About
Midland, Pennsylvania and the surrounding boroughs of Industry and Ohioville were thriving centers of industry in the 1970s and early 1980s. Houses were built on the hills above the Ohio River, businesses set up shop, and schools and a library were erected. At the heart of all of this was the Crucible Stainless and Alloy Division of Colt Industries steel mill.
In 1980, Crucible employed at least 5,500 people, and the Borough of Midland received $110,000 in wage taxes in 1981. The prosperity could not last, though. With competition from foreign steel manufactures, Crucible could not continue to afford to keep the mill open. Colt Industries officially closed the mill on October 15, 1982, leaving thousands of people without work.
Closing Crucible is an oral history project through the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation. These are the stories of the people who had to find new jobs and adjust to life without Crucible. They are ex-mill workers, business owners, church members, mothers, fathers and children. Listen to memories, look at photos, and think about the consequenses of closing Crucible.