Back in 1894, agents of Tom Johnson's Steel Street Rail Company of Johnstown, Penn. visited the village of Lorain to determine if it would be a good place in which to build a new steel plant. They chose Lorain for its shale foundation (which provided a strong foundation on which to build large buildings), its protected river and its access to lake and rail traffic. The village agreed to widen, straighten, and deepen 4 miles of the Black River so ships could reach the mill's waiting docks. This is a picture of land clearing in preparation for the construction of the steel plant.