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Railroad Era begins in America
Peter Coopers locomotive, Tom Thumb, travels a distance of 13 miles. -
Safety Elevator by Elisha Otis
The invention of the safety elevator by Elisha Otis allowed for the construction of skyscrapers. Elevators had previously existed, but Otis created a safety device that prevents elevators from falling if the hoisting cable fails. -
First railroad in Arkansas completed
The first railroad appeared in Arkansas in 1858. The railroad connected the towns of West Memphis and Madison. -
First Transcontinental Railroad completed
The First Transcontinental Railroad took six years to build and was a total of 1,907 miles. -
First Carnegie steel mill constructed
The Edgar Thompson Steel Works was the first steel mill constructed by Andrew Carnegie, who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century. It was located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, -
Home Insurance Building in Chicago completed
The Home Insurance Building in CHicago, Illinois, is considered to be the first skyscraper in the world. It was 10 stories high. -
Rand McNally Building completed
The Rand McNally Building in Chicago in 1889 was the first all-steel framed skyscraper. -
Thomas Hart Benton was born.
Thomas Hart Benton, the painter of The Steel Mill and Study for Slow Train Through Arkansas, was born April 15, 1889. -
Samuel L. Margolies was born.
Samuel L. Margolies, the painter of Men of Steel, was born in 1897. -
United States Steel Corporation founded
J. Pierpont Morgan and Elbert H. Gary founded the US Steel Corporation in 1901. It controlled more than 60 percent of the American market. -
Study for Slow Train Through Arkansas by Thomas Hart Benton
Figure 2, Thomas Hart Benton, Study for Slow Train Through Arkansas, Oil on paper, ca. 1929, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. -
The Steel Mill by Thomas Hart Benton
Figure 1, Thomas Hart Benton, The Steel Mill, Oil on canvas mounted on board, 1930, 48 x 30 inches, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. -
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building in New York was completed in 1931. It is 102 stories and was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1972. -
Men of Steel by Samuel L. Margolies
Figure 3, Samuel L. Margolies, Men of Steel, Drypoint, 1940, 14.9375 x 11.75 inches, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. -
141,262,000 tons of steel
In 1969, the United States as a whole produced 141,262,000 tons of steel. -
First Twin Tower complete
The first Twin Tower was completed in 1972, surpassing the Empire State Building for the tallest building in the world.
