Historic Photographs

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Wheeling

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LaBelle Iron Works, Thirtieth & Wood Streets, Wheeling, Ohio County, WV



See 20 maps of this location


B&W Photos

HB1279276
General View Of Northwest Side And Southwest (front)
HB1279277
Perspective View Of Northwest Side
HB1279278
Southwest (front) Elevation
HB1279279
Interior View, Shearing Steel For Nail Plate

HB1279280
Interior View, High Carbon Hot Rolled Sheet Steel For Nail Plate Being Removed From The Cradle Used During The Pickling Process
HB1279281
Interior View, High Carbon Hot Rolled Sheet Steel For Nail Plate Being Loaded On The Cradle Used During The Pickling Process
HB1279282
Interior View Of The Mesta Carousel Pickler, A Series Of Acid, Water And Lime Baths Which Remove Rust And Scale From The Steel Plate And Lubricates Plate For The Shearing Process
HB1279283
Interior View Of The Pickling Process, With Carousel In The Upward Position

HB1279284
Interior View Of The Pickling Process
HB1279285
Interior View Of The Pickling Process, Turning The Carousel For Immersion Of The Cradles Into The Three Baths
HB1279286
Interior View Of The Pickling Process, Blowing Air Bewteen The Limed Steel Plate
HB1279287
Interior View Of The Pickling Process, Steel For Nail Plate Is Being Immersed (left) In The Lime Slurry

HB1279288
Interior View Of The Pickling Process
HB1279289
Interior View Of Nail Plate Reheating Furnace, Closed, Use To Heat Some Of The Nail Plate Prior To Cutting
HB1279290
Interior View Of Nail Plate Reheating Furnace, Open
HB1279291
Interior View Of Sheared Nail Plate Ready To Be Loaded Into The Buggy For Delivery To The Nail Machine Feeders

HB1279292
Interior View Of Nail Plate Being Run By The Wheeler To The Feeder's Stations For Cutting Into Nails
HB1279293
Interior View Of Track On Which Formerly Ran Mule Drawn Car Of Nails, Etc.
HB1279294
Interior View, General View Of Main Floor Of Nail Works Showing The Banks Of Nail Cutting Machines
HB1279295
Interior View, Main Floor Of Nail Works Showing The Nail Cutting Machines, Some In Operation

HB1279296
Interior View, Under The Main Floor Showing The Lineshaft System Once Powered By A Steam Engine And Later By Two Large Electrical Mill Motors (notice Large Gear In Foreground) That Operated Each Nail Machine; Presently The Nail Machines Are Driven By Indi
HB1279297
Interior View, Main Floor, Showing Feeder Operating A Nail Cutting Machine; Notice Individual Electric Motor
HB1279298
Interior View, Side Floor, Showing The Bank Of Nail Cutting Machines With Four In Operation (note Wall Of Old Section, Blacksmith's Shop, In Background)
HB1279299
Interior View, Side Floor Showing Bank Of Nail Cutting Machines With Feeder Getting Ready To Remove Spent Feeder Rod And Insert New Feeder Rod

HB1279300
Interior View, Same As Above At A Closer Range
HB1279301
Interior View, Same As Above But With Motion Stopped Photography; Note Pry Bar In Feeder's Right Hand
HB1279302
Interior View, Similar To Above But Shown From Behind The Feeder (note The Catch Bin Of Cut Nails On The Floor Beneath The Machine)
HB1279303
Interior View, Same As Above, Not In Operation

HB1279304
Interior View, Side Room, Detail Of Stopped Machine Showing The Cut Nails Produced
HB1279305
Interior View, Detail Of Nail Cutting Knife And Barrel With Feeder Rod Inserted
HB1279306
Interior View, Nail Cutting Machines Not In Operation; Note Nail Plate Bins
HB1279307
Interior View, Showing Feeder Inserting Nail Plate Into Feeder Rod

HB1279308
Interior View Of Feeder Preparing To Insert The Feeder Rod Into One Of The Two Larger Nail Or Spike Cutting Machines Which Produce The Larger Size Nails; Note The Other Spike Cutting Machine In The Background
HB1279309
Interior View, Same As Above With The Feeder Rod Being Offered Into The Machine; Unlike The Other Nail Cutting Machines, The Nail Plate Must Be Hand Flipped And Hand Fed With This Machine
HB1279310
Interior View, Same As Above With The Feeder Rod Inserted Into The Machine; Note The Wood Feeder Rod And Feeder Rod Rest On The Back Of The Stool
HB1279311
Interior View, Same Area As Above Showing The Grindstones; Note The Overhead Lineshaft System Powering The Grindstones

HB1279312
Interior View, Same Grindstones As Above Showing Nailer Sharpening A Nail Cutting Knife
HB1279313
Interior View, Same As Above With Knife In Different Position For Sharpening
HB1279314
Interior View, Main Floor, Detail Of Grindstone, Note Clutch And Wood Construction Of Frame
HB1279315
Interior View, Same As Above With Scale

HB1279316
Interior View Of The Nail Hardener Used To Harden And Temper The Nails; West Tubes In Foregrpund And Drawback Tube In The Center
HB1279317
Interior View Of Worker Shoveling Cut Nails Into West Tubes Of The Hardener
HB1279318
Interior View, Shoveling Cut Nails Into East Tubes Of The Hardener, View From Behind Worker; Note Special Shape Of Shovel
HB1279319
Interior View Showing Conveyor Belt System Which Convey The Hardened Nails To The Drawback Tube For Tempering; Motioned Stopped

HB1279320
Interior View, Same As Above With Motion
HB1279321
Interior View, Detail Of Conveyor Belt System System With Back Belt Dropping Hardened Nails On The Front Belt To Be Tempered; Motion Stopped
HB1279322
Interior View, Detail Of Conveyor Belt With Hardened Nails Emerging From Quenching Tank; Motion Stopped
HB1279323
Interior View Of Hardener Area Showing Gauge That Measures Hardness, The Nail Must Break In The Center Range Of The Curved Bar To Have The Correct Hardness (the Nail Will Break Too Easily If Too Hard And Will Bend Too Much If Too Soft)

HB1279324
Interior View Of Packing Line Where All The Nail Boxes Are Formed, Filled With Nails And Sealed; Note These Are Fifty-pound Boxes
HB1279325
Interior View Of Blacksmith Shop Showing Oven And Forge, With Anvil In Background; Note The Coil Springs And Cutting Knives On Floor, Materials Are Extensively Reused By The Blacksmith
HB1279326
Interior View Of Blacksmith Shop Snowing Balcksmith, Joe Foster At Work As Anvil, Hammer Raised
HB1279327
Interior View, Same As Above With Hammer Lowering

HB1279328
Interior View, Same As Above With Hammer Striking Object
HB1279329
Interior View, Same As Above After Impact Showing Sparks Flying
HB1279330
Interior View, Same As Above With Blacksmith Working An Angle
HB1279331
Interior View Of Blacksmith Shop Showing Blacksmith With Raw Material In On Hand And The Finished Tool In The Other

HB1279332
Interior View Of Blacksmith Shop, Same As Above But Lit To Show Tools Of His Trade In Background
HB1279333
Interior View Of Blacksmith Shop Showing Air Hammer, Chambersburg Engine Company #1561
HB1279334
Interior View Of Changing Room Coat Rack Made Of Cut Nails
HB1279335
Interior View, In Plant Superintendents Office Of Early Display Of All The Types And Sizes Of Nails Produced

HB1279336
Copy-photograph Of Historic View Showing The Workforce At La Belle Ca


Data Pages


Drawings


Photo Caption Pages


Item Title


Location
Thirtieth & Wood Streets, Wheeling, WV

Find maps of Wheeling, WV


Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1968.

Notes
Survey number HAER WV-47
Unprocessed field note material exists for this structure (FN-21, N411).
Significance: La Belle is the largest American cut nail factory and one of two remaining United States cut nail manufacturers. La Belle has been in business for almost 140 years and still uses the same equipment and processes to make cut nails. La Belle helped make Wheeling the "Nail City" during the late 19th century.

Collection
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

Contents
Photograph caption(s): 
1. GENERAL VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE AND SOUTHWEST (FRONT)
2. PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE
3. SOUTHWEST (FRONT) ELEVATION
4. INTERIOR VIEW, SHEARING STEEL FOR NAIL PLATE
5. INTERIOR VIEW, HIGH CARBON HOT ROLLED SHEET STEEL FOR NAIL PLATE BEING REMOVED FROM THE CRADLE USED DURING THE PICKLING PROCESS
6. INTERIOR VIEW, HIGH CARBON HOT ROLLED SHEET STEEL FOR NAIL PLATE BEING LOADED ON THE CRADLE USED DURING THE PICKLING PROCESS
7. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE MESTA CAROUSEL PICKLER, A SERIES OF ACID, WATER AND LIME BATHS WHICH REMOVE RUST AND SCALE FROM THE STEEL PLATE AND LUBRICATES PLATE FOR THE SHEARING PROCESS
8. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS, WITH CAROUSEL IN THE UPWARD POSITION
9. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS
10. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS, TURNING THE CAROUSEL FOR IMMERSION OF THE CRADLES INTO THE THREE BATHS
11. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS, BLOWING AIR BEWTEEN THE LIMED STEEL PLATE
12. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS, STEEL FOR NAIL PLATE IS BEING IMMERSED (LEFT) IN THE LIME SLURRY
13. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE PICKLING PROCESS
14. INTERIOR VIEW OF NAIL PLATE REHEATING FURNACE, CLOSED, USE TO HEAT SOME OF THE NAIL PLATE PRIOR TO CUTTING
15. INTERIOR VIEW OF NAIL PLATE REHEATING FURNACE, OPEN
16. INTERIOR VIEW OF SHEARED NAIL PLATE READY TO BE LOADED INTO THE BUGGY FOR DELIVERY TO THE NAIL MACHINE FEEDERS
17. INTERIOR VIEW OF NAIL PLATE BEING RUN BY THE WHEELER TO THE FEEDER'S STATIONS FOR CUTTING INTO NAILS
18. INTERIOR VIEW OF TRACK ON WHICH FORMERLY RAN MULE DRAWN CAR OF NAILS, ETC.
19. INTERIOR VIEW, GENERAL VIEW OF MAIN FLOOR OF NAIL WORKS SHOWING THE BANKS OF NAIL CUTTING MACHINES
20. INTERIOR VIEW, MAIN FLOOR OF NAIL WORKS SHOWING THE NAIL CUTTING MACHINES, SOME IN OPERATION
21. INTERIOR VIEW, UNDER THE MAIN FLOOR SHOWING THE LINESHAFT SYSTEM ONCE POWERED BY A STEAM ENGINE AND LATER BY TWO LARGE ELECTRICAL MILL MOTORS (NOTICE LARGE GEAR IN FOREGROUND) THAT OPERATED EACH NAIL MACHINE; PRESENTLY THE NAIL MACHINES ARE DRIVEN BY INDIVIDUAL ELECTRICAL MOTORS
22. INTERIOR VIEW, MAIN FLOOR, SHOWING FEEDER OPERATING A NAIL CUTTING MACHINE; NOTICE INDIVIDUAL ELECTRIC MOTOR
23. INTERIOR VIEW, SIDE FLOOR, SHOWING THE BANK OF NAIL CUTTING MACHINES WITH FOUR IN OPERATION (NOTE WALL OF OLD SECTION, BLACKSMITH'S SHOP, IN BACKGROUND)
24. INTERIOR VIEW, SIDE FLOOR SHOWING BANK OF NAIL CUTTING MACHINES WITH FEEDER GETTING READY TO REMOVE SPENT FEEDER ROD AND INSERT NEW FEEDER ROD
25. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE AT A CLOSER RANGE
26. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE BUT WITH MOTION STOPPED PHOTOGRAPHY; NOTE PRY BAR IN FEEDER'S RIGHT HAND
27. INTERIOR VIEW, SIMILAR TO ABOVE BUT SHOWN FROM BEHIND THE FEEDER (NOTE THE CATCH BIN OF CUT NAILS ON THE FLOOR BENEATH THE MACHINE)
28. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE, NOT IN OPERATION
29. INTERIOR VIEW, SIDE ROOM, DETAIL OF STOPPED MACHINE SHOWING THE CUT NAILS PRODUCED
30. INTERIOR VIEW, DETAIL OF NAIL CUTTING KNIFE AND BARREL WITH FEEDER ROD INSERTED
31. INTERIOR VIEW, NAIL CUTTING MACHINES NOT IN OPERATION; NOTE NAIL PLATE BINS
32. INTERIOR VIEW, SHOWING FEEDER INSERTING NAIL PLATE INTO FEEDER ROD
33. INTERIOR VIEW OF FEEDER PREPARING TO INSERT THE FEEDER ROD INTO ONE OF THE TWO LARGER NAIL OR SPIKE CUTTING MACHINES WHICH PRODUCE THE LARGER SIZE NAILS; NOTE THE OTHER SPIKE CUTTING MACHINE IN THE BACKGROUND
34. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH THE FEEDER ROD BEING OFFERED INTO THE MACHINE; UNLIKE THE OTHER NAIL CUTTING MACHINES, THE NAIL PLATE MUST BE HAND FLIPPED AND HAND FED WITH THIS MACHINE
35. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH THE FEEDER ROD INSERTED INTO THE MACHINE; NOTE THE WOOD FEEDER ROD AND FEEDER ROD REST ON THE BACK OF THE STOOL
37. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AREA AS ABOVE SHOWING THE GRINDSTONES; NOTE THE OVERHEAD LINESHAFT SYSTEM POWERING THE GRINDSTONES
38. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME GRINDSTONES AS ABOVE SHOWING NAILER SHARPENING A NAIL CUTTING KNIFE
39. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH KNIFE IN DIFFERENT POSITION FOR SHARPENING
40. INTERIOR VIEW, MAIN FLOOR, DETAIL OF GRINDSTONE, NOTE CLUTCH AND WOOD CONSTRUCTION OF FRAME
41. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH SCALE
42. INTERIOR VIEW OF THE NAIL HARDENER USED TO HARDEN AND TEMPER THE NAILS; WEST TUBES IN FOREGRPUND AND DRAWBACK TUBE IN THE CENTER
43. INTERIOR VIEW OF WORKER SHOVELING CUT NAILS INTO WEST TUBES OF THE HARDENER
44. INTERIOR VIEW, SHOVELING CUT NAILS INTO EAST TUBES OF THE HARDENER, VIEW FROM BEHIND WORKER; NOTE SPECIAL SHAPE OF SHOVEL
45. INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEM WHICH CONVEY THE HARDENED NAILS TO THE DRAWBACK TUBE FOR TEMPERING; MOTIONED STOPPED
46. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH MOTION
47. INTERIOR VIEW, DETAIL OF CONVEYOR BELT SYSTEM SYSTEM WITH BACK BELT DROPPING HARDENED NAILS ON THE FRONT BELT TO BE TEMPERED; MOTION STOPPED
48. INTERIOR VIEW, DETAIL OF CONVEYOR BELT WITH HARDENED NAILS EMERGING FROM QUENCHING TANK; MOTION STOPPED
49. INTERIOR VIEW OF HARDENER AREA SHOWING GAUGE THAT MEASURES HARDNESS, THE NAIL MUST BREAK IN THE CENTER RANGE OF THE CURVED BAR TO HAVE THE CORRECT HARDNESS (THE NAIL WILL BREAK TOO EASILY IF TOO HARD AND WILL BEND TOO MUCH IF TOO SOFT)
50. INTERIOR VIEW OF PACKING LINE WHERE ALL THE NAIL BOXES ARE FORMED, FILLED WITH NAILS AND SEALED; NOTE THESE ARE FIFTY-POUND BOXES
51. INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP SHOWING OVEN AND FORGE, WITH ANVIL IN BACKGROUND; NOTE THE COIL SPRINGS AND CUTTING KNIVES ON FLOOR, MATERIALS ARE EXTENSIVELY REUSED BY THE BLACKSMITH
52. INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP SNOWING BALCKSMITH, JOE FOSTER AT WORK AS ANVIL, HAMMER RAISED
53. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH HAMMER LOWERING
54. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH HAMMER STRIKING OBJECT
55. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE AFTER IMPACT SHOWING SPARKS FLYING
56. INTERIOR VIEW, SAME AS ABOVE WITH BLACKSMITH WORKING AN ANGLE
57. INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP SHOWING BLACKSMITH WITH RAW MATERIAL IN ON HAND AND THE FINISHED TOOL IN THE OTHER
58. INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP, SAME AS ABOVE BUT LIT TO SHOW TOOLS OF HIS TRADE IN BACKGROUND
59. INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP SHOWING AIR HAMMER, CHAMBERSBURG ENGINE COMPANY #1561
60. INTERIOR VIEW OF CHANGING ROOM COAT RACK MADE OF CUT NAILS
61. INTERIOR VIEW, IN PLANT SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE OF EARLY DISPLAY OF ALL THE TYPES AND SIZES OF NAILS PRODUCED
62. COPY-PHOTOGRAPH OF HISTORIC VIEW SHOWING THE WORKFORCE AT LA BELLE CA. 1940
General view of the northwest side and southwest front (duplicate of HAER No. WV-47-1)
Perspective view (duplicate of HAER No. WV-47-2)


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