A Steelworkers reunion party, public art project featuring Bethlehem beams, the opportunity for students to discover local history from steelworkers and the creation of a new children’s book that tells the story of a Tug tractor that pulled buggies at Bethlehem Steel are among the highlights of the Last Cast 25 initiative this fall. Last Cast 25 commemorates the 25th anniversary of the last time steel was made at the iconic Bethlehem Steel plant.

Last Cast 25, which includes both in-person and virtual programming and events throughout the fall, is presented through a partnership between Bethlehem Area Public Library, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites, Lehigh Valley Public Media, National Museum of Industrial History, Steelworkers’ Archives, Wind Creek Resort and ArtsQuest.

Expected to launch Sept. 26-27 with the Steel Weekend at National Museum of Industrial History, Last Cast 25 will feature a series of events and programs that tie arts, music, education and culture to the rich history of Bethlehem Steel, paying homage to one of the region’s largest employers in the 20th century and the second largest steel manufacturer in the nation. The Bethlehem plant, which employed more than 30,000 people at its height, was instrumental in manufacturing steel for much of the Manhattan skyline, Madison Square Garden and artillery and ships in the two World Wars.

Nov. 18, 1995, was the last cast of iron from a blast furnace in Bethlehem, and the basic oxygen furnace, which converted iron into steel, was shut down shortly afterward. The electric furnace melt shop was the last steelmaking shop to end melting Nov. 22, 1995.

“Bethlehem Steel’s ‘last cast’ holds a symbolic place in the hearts of many steelworkers and community members. It’s an indelible final chapter in the history of a storied company,” said National Museum of Industrial History President and CEO Kara Mohsinger. “While the plant’s final days were a sad time for Bethlehem, we’re glad we can come together now, 25 years later, and remember the worldwide impact Bethlehem’s steelworkers had on our town and our country.”

Currently confirmed Last Cast programs and events will include “The First Cast,” 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 26 at National Museum of Industrial History; “Faces of Steel,” starting Sept. 26 on the SteelStacks campus; Steelworkers reunion party, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 3 at ArtsQuest Center’s Air Products Town Square; Bethlehem Beam Project - “Look for the I-s that built the sk-I-es,” November 2020 through 2021 throughout Bethlehem; exhibition and activities throughout the fall at Steelworkers’ Archives; Last Cast 25 community art juried exhibition, Nov. 6-Jan. 3, 2021, at the Banana Factory; steelworker interviews throughout November at Steelworkers Archives and National Museum of Industrial History; “Tug” children’s book at BAPL; and “Memories of Steel” speaker series, dates to be announced at Steelworkers’ Archives.

Additional details on Last Cast 25 will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit steelstacks.org/LastCast25.

The community is invited to submit photos of family members and friends who worked at Bethlehem Steel Corporation as part of the Last Cast 25 commemoration.

Submissions for the “Faces of Steel” display are being accepted digitally until 5 p.m. Sept. 18 at steelstacks.org/lastcast25. All photo submissions should include the person’s hometown, dates worked at Bethlehem Steel and primary title or role at the company. Photos should be high-resolution images of at least 4 inches by 6 inches and 300 DPI in one of the following file formats: jpeg, tiff, bitmap or PDF.

Each submitted photo will be displayed as part of the virtual “Faces of Steel” photo gallery, steelstacks.org/lastcast25.

In addition, images will be displayed on the outdoor LED screen at Lehigh Valley Public Media Sept. 26-27 as part of National Museum of Industrial History’s Steel Weekend and as part of the Last Cast 25 Steelworkers reunion party in October on the Air Products Town Square at the ArtsQuest Center.