Lehigh Crane Iron Company

Lehigh Crane Iron Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Iron production
Founded	1839
Founder	Josiah White, Erskine Hazard
Defunct	1899
Fate	Acquired by Empire Steel and Iron Company
Successor	Crane Works (Empire Steel and Iron Company)
Headquarters	Catasauqua , United States
Area served	Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, United States
Key people	David Thomas (ironmaster)
Products	Cast iron, pig iron
Owner	Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (originally)

The Lehigh Crane Iron Company, which later became known simply as the Crane Iron Company, stood as a prominent iron producer in the Lehigh Valley from its inception in 1839 until it was sold in 1899. Based in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, the enterprise was founded by businessmen Josiah White and Erskine Hazard, who supported its expansion through their ownership of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. This firm was a trailblazer in utilizing anthracite coal for smelting iron ore, an innovative and economical method that replaced costly charcoal or coke, thereby greatly enhancing industrial efficiency in the United States.

The company’s name honored George Crane, a British foundry owner, and it enlisted ironmaster David Thomas—a pivotal figure in implementing the novel hot blast smelting technology—to oversee operations. Thomas’s skills made it possible to produce superior cast and pig iron suitable for steel manufacturing, establishing Crane Iron as a leading entity in the sector. Prior to his relocation to America to set up the ironworks, LC&NC’s Hazard had already made Thomas a partner.

By 1840, Crane Iron had commissioned its initial blast furnace on carefully selected terrain near the Lehigh Gap, chosen for its abundant water power and proximity to ore deposits. The company quickly gained recognition for effective iron production and expanded its holdings over the years by acquiring mines throughout the Lehigh Valley and northern New Jersey, while consolidating nearby furnaces. Additionally, investments were made in railroads to facilitate limestone and ore transport to its facilities.

As demand for pig iron diminished, Crane divested most of its railroad assets by 1896. In an effort to compete with Minnesota’s iron mining industry, it took part in Thomas Edison’s experimental magnetic ore beneficiation project; however, Edison’s endeavor did not prove financially viable. In 1899, Empire Steel and Iron Company—a conglomerate of Eastern and Southern furnaces—purchased Crane Iron. The Crane Works ceased iron production by 1930 and were dismantled two years later.

History

In 1837, the Yniscedwyn Works located in Wales became the first British ironworks to commercially produce anthracite iron using the hot blast technique. Owned by George Crane and managed by David Thomas, this breakthrough drew attention from the American Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (LC&N). They recruited Thomas to replicate this process in the United States, founding the Crane Iron Company in 1839 with support from LC&N through land grants and water power rights.

Construction of the first blast furnace commenced in August 1839 at Catasauqua. It delivered its inaugural iron output on July 4, 1840, producing 1,080 tons before flooding forced a shutdown in 1841. Additional furnaces increased capacity: Furnace No. 2 was built in 1842 incorporating waste gas heating; Furnaces Nos. 3, 4, and 5 followed through 1849. The raw materials comprised locally sourced limonite and magnetite from Pennsylvania and New Jersey mines, while anthracite coal was supplied by LC&N.

Expansion

In 1855, David Thomas departed from Crane Iron to head Thomas Iron Company; his son John Thomas took over before also moving to Thomas Iron, succeeded thereafter by Joshua Hunt. The success of Crane Iron prompted a mining surge in Lehigh County with more than 260 mines opening.

To enhance ore transportation, Crane and Thomas Iron sought a railroad charter but encountered resistance. Instead, they launched the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad, transitioning from a plank road established in 1853 into an operational rail line by 1857 that connected major mines and later linked to principal railroads by the mid-1860s. Furnace upgrades included constructing Furnace No. 6 stack in 1868 and installing advanced heat exchangers in 1877. Despite setbacks such as the Panic of 1873 and furnace collapses, new stacks were erected into the early 1880s.

The company built an extensive internal railroad system exceeding , which connected with key regional railroads to streamline logistics. In 1872, it adopted the name Crane Iron Company and received authorization to construct additional rail lines for slag removal and further connections.

By the late nineteenth century, Crane Iron leased its railroad operations to the Reading Railroad and divested its shares by 1896. The firm also participated in experimental magnetic beneficiation with Thomas Edison aiming to rejuvenate local magnetite mining but ultimately could not match the low costs of Mesabi Range ores.

In 1899, Empire Steel and Iron Company acquired Crane Iron, renaming it their Crane Works. Production gradually wound down with final iron output occurring in 1930 before dismantling completed by 1932.

See also

• Crane Railroad