From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
A major part of any steel production facility is the blast furnace. The furnace is in the form of a tower which allows for a blast of compressed air to be introduced from below. The Helen Mine which opened in 1900 had to ship its ore to blast furnaces in Midland, Ontario.
In February of 1901 the construction of our local steelworks began, which included two small blast furnaces. However the plant closed in December of 1902 and did not reopen until 1904 when Blast Furnace No. 1 was completed and by March, Blast Furnace No.2 was commissioned.
In 1909, Algoma Steel underwent a major expansion and a third blast furnace was constructed. Algoma Steel would continue to expand adding blast furnaces, with No. 6 completed in July of 1953. Blast Furnace No. 7 was opened in May of 1975 and replaced the aging No. 3 and 4 furnaces.
Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
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