Sparrows Point : Making Steel--The Rise and Ruin of American Industrial Might

by Mark Reutter

Book by Mark Reutter

484 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 20th Century, sometimes known as the American Century, was powered by steel. From its small time beginnings to its rise as a behemoth driver of industrial might, the steel mill at Sparrows Point, near Baltimore, reflects the growth of a nation. During the 1860s, steel mills fed the railroad's demand for tracks and rolling stock. By 1914 Sparrows Point had amassed enough political capital to supply Germany with armaments in spite of a policy of neutrality. During World War II Sparrows Point's workers out-produced the rest of the world in a patriotic frenzy that contributed to Allied victory. After the war ended, rusting armaments were reclaimed as scrap and added to the furnaces as raw material to produce more steel. In the 1950s the automobile industry rose, adding more demand. It seemed like the good times would never end. They did. By the 1960s tens of thousands had lost their jobs, their company houses, their company stores. Sparrows Point's stodgy management never looked forward. They didn't trust innovation. Food producers had discovered that aluminum cans worked as well and were cheaper than tin plated steel cans. Japan and Europe had adopted more efficient production techniques. Sparrows Point could not compete. The managers pampered themselves with inflated bonuses and blamed the workers for growing losses.

This book delves into industrial history, labor relations, economics, industrial accidents, pollution of the Chesapeake Bay and memories of steelworkers who lived through the times. It is a masterpiece, one of my all-time favorites.