Steel and Identity: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Lorain, OH

Located on Lake Erie with suitable access to the B&O Railroad with a favorable position between the coal fields of the Ohio Valley and the iron ore deposits of Lake Superior's Mesabi Range, Lorain, Ohio was chosen as the site for the Johnson Street Rail Company by the entrepreneur Tom Johnson in 1894.  After widening the Black River to provide room for ships to meet the waiting docks, Johnson built the mill in what is considered South Lorain.  By 1901 the mill became a conglomerate of U.S. Steel Company managed by Andrew Carnegie.  Much investment was put into the mill and by 1909 it produced the first open-hearth steel.

Prior to its existence, Lorain, Ohio was a decently sized village, yet by the turn of the century its population more than tripled from 5,000 to 16,000 and continued to grow.  Through the help of the steel mill recruiters, by 1910 the population reached 28,883.  The plant provided bunkers for workers who freshly arrived to Lorain then offered discounted financing rates to its employees who wanted to own homes in the housing projects of South Lorain. (See housing form above)  South Lorain housed a diverse population since many workers for U.S. Steel were immigrants, mostly from Europe. 

Over its lifetime the name of the mill changed over ten times and is now known as Republic Steel. 

How would Lorain and the surrounding community be different if Tom Johnson decided to build a steel mill elsewhere?  Explain.