Part 3/10:
The first blast furnace opened in 1861, and over the next few years, others followed suit. Bethlehem Steel initially focused on producing rail ties, bolstering the country’s growth and westward expansion. John F. Fritz, a key figure in the plant's history, earned the title of "father of American steel," having introduced advanced European steel production techniques to the U.S. His innovations included the three-high rolling process, which produced stronger steel rails, and the transition to the open hearth method from the less efficient Bessemer process.