVecchio

email :  markd@silogic.com
 
  DiVecchio HOME
Frazzini HOME
Site HOME 
  
Sign our Guestbook

.Visit the group by clicking here: SantEufemiaaMaiella.

Subscribe to the Sant'Eufemia a Maiella group
Powered by groups.yahoo.com

Document made with Nvu

If you can help with the expenses to develop this web site: