For our May meeting this year, we were delighted to have Mike Piersa speak on the history of the metals industry in our region. Mike is a historian at the National Museum of Industrial History (www.nmih.org/).
The National Museum of Industrial History is located inside part of the former Bethlehem Steel mill in Bethlehem, PA. Mike graduated with a bachelor’s in history from Moravian College and a master’s in history from Lehigh University. He has been with NMIH for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the research and interpretation behind the museum’s collections as well as the relocation and restoration of historical industrial equipment both at the museum and at outside facilities.
A key player in the industrialization and growth of the United States was the metals industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The rich history of the industry will be explored in an illustrated presentation, tracing it from long-vanished early 19th century operations to names that are familiar today. This trip through time will unveil a surprising array of activity, technology, and products that made the region renowned throughout the world.