Northwestern Steel and Wire
Northwestern Steel and Wire, based in the Sterling/Rock Falls, Illinois area began in 1879 as Northwestern Barbed Wire. This company manufactured barbed wire, other kinds of wire, and nails. Although the company went through some rough patches in the early years of the 20th century, by the late 1930s business was strong and the company was healthy. In 1938, the company purchased two electric furnaces and began making low-carbon steel This new addition changed the company's name to Northwestern Steel and Wire.
World War II ramped up the company's business even more, and two additional 50-ton electric furnaces were obtained to help keep up with the demand. After the war, the need for steel and steel products continued to explode, and in 1950 two 150-ton furnaces were added to the company's arsenal. In 1968, a 250-ton furnace was purchased, followed by two 400-ton Electro-Melt furnaces in the early 1970s. These last two were the largest electric furnaces in the world. In 1979, another furnace was upgraded to 400 tons.
Northwestern Steel was at its peak in 1980, when it employed almost 5,000 people. At the time, it was the largest employer in Whiteside County. However, business declined throughout the 1980s and '90s, as Northwestern suffered from the same ills that afflicted much of the rest of the American steel industry. The company's major challenge was competition from much cheaper imported steel.
In 1998, the company ceased production of many of its products and laid off one-quarter of its workforce. In 2001, the plant closed down completely. In 2006, a developer purchased the property with plans to subdivide it for various industrial and commercial uses.
Like most other steel mills in the United States, workers at Northwestern Steel and Wire were most likely exposed to varying levels of asbestos and other toxic and possibly cancer-causing substances. Because of its strength, flexibility, and extreme heat- and fire-resistant properties, asbestos was used in many areas of steel mills including pipes, furnaces, boilers, and ladles. Workers' safety clothing was also usually made of asbestos, as well as protective blankets that workers handled. By breathing asbestos fibers for a prolonged period, workers put themselves at risk to develop lung diseases such as mesothelioma.
Last modified: December 12 2007.
