Submitted by Richard K. Fleischer
The Trumbull Cliffs blast furnace of the Trumbull Cliffs Iron Co. was built in 1921 by some investors from Cleveland. For ninety six years this structure was a prominent feature of the Warren skyline. The entire production of iron was sold to the Trumbull Steel Co. At some point, these two companies merged and later, about 1928, became a part of the Republic Steel Corporation.
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Trumbull Cliffs Iron Company– Blast Furnace – Location South Main Ave. The building of the Trumbull Cliffs blast furnace will result in a hiring of 650 to 700 employees. This will be a blast furnace capable of producing 600 tons of iron in a 24 hour period or 180,000 tons a year. The company will be known as the Trumbull Cliffs Iron Co. and the entire production of iron will go to the Trumbull Steel Co. (Tribune 5/7/1920) Compare to the 4 to 8 tons a day produced at Heaton’s Hopewell Furnace.
Ground was broken for the Trumbull Cliffs Furnace in August of 1920. The furnace was to be completed by June 1, 1921. When in operation the furnace will consume, on a daily basis, 24 rail car loads of ore (1200 tons), 26 car loads of coke, and 6 carloads of limestone.
The Trumbull Cliffs furnace will be the largest blast furnace in the Youngstown Steel District. The addition of this furnace will give the district a total of 47 blast furnaces. The Pittsburgh District has about 50. This is the first furnace built in the Mahoning Valley since the building of the Jeanette furnace at the Brier Hill Steel Co. that went into production on Sept. 20, 1918. (Tribune 2/7/1921)
In 1939, the Trumbull Cliffs blast furnace would be rebuilt and expanded, making it the largest blast furnace in the world. The furnace broke a world’s record for iron production in 1943, during WWII, for iron produced in a 24 hour period.
The furnace was demolished in 2017.
