BETHLEHEM, Pa. (WLVT) - Twenty-five years ago, the Lehigh Valley witnessed the end of an era.
"Although it's a sad anniversary of the shutdown of the plant, it's still great that we can still honor them some," says John Mikovitz, a former employee of Bethlehem Steel.
Bethlehem Steel rolled its last cast in 1995. Now, the land where the plant sits is used for art and cultural activities, a museum, casino and more.
The blast furnaces still tower over the Lehigh River, including Blast Furnace C, where the last cast was made.
Former employee Donald Young says the plant helped build structures around the world and win wars.
"In World War II, Bethlehem Steel did 1,127 major steel ships," he said. "Bethlehem Steel had shipyards on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts. We did a lot of military work and the armor plates and guns for those ships — rudder stocks for those ships — came from this plant."
A steelworkers' reunion is set for Saturday, Nov. 14, at the National Museum of Industrial History. It's one of several ongoing events in recognition of the 25th anniversary.
To find events being held by the National Museum of Industrial History and ArtsQuest , you can visit their web pages.