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Current Exhibit:

WWII In The Steel Industry

In the wake of World War II, the amount of steel produced would nearly double, even before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Buffalo received over five billion dollars in war contracts. Bethlehem Steel,  Republic Steel, Wickwire-Spencer, Symington-Gould, Ryerson Steel, and many other companies in the region focused on military production. These companies produced everything from wiring, bolts, and other parts used in tanks, planes, and warships.

Bethlehem Steel was manufacturing nearly 10,000 tons of steel a day. There were more than 450,000 Western New Yorkers in the labor force, earning over $10 million in weekly wages. Production increases and the need for a larger workforce brought more women and minorities into the steel industry than ever before.