The story of zinc production in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania is the subject of a lecture, 1 p.m. March 24, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown.

The program is presented by Peter L. Kern, a former Senior Vice President of Research and Development for the New Jersey Zinc Company.

“The New Jersey Zinc Company exerted a tremendous influence on twentieth-century Pennsylvania, and that’s the emphasis of our program,” said Joseph Garrera, Executive Director of the Museum.

“Key company operations formed a triangle from its mines in Franklin, New Jersey, westward to those in Friedensville, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, then north to its smelting operations in Palmerton, Pennsylvania,” Garrera said.

The first zinc mine in Friedensville, Lehigh County, opened in the 1850s and operated sporadically until about 1893. In the mid-20th century, the New Jersey Zinc Company opened an underground zinc mine there to supply ore to its smelter in Palmerton. Zinc smelters convert mined zinc ore into pure zinc for a variety of industrial purposes.

In the late 1800s, the New Jersey Zinc Company consolidated its smelting operations at a site along the Lehigh River just north of the Lehigh Gap. In 1898, the Zinc Company established the company town of Palmerton. The Zinc Company built the town’s hospital, installed water and sewer systems, and built low-cost homes.

Kern is a professional chemical engineer who joined the New Jersey Zinc Company in 1965 after receiving a graduate degree in mathematics. He capped his 33-year career there as a senior vice president.

Information: lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org; 610-435-1074