Middletown was already an industrial city in 1900 when ground was broken at Doty’s Grove for the new steel company. There were 10 paper companies, five tobacco firms and a growing company manufacturing bicycles.
From its beginning, the American Rolling Mill Company, later shortened to Armco, was unique. It was the first fully integrated steel company in the U.S., converting ore to iron, then steel, to fabricated product. Capitalized with only $500,000, Armco was the country’s smallest steel company just before J.P. Morgan formed U.S. Steel, America’s largest steel company, which was capitalized with $1.4 billion.
“The efforts of the Middletown Historical Society to preserve this history began in 1999, as AK Steel Holdings, which had begun in 1994, was set to acquire Armco Inc., its former parent company,” Ashworth said.
He knew there were archives from the company’s history stored in the research department, and he felt that that there was some danger of these archives being destroyed as the new company took over.
“By 1999, I was on the board of the Middletown Historical Society and was hired to be the director,” Ashworth said. “I contacted Armco Research and made arrangements to receive over 50 boxes and file cabinets of materials.
“Later that year the society hired a part-time archivist and she began working with a corps of volunteers to accession the Armco collection. That work continues today with a dedicated group of retired Armco mill workers.”
Armco’s success was achieved by meeting the needs of emerging markets in the new 20th century including automobiles, home appliances, electrical generators and motors and stainless-steel products.
As the company grew, it became more involved in the community. Armco’s founder, George M. Verity, encouraged his employees, both labor and management, to help the community improve by volunteering in organizations, schools and churches.
“It is this rich heritage that has inspired me to devote the last 30 years to collecting, preserving and exhibiting the history of Armco/AK Steel and Middletown,” Ashworth said. “The work will continue even as the company changes. Over the years we have had several historians, writers and interested citizens request information about the company, reinforcing our continuing work of preservation. In addition, Armco/AK Steel has been a very supportive partner in these efforts.
“It is the mission of the Middletown Historical Society to continue the work of preserving this history.”
After graduating from Miami University in 1964, Ashworth worked for Armco from 1964 to 1979 as a designer in the company’s internal advertising department. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969, in 1979, he started his own graphic design studio, and he played the trombone since the fifth grade in both amateur and professional bands.
Ashworth was the director of the Middletown Historical Society from 1998 to 2007 and is a past board president.
Contact this writer: hirl54bel@gmail.com
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