The Hopkin
Thomas Project
The Hopkin Thomas Project is a historical research project
concerning the activities of a Welsh engineer who emigrated
to America in 1834 bringing with him technical knowledge which was instrumental
in the development of anthracite-fueled steam locomotives used by the Beaver
Meadow and other railroads in the eastern Pennsylvania coal fields. He
witnessed the utilization of his expertise related to the iron and coal
industries at the Crane Iron Co., Catasauqua, Pa. in the 1850-1870 time period;
he trained a cadre of followers who went on to succeed as leaders in the iron
and steel industries in the late nineteenth century. He is the patriarch of
seven generations of engineers and industrialists who can trace their roots to
the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
This project consists of the following:
Coal,
Fire, Iron & Steam - A history of the life
of Hopkin Thomas and the
technology that he utilized and helped develop in
the mid-nineteen century. This work is published
on this web site (Internet-browser-based) form and
will be also distributed to interested parties on
disk. The history covers with HopkinÕs
life in Wales and the technological developments
that occurred there during his early years, in Philadelphia
at the time of HopkinÕs
emigration, and his subsequent activities at Beaver
Meadow, Tamaqua, and Catasauqua, Pennsylvania.
Hopkin Thomas Family Ties -
a genealogical data base showing the connection
between the Hopkin Thomas family and other prominent
Lehigh Valley families. Included are connections
to Asa Packer, organizer
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and Lehigh University;
to the Heller and Horn families who were prominent
in the development of Easton and Hellertown; to
the David Thomas family of Catasauqua who pioneered
the hot-blast method of producing iron; to the Laubach
family that at one time held 40% of the land area
of Northampton County; and on and on. There are
currently over 49,000 persons in the data
base.
James
Thomas of Pennsylvania and the Alabama Iron Industry
(1872-1879). This is a monograph directed at
documenting the efforts of James Thomas, son of
Hopkin Thomas, during
the post-civil war decade when he played a prominent
role in the reconstruction of the Birmingham Alabama
iron industry. The object of this work is to correct
some of the confusion which
permeates the very thoroughly documented history
of this industry - confusion resulting from the
fact that two Thomas families from the Lehigh Valley
had interests in that reconstruction.
Please send comments,
correction, additions, etc to the compiler: jb.mcvey@roadrunner.com
April
2020