9 ▁to ▁introduce ▁hot ▁bl ast ▁iron ▁making ▁in ▁the ▁Le high ▁Valley , ▁and ▁now ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁an ▁independent ▁iron making ▁vent ure . ▁The ▁company ' s ▁main ▁and ▁original ▁plant ▁was ▁in ▁H ok end au qua , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁which ▁grew ▁up ▁around ▁it ; ▁it ▁also ▁came ▁to ▁own ▁bl ast ▁furn aces ▁and ▁rail ro ads ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁Le high ▁Valley ▁and ▁mines ▁in ▁both ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁Ch anges ▁in ▁the ▁iron ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁Tw enti eth ▁Century ▁left ▁Thomas ▁Iron ▁struggling ▁to ▁comp ete , ▁and ▁after ▁a ▁failed ▁attempt ▁at ▁modern ization ▁and ▁rev ival ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁the ▁company ' s ▁assets ▁were ▁sold ▁and ▁largely ▁dis m ant led ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁David ▁Thomas , ▁a ▁Wel sh ▁iron master , ▁had ▁been ▁brought ▁to ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁to ▁introduce ▁the ▁hot ▁bl ast ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁anth rac ite ▁iron ▁by ▁the ▁Le high ▁C rane ▁Iron ▁Company . ▁Thomas ▁project ed ▁his ▁own ▁company , ▁which ▁was ▁organized ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁and ▁char tered ▁on ▁April ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 5 4 ; ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁his ▁honor . ▁Thomas ▁left ▁his ▁post ▁as ▁super int endent ▁at ▁Le high ▁C rane ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁his ▁son ▁David