"If a very complicated matter like the steel-life can be compounded in a
phrase, it had been done by the third-helper on Six. On the day we had thrown manganese
into a boiling ladle, in a temperature of 130°, he had turned to me slowly and summed
it all up. 'To hell with the money,' he said; 'no can live!"'
Steel: The Diary of a Furnace Worker, Charles Rumford
Walker, 1922
The heat, the danger, the long hours, and the low pay made the steel industry
a tough place to work. Workers had to have heart, strength, and will to work in steel.
This exhibit examines labor in the steel industry, from Colonial America to the present
day, focusing on working conditions and minority groups like immigrants, African Americans,
and women. We hope you enjoy it!
