Lukens Steel Mill - now ArcelorMittal - is the oldest continuous running steel mill in the Nation! It can trace its origin to 1793 when Issac Pennock founded The Founding Slitting Mill. He partnered with Jesse Kersey in 1810 forming the Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory. Pennock, after a few years, bought out Kersey, who by the way was the son in law of Coatesville founder Moses Coates. Pennock then leased it to his own son in law, Dr. Charles Lloyd Lukens. A year after Lukens became involved with the business, the company was the first US mill to produce boilerplates. Thus began their involvement with the shipping industry. Daddy didn't talk a lot about the mill but from time to time there would be some news story about a sub or a ship. He would make a comment like "It'll hold if that steel came from us!" Daddy was a UT inspector for years at the mill. After high school, the only time he wasn't working at the mill would have been when he was drafted an...
by Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman