Utah Steel Company

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Utah Iron Ore & Steel Corporation (1915)

(The former Bingham Consolidated smelter site was already owned by the Rosenblatt family, having been purchased by their Utah Junk company in March 1913.)

1915
"In 1915, anticipating World War I needs, the Utah Iron Ore and Steel Corporation, later the Utah Steel Corporation, was formed to build a small steel plant in Midvale, Utah, a short distance south of Salt Lake City. By this time the Los Angeles Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad had been completed which made the iron ore in Iron County easily accessible if needed. The steel plant survived solely on Government contracts, so when the war ended, the contracts ended as did the steel plant." ("The Magnet, Iron Ore In Iron County" by Graham D. MacDonald, 1991, page 14)

Utah Iron Ore and Steel Corporation, later the Utah Steel Corporation, operated its two 75-ton open hearth furnaces at Midvale from 1916 to 1922. The plant was operated by Nathan Rosenblatt and his two sons, Morris and Simon. (Salt Lake Tribune, February 15, 1944)

(There was an earlier Utah Iron & Steel Corporation, incorporated in Maine in November 1904. The company had grand plans to purchase 5,000 acres of iron ore lands in southern Utah and compete with Colorado Fuel & Iron in Pueblo, and was reported as being associated with Senator W. A. Clark, who was building the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake railroad in the vicinity. The corporation was suspended on December 1, 1907 due to unpaid Maine franchise tax of $50.)

October 22, 1915
Utah Iron & Steel Corporation was incorporated. From the Ogden Standard-Examiner, October 23, 1915.

Steel Manufactory Incorporates In Zion - Salt Lake, Oct. 23. — The Utah Iron & Steel company, which is erecting a reduction plant at Midvale, filed articles of incorporation with the county clerk yesterday. It is capitalized for $500,000, with shares at $100 each.

While the principal aim of the company has been the handling of scrap iron in its Midvale plant, it is declared that it marks the beginning of a big new industry in Utah.

The purpose of the company, as set forth in the articles of incorporation, is to manufacture iron, steel, manganese, coke, copper and any articles consistent with these materials; also to build bridges, machinery and generally engage in the manufacture of iron and steel structures.

C. W. Whitley is president of the company; N. Rosenblatt, vice president; S. A. Whitney, treasurer; S. Rosenblatt, secretary. These, with W. S. McCornick, Lawrence Greene and M. Rosenblatt constitute the board of directors.

November 15, 1915
From the Salt Lake Herald, November 15, 1915.

Fifty tons daily is the present capacity of the Utah Iron & Steel company plant, located at Midvale, where work was recently started up. Relative to the present operations, the Midvale Messenger says:

The company will supply a long felt want in this section of the country. Users of iron and steel for building and manufacturing purposes in this part of the country can be supplied by this company on a few days' notice, where formerly they sent east for material and were compelled to wait from six weeks to two months to get the supply ordered.

At present the plant is making round and square iron of a quarter of an inch to four inches in diameter and flat material from one and one-eighth inch to eight by two inches. A twisting machine has been installed for the manufacture of concrete reinforcing bars, and by the first of January, 1916, they will be putting out mine rails of eight, twelve, sixteen, twenty, twenty-five and thirty pound weight per yard. Other equipment soon to be installed will be an open hearth steel furnace for the manufacture of carbon, sulphur and manganese required by contractors and engineers. In the early spring the company expects to be manufacturing structural angles for use in heavy construction work.

"The plant at present has a very substantial pay roll which will be increased in a year's time to a pay roll of $30,000 monthly," said Supt. A. W. Taylor. The officers of the company are C. W. Whitley, president and general manager; Morris Rosenblatt, vice president; S. Rosenblatt, secretary, and S. A. Whitley, treasurer. On the directorate of the company are W. S. McCornick, Lawrence Green and M. Rosenblatt.

January 30, 1916
"The Utah Iron & Steel company of Salt Lake is turning out about 30 tons daily of merchant bar steel in various shapes. The company at the present time has nearly $200,000 invested in its plant and is adding an open-hearth furnace to its equipment, which will cost about $75,000. It is expected to have this open-hearth furnace turning out steel before July. The latter furnace will also have a capacity of about 30 tons per day. When it is completed the company will manufacture channels, angles, I-beams and other structural steel shapes. This is the beginning of what will be an important industry in Utah." (Ogden Examiner, January 30, 1916)

November 24, 1916
"A new industry has recently been launched in Utah The Utah Iron & Steel company, whose manufacturing plant is located at Midvale, has secured contracts for 670 tons of iron bars to be shipped to Java and the Dutch East Indies." (Vernal Express, November 29, 1956, "40 years ago")

January 30, 1917
"The Utah Iron & Steel Company has purchased additional acreage adjoining its plant at Midvale, Utah, and in the spring will commence construction of a plant for the smelting of crude iron ores. The new smelter will cost about $300,000, and will provide employment for 100 men. The company, which has in the past confined its operations to the smelting of junk iron, recently turned from its mills the first steel rails ever manufactured in Utah. The new plans of the company mean the foundation of a new and important industry for the state." (Salt Lake Mining Review, January 30, 1917)

February 3, 1917
"Make Rails For Japan In Utah. - Rails for the construction of ten miles of line in Japan are being drawn at the plant o the Utah Iron & Steel company in Midvale. The plant is working night and day in an effort to complete the contract by the middle of this month. H. G. Parcell, manager for the company, stated that the company expects to commence soon the making of steel from Utah ore and to that end is experimenting with Iron county mineralized rock. If the experiments prove a success he said the capacity of the plant will be considerably increased." (Salt Lake Telegram, February 3, 1917)

March 7, 1917
"Will Enlarge Steel Plant. — Plans to enlarge the plant of the Utah Iron & Steel company, representing an expenditure of $300,000, are being developed by the directors of the company. The location and equipment of the Utah Consolidated Stone company has been acquired by the iron and steel organization and will be utilized in making the extensions." (Salt Lake Herald, March 7, 1917)

May 30, 1917
The Utah Iron & Steel company held its opening and flag raising ceremony on the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend. (Salt Lake Herald, May 30, 1917)

November 1, 1917
"The first open hearth steel ever poured in Utah amounted to 65,000 pounds and was poured at the new plant of the Utah Iron & Steel company at Midvale on the 1st inst. The starting of this furnace marks the beginning of a new industry in the State, one which is destined to bring millions of dollars into this section. The new plant has been under construction since early in the year, and the first work turned out is for the government." (Salt Lake Mining Review, November 15, 1917)

August 2, 1918
"The Utah Iron & Steel company is using an average of 4000 tons of scrap a month, or nearly 50,000 tons in a year's run. The plant of the company at Midvale is rolling steel into material for the shipbuilding plants on the coast of the Emergency Fleet corporation and is making rods for boat spikes, bolt stock, rivet stock and other material." (Salt Lake Herald, August 2, 1918)

August 23, 1918
Installation of a second open-hearth furnace was under way at the Utah Iron & Steel company in Midvale. The improvement would increase capacity from 2,000 tons per month, to 4,000 tons per month. (Wall Street Journal, August 23, 1918)

Utah Steel Corporation (1919-1922)

July 11, 1919
Utah Steel Corp. incorporated. "Development of the iron and steel industries of the state is the purpose of the Utah Steel company, which has just been incorporated. With a capital of $2,500,000 it takes over and consolidates the Utah Iron & Steel company and the Utah Junk company. Plants of both old concerns will be enlarged and the new company will begin extensive operations at once. The capacity of the two mills at the Midvale plant of the Utah Iron & Steel company will be materially increased, it is announced." (Deseret News, July 11, 1919)

February 1920
"The Utah Steel Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah, is planning for extensive additions and improvements in its rolling mill department during the present year. The work will comprise the installation of an oil-heated continuous billet heating furnace to replace two coal-fired furnaces now in service. This furnace will be used for the finishing mills; a new motor-driven finishing mill and electric-operated overhead traveling crane of 5-ton capacity, and new hotbed for the 8-inch mill will be installed." (Blast Furnace and Steel Plant, February 1920, page 175, "News of the Plants")

"Production needs of World War I led to the organization of the Utah Iron and Steel Company which was incorporated as the Utah Steel Corp. A plant was located at Midvale and had a single open hearth furnace with a daily capacity of 150 tons. A second furnace was later added. The close of World War I brought financial ruin to the enterprise." ('History of Provo.')

September 20, 1921
The Milner Corporation signed a contract with the newly organized Utah Steel Corporation, to furnish 10 million tons of iron ore from its deposits in Iron County, to the blast furnace and iron and steel manufacturing plant to be built at Midvale. The manager of Utah Steel corporation was M. S. Rosenblatt. (Salt Lake Tribune, May 21, 1921)

Septempber 27, 1921
"The Utah Steel corporation, which already has in operation at Midvale a $2,000,000 steel mill operating its products throughout the west, plans for the development of Utah's vast iron ore mines in southern Utah and the installation of additional equipment at its Midvale plant which will increase its output to 6000 tons per month." ("20 Years Ago," Ogden Standard-Examiner, September 27, 1941)

(In March 1922 the Utah Steel Corporation announced pending plans for a pig iron manufacturing plant in Utah, in association with Llewellyn Steel of Torrance, California. There were delays as the companies waited for Union Pacific's buy-in on the project, to ensure fair treatment by the railroad. The project fell through, but the next year, the Llewellyn company was purchased by the newly organized Columbia Steel Corporation.)

(Read more about Columbia Steel)

July 29, 1922
The Utah Steel Corporation was put into receivership. (Ogden Standard Examiner, July 29, 1922)

(One of the contributing factors in the failure of Utah Steel Corporation was that their costs increased as they were unable to obtain iron ore in quantites needed from the mines in Iron County in Southern Utah. The full production of the iron mines was being taken under long-term contracts by the new Columbia Steel pig iron plant at Ironton, south of Provo. Iron ore was only available either by developing their own sources, at great expense, or by importing from out-of-state sources, at higher transportation costs.)

(Another contributing factor was the rate schedule recently allowed by the federal ICC for steel rates between Utah and points in California and Washington state. The rate increase had been requested by UP and AT&SF. The increase would be determental to steel manufactured in Utah, until the rate was changed back in 1924 after Columbia Steel's plant near Provo was in operation.)

(The Rosenblatts and their associates determined that an expanded entry into the iron and steel making industry was blocked by much larger national interests, and they decided to focus on their already successful business of processing scrap iron and steel.)

The following is summarized from the Salt Lake Tribune, October 22, 1922.

In October 1922, a committee representing stock purchasers from Midvale approached the Utah State Securities Commission requesting that recent investors be designated as preferred creditors of the Utah Steel Corporation, which had been placed under receivership. The commission declined to intervene, noting it lacked jurisdiction over the matter and suggesting the issue be handled through the court system. At the time of its previous application in late 1921, the company had reported over $2 million in assets—mostly categorized as fixed assets—against various liabilities, including capital stock, accounts payable, and a substantial financial surplus.

The company's initial expansion plans involved erecting a modern 400-ton blast furnace, establishing sheet and tinplate mills, and acquiring local iron ore and coal from Utah to create a self-contained operation. Based on these projections, the commission had granted a permit allowing the company to sell $1 million in preferred stock locally, alongside plans to sell an additional $3 million across other states. However, controversy arose when it was revealed that instead of funding these plant improvements and additions, approximately $175,000 raised from the stock sales was redirected to pay off the company's prior debts.

The onset of the receivership automatically halted all stock-selling operations, prompting the securities commission to request an official statement and virtual audit from the company, though no response was received from the receiver. The original application highlighted prominent Salt Lake capitalists as major stockholders, including corporate officers from the Rosenblatt, Whitley, and Sowles families who had invested significant personal capital. Because their funds were used to settle old accounts rather than upgrade the plant as promised, the new stockholders maintained their demand to be treated as preferred creditors.

April 24, 1923
"Heber I. Burningham yesterday filed a suit in the Third district court against James J. Burke as receiver of the Utah Steel corporation to recover $1200 alleged to have been spent for stock in the corporation which the plaintiff says he purchased through false and fraudulent representations. In the complaint Burningham accuses the corporation of violating the "blue sky" law of Utah and misrepresenting to him the facts regarding the financial condition of the company. He also says that he purchased the stock because the company was represented to have been soundly financed and that certain prominent financiers of Utah had large interests in it, which he later found to be untrue." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 24, 1923)

(In April 1923 a series of lawsuits were brought against the defunct Utah Steel Corporation and its receiver. The complaints allege that during a stock selling campaign in the fall and winter of 1921, the company was already insolvent and made false statements and contract violations. Furthermore, it is claimed that the state securities commission failed to properly investigate the business, and that money raised under the pretense of expanding the company was actually used to pay off debts, including the personal obligations of its officers. The stock selling campaign heavily targeted the all parts of the state, convincing hundreds of local residents to invest in the Midvale-based plant's bonds and preferred stock. Shortly after the stock sales campaign in 1921, the company entered receivership amid widespread understanding that both the advertising materials and the salesmen had misrepresented the truth. Ultimately, none of the money raised from the preferred stock was used for business improvements or expansion, a fact the company officers were well aware of from the beginning.)

Later Utah Steel Corporation (1929)

(Note that neither the Rosenblatts, nor any of their companies, were associated in any way with this grand promotion.)

(There were regular news stories in Salt Lake City and Iron County newspapers in the 1928-1930 period about the plans this company had, with regular presentations to various Chambers of Commerce in northern and southern Utah, but research suggests nothing was ever built or operated. More than anything else, it was a stock promotion scheme.)

November 6, 1929
A second Utah Steel Corporation was incorporated on November 2, 1929, with new and different directors and officers: Dr. Fred Stauffer, president; Dr. Murry O. Hayes, vice president; LeRoy A. Wilson, secretary; and Charles H. Owen, director. Fifty percent of the stock was controlled by General Steam Corporation. (Iron County Record, November 6, 1929)

(The General Steam Corporation had been incorporated in Utah on June 5, 1926, with L. A. Wilson as a vice president, and elected as president in September 1927. Beginning in June 1927 the company announced that it would build a shop at 1939 South Second West. L. A. Wilson was shown as a director of the Counterflo Water Heating company when it filed its articles of incorporation on January 25, 1928. The purpose of the Counterflo company was to manufacture water heating appliances using the patents of L. A. Wilsom. Production at the General Steam shop began in February 1928. In July 1928, the General Steam company took options on several iron ore claims in Iron County, away from the major sites at Deseret Mound and Iron Springs. The company announced plans to build its own electric power plamt in Coal Creek Canyon near Cedar City. All references after 1935 were for a wide variety of legal actions against the company. By late 1939 the company was in receivership, with no assets to be accounted for.)

March 16, 1931
Utah Steel Corporation was among thousands of other corporations in Utah who were delinquent in paying their 1930 corporate license fee. (Salt Lake Telegram, March 16, 1931)

December 17, 1935
In an attempt to refocus the company, it reportedly broke ground on a new facility in Parawon, Utah, to manufacture a combination heating, lighting, refrigeration and air conditioning unit invented by L. A. Wilson, who was also president and general manager of the re-constituted Utah Steel Corporation. (Salt Lake Tribune, December 17, 1935)

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