Scullin Steel

Hope in a hopeless situation! Job opportunities were very limited for African American men during the Great Depression. Racism and discrimination were rampant in America at this time. The only options available for African American men to work were in factory jobs, railroad jobs or enlist in the military.

My maternal great grandfather, Wilton Cheatham (1900-1963), was a hard working man. Moving to St. Louis from Bumpus Mills, Tennessee, for better job opportunities, Wilton worked for Scullin Steel. This company was established in 1899 by John Scullin to supply steel for the railroads and 100 years later for the St. Louis Arch. In World War II, Scullin Steel produced 2,000 pound steel bombs. My great uncle, Wilton Cheatham Jr. remembers going to work with his father as a young man. He saw his father pull the hot steel out of the furnace and pour the burning, hot liquid into molds to cool. Wilton Jr. vividly remembers that his father looked like he was on fire and sparks were flying everywhere. African American men that worked for Scullin Steel were given that most laborious and dangerous jobs. I remember seeing a picture on the internet of black men moving bombs from one place to another.  Working in the steel foundry was a hot, hard job, but my great grandfather had to do it in order to take care of his family of six. How did Wilton Cheatham work there for all those years? He had hope in a hopeless situation.