Description: Dated ca. 1935, this aerial photograph shows the American Rolling Mill Company's Central Works, Armco Research facilities. The buildings shown here were destroyed in a terrible explosion on December 27, 1935, resulting in $75,000 in loss. Armco was originally a Cincinnati steel roofing company, and moved to Middletown in 1901 to produce rolled steel sheets. In 1904, a shop committee, early predecessor to a trade union, was established by the plant's workers. A 1921 innovation in coiling sheet steel led to a boom in production; the company became Armco Inc. in 1978, and merged with AK Steel in 1999. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F09_010_1
Subjects: American Rolling Mill Company; Steel-works--Ohio--Pictorial works; Industries--Ohio--Butler County; Factories--History; United States. Work Projects Administration (Ohio)
Places: Middletown(Ohio); Butler county(Ohio); Warren county(Ohio)
 

Description: Dated to the 1930s or 1940s, this aerial photograph shows Armco East Side Works in Middletown, Ohio. Armco was born a Cincinnati steel roofing company, and moved to Middletown in 1901 to produce rolled steel sheets. In 1904, the plant's workers established a shop committee, an early predecessor to a trade union. A 1921 innovation in coiling sheet steel led to a boom in production; the company became Armco Inc. in 1978, and merged with AK Steel in 1999. A note on the photograph's reverse reads "A new wide-cold-reduction Mill at East Works-Armco, nearing completion, representing investment of approx. four million dollars, Note the private tracks for Railway transportation to both mills. A complete History of Armco ready for mailing May 1, 1936. Armco East Side Works. Middletown, Ohio." This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F12_013_1
Subjects: American Rolling Mill Company; Steel-works--Ohio--Pictorial works; Industries--Ohio--Butler County; Factories--History; United States. Work Projects Administration (Ohio)
Places: Middletown(Ohio); Butler county(Ohio); Warren county(Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows two men operating a calendar stack at the Champion Paper & Fibre Co. in Hamilton, Ohio. The Champion Paper and Fibre Company Plant was located at 601-619 NB Street in Hamilton, Ohio and covered approximately 60 acres along the Great Miami River. One of the largest coated-paper plants in the world, it began in 1893 by Peter G. Thomson (1851-1931) and was originally called Champion Coated Paper Company. The plant in Hamilton was built around 1902 and more buildings were added over the years as the company continued to prosper. In 1989, the Hamilton mill became the first paper mill in North America to recycle 100% of its solid papermaking waste and boiler ash, and the following year was awarded an environmental award for its efforts. In 2000, the Champion name disappeared as the company merged with International Paper Company. In 2001 the B Street mill was sold to Smart Paper LLC and continued to operate. Miami University bought several buildings in 2002. In 2004, the Knightsbridge property (in Hamilton) was sold to Harry T. Wilks who in turn sold it to Mahedra Vora and Timothy B. Matthews, who then turned the building into Vora Technology Park, a disaster recovery back-up data center. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B07F12_016_1
Subjects: Industries--Ohio--Butler County; Thomson, Peter G. (Peter Gibson), 1851-1931; Champion Coated Paper Company; Champion Paper and Fibre Company; Paper mills--United States; Paper mills Equipment and supplies
Places: Hamilton (Ohio); Butler County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated November 1940, this photograph shows a man operating a large paper machine at the Champion Paper and Fibre Company in Hamilton, Ohio. The Champion Paper and Fibre Company Plant was located at 601-619 NB Street in Hamilton, Ohio and covered approximately 60 acres along the Great Miami River. One of the largest coated-paper plants in the world, it began in 1893 by Peter G. Thomson (1851-1931) and was originally called Champion Coated Paper Company. The plant in Hamilton was built around 1902 and more buildings were added over the years as the company continued to prosper. In 1989, the Hamilton mill became the first paper mill in North America to recycle 100% of its solid papermaking waste and boiler ash, and the following year was awarded an environmental award for its efforts. In 2000, the Champion name disappeared as the company merged with International Paper Company. In 2001 the B Street mill was sold to Smart Paper LLC and continued to operate. Miami University bought several buildings in 2002. In 2004, the Knightsbridge property (in Hamilton) was sold to Harry T. Wilks who in turn sold it to Mahedra Vora and Timothy B. Matthews, who then turned the building into Vora Technology Park, a disaster recovery back-up data center. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B08F01_012_001
Subjects: Paper mills--United States; Workers; Industries--Ohio--Butler County; Thomson, Peter G. (Peter Gibson), 1851-1931; Champion Coated Paper Company; Champion Paper and Fibre Company; Paper mills--United States; Paper mills Equipment and supplies
Places: Hamilton (Ohio); Butler County (Ohio)