This produced a steel that was resistant to extreme temperature, unlike those made from the Bessemer or acid open hearth processes.

[1] Its primary mill, built in 1901, was situated on a large landfill protruding out into Lake Michigan next to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal.

The steel mill's shoreline location enabled it to take in steelmaking commodities, such as iron ore, coal, and limestone, by lake freighter.

Viewed as the most left-leaning of all steelworkers' unions, Local 1010 focused on improving workplace conditions and bargaining for benefits and wage increases for employees.

[7] Inland began to secure their own primary materials with the lease of land in Minnesota's Laura Iron Mine from 1906.

[17] By World War II, the Chicago-area steelmaker had 14,000 employees and was producing 3.4 million tons (3.0m tonnes) per year.

The following year, a new research lab was opened in East Chicago and Philip D. Block, Jr. took over the leadership of Inland from cousin Joseph L.

In 1971, the role of President of Inland Steel passed to Michael Tenenbaum, who further coordinated the technical aspects of the company and wrote extensively on air pollution and energy conservation.

This strategic partnership gave the company access to Japanese automakers based in the U.S., but profitability continued to be difficult to attain.

[46] Ten open hearth furnaces, 20 soaking pits, a 40" blooming mill, and new docks were also installed in the second plant.

Inland was responsible for introducing a water supply, sanitation, and paved roads into the mine's nearby town of Wheelwright, Kentucky.

[21] A large expenditure project modernized existing facilities and commissioned a new corporate headquarters building, which was completed in 1957.

[23] In partnership with Nippon Steel, the I/N Tek continuous cold rolling mill was built in New Carlisle, Indiana the following year.

In 1988, the parties entered into a second joint venture with the construction of the I/N Kote steel sheet galvanizing facility at the same site.

[49] Funded by vending machine profits at Indiana Harbor Works, Inland Athletic Association was formed in 1934.

Employees participated in team and individual competitive sports such as bowling, horseshoes, golf, baseball, softball, basketball, and tennis.

He would later become the first black person to sit at the negotiation table with Inland and the first in the U.S. to serve as chairman of a basic grievance committee of a steelworkers' union.

SWOC called for a nationwide strike on the "little steel" companies of Republic, Youngstown, Bethlehem, and Inland due to their refusals to sign contracts and allow collective bargaining.

[62] On May 30, a large number of members from Local 1010 arrived in South Chicago to support the striking workers at Republic Steel.

Among the dead were four Inland employees: Alfred Causey, Kenneth Reed, Earl Handley, and Sam Popovich.

A three-year contract signed in 1956 provided annual wage increases and paid holidays, but contained a no-strike clause.

This was also the year that Local 1010 joined the Coordinated Committee of Steel Companies (CCSC) for industrywide bargaining in wages and benefits.

In a 1924 collision with the Charles L. Hutchinson, both ships received minor damage, Two separate groundings in 1928 necessitated the replacement of parts in Escanaba, Michigan.

[83] Steamship Philip D. Block, also built at the American Ship Building Company of Lorain, entered service in 1925.

With two cranes mounted on the deck a length of 258 feet, she was capable of delivering steel products to most ports along the Great Lakes.

[88] In her two years as the largest ship on the lakes, Wilfred Sykes set five records for hauling the most tonnage of iron ore.[90] She had incidents of grounding in 1973, 1998, and 2002.

Except for the 1973 grounding that required a trip to drydock for repairs, Wilfred Sykes escaped these incidents with only superficial damage.

The Wilfred Sykes was one of several ships that joined the unsuccessful rescue efforts in the 1975 sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

[94] After the 1998 sale of Inland Steel, Wilfred Sykes came under the ownership of the Indiana Harbor Steamship Company and the management of Central Marine Logistics.

[98] Because she was designed for optimal service in transporting iron ore, the cargo hold of the Edward L Ryerson was smaller than other ships of comparable overall size and had a square bottom.