The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company wishing to make their own wire-rope, established works for that purpose in the old grist-mill building on Susquehanna Street (Mauch Chunk) in 1849. E. A. Douglass was superintendent and G.W. Salkeld his assistant. The idea of manufacture was evolved by Erskine Hazard from an idea suggested by the French bobbin machines, and was afterwards fully perfected in these works. Upon the machines devised by Mr. Hazard all of the wire-rope used by the Coal and Navigation Company for many years was manufactured. As the company was not empowered by its charter to make wire-rope for sale, the works were leased in 1852 by Fisher Hazard, son of Erskine, who carried them on very successfully until recent years, making great improvements and enlarging the facilities for production by erecting a second stone building on Susquehanna Street. In 1872 the Hazard Manufacturing Company was formed and the wire-rope industry transferred to Wilkes Barre, where many improvements were made in the method of manufacture and the business greatly enlarged. The wire-mill on Broadway in this place was established in 1858, by George W. Smith and Nathan Fegley, for the purpose of making wire-screens by a peculiar process. It passed into the possession of Fisher Hazard by sheriff’s sale in 1859, was burned and rebuilt, and is now operated by the Hazard Manufacturing Company as a wire-mill, employing about fifteen hands.