Cement Industry
Cement
became another new and important industry for our
state. In 1871, it was discovered that limestone could be ground
into a fine powder andmade into cement. This powder is
combined with water, small stones, sand and gravel tomake
concrete. Our state had abundant supplies of these
natural resources. Later, concrete became useful in the
construction of buildings, tunnels, dams, and the
paving of roads. In eastern Pennsylvania, the
Lehigh Valley became the leading cement
producing area in the United States. Today,
Pennsylvania is one of the top cement
producing states in the United States.
Glass Industry
As early as 1795, glass was being
produced in small amounts in Pittsburgh.
The rawmaterials for producing glass –
sand and cheap fuel—were found in
this region. Another factor that made
Pittsburgh an ideal location for glass
production was its inland river system.
Glass products could be transported
in all directions. At one point in time
there were 70 glass factories in the
Pittsburgh region. By 1870,
Pittsburgh factories produced
one-half (50%) of the glass
products in the United States.
In 1883,
John Ford
and
John
Pitcairn
built a glass factory in
Creighton along the Allegheny
River. Their business was
called the Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Company. In 1895,
the company wasmoved to
Pittsburgh. This company
has grown into amajor
global supplier of glass
products. In addition,
the name of the company
was changed to
PPG
Industries
to reflect the
variety of products
(paints and chemicals)
it now produces.
L
ET
’
S
R
EVIEW
1. Name three inventions for which George
Westinghouse is known.
2. What industry did John Rockefeller start?
3. What industry did Charles Hall begin?
4. Name at least two other products for which
Pennsylvania was a leading producer of during the
Industrial Revolution?
5. For what are John Ford and John Pitcairn known?
The twomost important rawmaterials for producing
glass—sand and cheap fuel - were found in the
Pittsburgh area. By 1870, half of our country’s glass
products were produced in this region. Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Company, established in 1883, was the first to
successfully produce the flat glass we nowuse in
windows, car windshields, andmany other products.
PPG Industries, as it is nowknown, later began using
locally-produced natural gas, an innovation that spurred
the wider industrial use of this cleaner burning fuel.
Railroads Grow as New Industries Emerge
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