When did South Works close?

1992
In the early 2000s, USX began selling large portions of the former South Works plant, closed permanently in 1992, to industrial developers.

When did US Steel South Works close?

April 10, 1992
However, the prosperity did not last forever, and due mainly to market forces affecting the entire United States steel industry, the South Works began a long period of downsizing beginning in the 1970s. Finally, on April 10, 1992, the doors closed for good.

When did the steel mills close in Chicago?

These hulks of concrete are the silent remnants of the U.S. Steel South Works production plant—an industrial behemoth that, in its heyday, employed more than 20,000 residents of the Chicago area. Though the plant shut down in 1992, the 30-foot-tall walls endure.

Where is the Lakeside neighborhood in Chicago?

Lakeside is located between 79th and 87th Street on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Are there still steel mills in Chicago?

South Works is an area in the South Chicago part of Chicago, Illinois, near the mouth of the Calumet River, that was previously home to a now-closed and vacant US Steel manufacturing plant. The area is called “South Works” because that was the name of the now-shuttered steel plant.

Why did the steel mills close in Chicago?

The sudden decline of American steel stunned the employees of mills across the Chicago area. Between 1979 and 1986, about 16,000 Chicago-area steelworkers lost their jobs. Wisconsin Steel closed abruptly in 1980 after attempts at a financial bailout failed.

When was US Steel Gary built?

1906
For many years, the Gary Works Plant was the world-largest steel mill and it remains the largest integrated mill in North America. It was built in 1906 and has been operating since June 28, 1908.

How many factories are in Chicago?

The total manufacturing employment in Chicago, Illinois, is 420,000, and the manufacturing output in 2019 was $74.5 billion, the second-largest in the nation, by employment and third by output. The Chicago metro area has the second-highest count of manufacturing business establishments in the US, with 11,968 companies.

Did immigrants work in steel mills?

Many European immigrants without industrial skills flooded into American factories and steel mills. These “new comer’s” came in search of better economic opportunity, which paved the way for Heavy, low paying labor that became the job description of the era for many immigrants.