Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company

Tonawanda Iron Corporation on River Road, known also as Tonawanda Iron Works, Tonawanda Iron & Steel – Founded in 1873,

the original blast furnace was installed that year. A second blast furnace was put into operation in 1895, with President McKinley sending the spark to ignite the furnace by wireless from the White House, by remote control from Canton, Ohio. Tonawanda Iron was constructed by the Niagara Iron & Steel Company in 1873, becoming the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company in 1889. The plant and all major equipment was completely modernized and rebuilt in 1958. They made G-iron, a graphitized pig iron. Using a patented blast furnace process, they refined the grain structure of the pig iron through the final casting. This process improved machinability and helped overcome shrinkage and porosity between thin and heavy sections of metal. It became part of American Standard later. It specialized in just one product—a complete line of foundry, malleable and bessemer grades of pig iron. Being located on the Niagara River between Lakes Erie and Ontario, it had a natural exchange point for a flow of trade between the East and West. Iron ore was shipped in from the Mesabi and Michigan ranges and the mines of Labrador by lake boat and the Seaway. Merchant pig iron was shipped out by rail, highway, and water to feed the demand for pig iron in most all major cast iron producing areas of the country. It operated for 99 years until 1972, changing ownership several times. It had its own railroad with 4 miles of tracks on its property. Tonawanda Iron produced approximately 3,000 rail car loads of pig iron each year.

An early photograph of the Tonawanda Iron Works, before the automobile, which changed ownership several times in its 99 years of operation in the City of North Tonawanda.  The company had its own railroad with 4 miles of track on its property.  Two engines are visible, one directly above the horse and carriage, and a second one on the far right.

Tonawanda Iron was constructed by the Niagara Iron & Steel Company in 1873 and became the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company in 1889.  In 1895, a second blast furnace was put in operation.  President William McKinley sent the spark to ignite the furnace by wireless from the White House.  Tonawanda Iron, which produced approximately 3,000 rail car load of pig iron each year, closed its doors in 1972.

Tonawanda Iron and Steel