<p>New York City-born William Pigott (1860-1929) founded two of Seattle's major industrial enterprises, Seattle Steel Company and Seattle Car Manufacturing Company (later Pacific Car and Foundry Company, or PACCAR). Seattle Steel Company (later Bethlehem Steel Company and Birmingham Steel Company) began operations in 1905 on 55 acres of tide flats in Humphrey (later Youngstown and West Seattle). The steel and shipbuilding company became America's second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder until a decline in the American steel industry and other problems led to the company's bankruptcy in 2001.
In this image taken facing south, the newly built Bethlehem Steel plant is seen on Elliott Bay near where today's West Waterway flows around Harbor Island and into the Duwamish River. The smaller building at right is the original plant office. </p>
<p>Caption information source: "Pigott, William (1860-1929)" by David Wilma, HistoryLink.org Essay 3177
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.</p>
<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Railroad tracks--Washington (State)--Saettle; Steel industry--Washington (State)--Seattle</li></ul>
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Webster &amp; Stevens</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>