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For Immediate Release WEIRTON, W.VA. – Weirton Steel Corp.’s rich heritage has earned it mention in two newly published books, "River on a Rampage: the 1936 Flood from Chester to Marietta," and "Cabooses: Display and Private Owner Cars." "River on a Rampage," authored by Caldwell, Ohio, resident Roger Pickenpaugh, chronicles the devastation of the 1936 flood and the "neighbor-helping-neighbor" mind set that aided Upper Ohio Valley residents in rebuilding their shattered lives. This included the heroic efforts of workers at Weirton Steel’s Steubenville Plant, who worked tirelessly to raise the company’s then-new continuous tin mills 10 feet to avoid the flood waters. The workers’ efforts, which news accounts noted were completed as the flood waters reached the plant, saved expensive steelmaking machinery valued at more than $10 million. After the flood waters receded, many workers returned to the plant to put the equipment back in place and resume production. Across the Ohio River in Weirton, the company’s main plant made national news "by doing nothing more than remaining in operation," Pickenpaugh writes. "It was the only steel plant in the region to do so." Included in the 110-page book are recollections by 80 area residents who lived through the flood, as well as photographs of flood-stricken homes and landmarks in the Holliday’s Cove section of Weirton and surrounding communities. "Cabooses" author Dwight Jones, meanwhile, pays tribute to the historic significance of railroad cabooses, including nine owned by Weirton Steel. The company maintains its own diesel switcher fleet operating along some 115 miles of track. A photo of each of the company’s cabooses he profiled is included in the 80-page book. "The men and women of Weirton Steel have a long history of serving their community and their workplace," said John Walker, Weirton Steel president and chief executive officer. "Time after time they’ve stepped up to do not just what had to be done, but also what others sometimes said couldn’t be done. These books are a reminder of all the sacrifices, hard work and dedication that, over the years, have helped shape Weirton Steel." Weirton Steel was founded in 1909 by visionary Ernest T. Weir. Weir and his business partner, James Phillips, purchased a tin mill in Clarksburg, W.Va., 1905 and moved it four years later to Holliday’s Cove, giving birth to Weirton’s steel dynasty. In 1918 Weir, then operating 50 hot mills in three locations, restructured the facility to form Weirton Steel Company. The company merged with Detroit’s Michigan Steel and Cleveland’s M.A. Hanna Steel in 1929 to form National Steel Corp., a relationship that endured until March 1982 when National announced it no longer would invest capital in its Weirton division. Nearly two years later, after months of research, negotiations and informational meetings, Weirton’s employees voted to buy the company from National through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Gregg Warren, Weirton Steel spokesman, said the Weirton Steel story is an natural for historians and film makers, who often approach the company for assistance in compiling information or archival film footage and photographs of important events or mill scenes. "We always try to accommodate their requests, whether it’s for a news article or a documentary," Warren said. "We have a long history of helping historians bring the Weirton Steel story to life. It’s an opportunity for us to help people who may not be familiar with the steel industry or understand its role, not just in our community but also in our nation’s development and future." Copies of "River on a Rampage" may be purchased locally Giant Eagle in New Cumberland, at Words and Music at Stratford Springs in Wheeling or by writing to Roger Pickenpaugh, 501 Oaklawn, Caldwell, OH, 43724. For more information on "Cabooses," write to Dwight Jones, 536 Clairbrook Ave., Columbus, OH, 43228, or, e-mail him at csxcaboose@msn.com.
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