Region Rats

Lake County, Indiana · A gallery of American work

Region
Rats

Steel, sweat, soil and machines. 130 restored photographs of the work that built the Region and the country around it, hung in black and white.

Where the prairie meets the mill

Lake County sits where the farm fields of Indiana run into the steel mills, refineries and rail yards of the Calumet Region. People here call themselves Region Rats, and they say it with pride. For more than a century this county has worked the furnace and the field, often in the same family, sometimes in the same week.

This gallery gathers photographs of that kind of work from across America: blast furnaces and slab mills, welders and line inspectors, plow teams and threshing crews, barns, grain elevators, locomotives and iron ships. They were made by government photographers and survey teams, and they belong to everyone.

The people in these pictures rarely got their names written down. Their work is still standing. We look back on it the way a mother looks back on her child: with pride, and with joy.

D. Willems · Curator · Crown Point, Indiana

Hall I · 19 plates

Fire

Blast furnaces, rolling mills, slab mills and the crews who tapped them.

Steel Mills · Industrial Architecture

Blast furnaces, Detroit, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-001Blast furnaces, Detroit1942 · Steel Mills

Geneva UT steel mill under construction, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-002Geneva UT steel mill under construction1942 · Steel Mills

Inactive steel mills, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-003Inactive steel mills, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Sparrows Point MD steel mill, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-004Sparrows Point MD steel mill1940 · Steel Mills

Steel mill, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-005Steel mill, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Steel mill, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-006Steel mill, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-007Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-008Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-009Tapping a blast furnace, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Tapping for slag, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-010Tapping for slag, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

Tapping slag at blast furnace, Pittsburgh, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-011Tapping slag at blast furnace, Pittsburgh1938 · Steel Mills

11-inch mill, Johnstown PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-01211-inch mill, Johnstown PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

44-inch slab mill, Braddock PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-01344-inch slab mill, Braddock PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

48-inch plate mill, Homestead PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-01448-inch plate mill, Homestead PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Blast furnace No. 3, Monessen PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-015Blast furnace No. 3, Monessen PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Blast furnace No. 8, Fairfield AL, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-016Blast furnace No. 8, Fairfield ALDate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Blast furnaces, Johnstown PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-017Blast furnaces, Johnstown PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Blast furnaces, South Bethlehem PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-018Blast furnaces, South Bethlehem PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Rolling mill, South Bethlehem PA, Date per archive record, black and white photograph — RR-019Rolling mill, South Bethlehem PADate per archive record · Industrial Architecture

Hall II · 26 plates

Hands

Welders, inspectors and assembly lines: the people who did the work, shift after shift.

Workers · Arsenal of Democracy · Assembly Lines

Decatur AL shipyard welder's helper, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-020Decatur AL shipyard welder's helper1942 · Workers

Welder, Douglas Dam TN, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-021Welder, Douglas Dam TN1942 · Workers

Welder, New Orleans shipyard, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-022Welder, New Orleans shipyard1943 · Workers

Welder, Shasta Dam, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-023Welder, Shasta Dam1941 · Workers

Welder, Shasta Dam, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-024Welder, Shasta Dam1941 · Workers

Woman welder, Beaumont TX shipyard, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-025Woman welder, Beaumont TX shipyard1943 · Workers

Milwaukee war production, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-026Milwaukee war production1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

Milwaukee war production workers, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-027Milwaukee war production workers1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

Milwaukee war production workers, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-028Milwaukee war production workers1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

Milwaukee workers making guns, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-029Milwaukee workers making guns1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

Milwaukee workers making guns, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-030Milwaukee workers making guns1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

New Britain CT bearing inspector, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-031New Britain CT bearing inspector1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

New Britain CT bearing inspector, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-032New Britain CT bearing inspector1943 · Arsenal of Democracy

Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-033Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT1940 · Assembly Lines

Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-034Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT1940 · Assembly Lines

Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-035Aircraft assembly line, Stratford CT1940 · Assembly Lines

B-25 assembly line, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-036B-25 assembly line1942 · Assembly Lines

B-25 assembly line, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-037B-25 assembly line1942 · Assembly Lines

B-25 bomber final assembly, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-038B-25 bomber final assembly1942 · Assembly Lines

B-25 final assembly line, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-039B-25 final assembly line1942 · Assembly Lines

Inspector checks P-51 assemblies, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-040Inspector checks P-51 assemblies1942 · Assembly Lines

Nashville, moving assembly line, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-041Nashville, moving assembly line1942 · Assembly Lines

Outside assembly line, aircraft plant, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-042Outside assembly line, aircraft plant1942 · Assembly Lines

P-51 assembly line, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-043P-51 assembly line1942 · Assembly Lines

P-51 final assembly, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-044P-51 final assembly1942 · Assembly Lines

Wilmington CA shipbuilding, general view, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-045Wilmington CA shipbuilding, general view1942 · Assembly Lines

Hall III · 26 plates

Ground

Plows, horses, tractors and harvest crews breaking and working the land.

Horses and Plows · Tractors · Harvest

Eighty-year-old farmer plowing IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-046Eighty-year-old farmer plowing IA1940 · Horses and Plows

Hired hand brings in horses IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-047Hired hand brings in horses IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Hired man brings in horses IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-048Hired man brings in horses IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Hired man brings in horses IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-049Hired man brings in horses IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Plow and harrow with team IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-050Plow and harrow with team IA1940 · Horses and Plows

Plow and harrow with team IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-051Plow and harrow with team IA1940 · Horses and Plows

Plowing with four horses, Grundy County IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-052Plowing with four horses, Grundy County IA1940 · Horses and Plows

Plowing with team, Grundy County IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-053Plowing with team, Grundy County IA1940 · Horses and Plows

Ten-horse team, Hardin County IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-054Ten-horse team, Hardin County IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Ten-horse team, Hardin County IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-055Ten-horse team, Hardin County IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Unhitching ten-horse team IA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-056Unhitching ten-horse team IA1939 · Horses and Plows

Breaking virgin soil, El Indio TX, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-057Breaking virgin soil, El Indio TX1939 · Tractors

Bridgeton NJ, diesel tractor plowing, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-058Bridgeton NJ, diesel tractor plowing1942 · Tractors

Bridgeton NJ, large diesel tractors, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-059Bridgeton NJ, large diesel tractors1942 · Tractors

Disk plow breaking sod, El Indio TX, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-060Disk plow breaking sod, El Indio TX1939 · Tractors

Plowing with tractor, Jasper County IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-061Plowing with tractor, Jasper County IA1940 · Tractors

Tractor near abandoned tenant house OK, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-062Tractor near abandoned tenant house OK1939 · Tractors

Tractor plowing, Grundy County IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-063Tractor plowing, Grundy County IA1940 · Tractors

Harvesting wheat, Queen Anne County MD, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-064Harvesting wheat, Queen Anne County MD1937 · Harvest

Harvesting wheat, Queen Anne County MD, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-065Harvesting wheat, Queen Anne County MD1937 · Harvest

Harvesting wheat, Ritzville WA, 1936, black and white photograph — RR-066Harvesting wheat, Ritzville WA1936 · Harvest

North Carolina threshing, 1936, black and white photograph — RR-067North Carolina threshing1936 · Harvest

Threshing oats, Brookeville MD, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-068Threshing oats, Brookeville MD1937 · Harvest

Threshing, Brookeville MD, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-069Threshing, Brookeville MD1937 · Harvest

Wheat harvest, Monroe County IN, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-070Wheat harvest, Monroe County IN1941 · Harvest

Winter wheat, Whitman County WA, 1936, black and white photograph — RR-071Winter wheat, Whitman County WA1936 · Harvest

Hall IV · 28 plates

Home Place

Barns, families, livestock and the grain elevators that rose over the prairie.

Barns · Farm Families and Livestock · Grain Elevators

Barn, Bucks County PA, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-072Barn, Bucks County PA1939 · Barns

Barn, Grundy County IA, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-073Barn, Grundy County IA1940 · Barns

Barn, Montgomery County MD, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-074Barn, Montgomery County MD1940 · Barns

Barn, Whitman County WA, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-075Barn, Whitman County WA1941 · Barns

Dairy barn, Wabash Farms IN, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-076Dairy barn, Wabash Farms IN1938 · Barns

Old barns, Fort Klamath OR, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-077Old barns, Fort Klamath OR1942 · Barns

Pennsylvania Dutch barn, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-078Pennsylvania Dutch barn1943 · Barns

Cattle at trough, Ottawa County KS, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-079Cattle at trough, Ottawa County KS1938 · Farm Families and Livestock

Cattle pens, San Augustine TX, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-080Cattle pens, San Augustine TX1939 · Farm Families and Livestock

Examining cattle, Sikeston MO, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-081Examining cattle, Sikeston MO1938 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farm family at dinner, Montana, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-082Farm family at dinner, Montana1939 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farm family on steps, Ohio, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-083Farm family on steps, Ohio1938 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farm family, Johnson VT, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-084Farm family, Johnson VT1937 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farm family, Southeast Missouri, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-085Farm family, Southeast Missouri1938 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farmer watering cattle, Frederick MD, 1940, black and white photograph — RR-086Farmer watering cattle, Frederick MD1940 · Farm Families and Livestock

Farmers on fence, cattle auction MO, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-087Farmers on fence, cattle auction MO1938 · Farm Families and Livestock

Freight car and elevators, Omaha, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-088Freight car and elevators, Omaha1938 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Duluth, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-089Grain elevator, Duluth1941 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Erie Canal, Buffalo, 1943, black and white photograph — RR-090Grain elevator, Erie Canal, Buffalo1943 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Minneapolis, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-091Grain elevator, Minneapolis1939 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Minneapolis, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-092Grain elevator, Minneapolis1939 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Minneapolis, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-093Grain elevator, Minneapolis1939 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Ontario OR, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-094Grain elevator, Ontario OR1941 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevator, Vincennes IN, 1938, black and white photograph — RR-095Grain elevator, Vincennes IN1938 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevators, Amarillo TX, 1942, black and white photograph — RR-096Grain elevators, Amarillo TX1942 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevators, Homestead MT, 1941, black and white photograph — RR-097Grain elevators, Homestead MT1941 · Grain Elevators

Grain elevators, Minneapolis, 1939, black and white photograph — RR-098Grain elevators, Minneapolis1939 · Grain Elevators

Western Texas grain elevator, 1937, black and white photograph — RR-099Western Texas grain elevator1937 · Grain Elevators

Hall V · 31 plates

Machine Room

Locomotives, ironclads and battleships: the heavy engineering of an industrial nation.

Locomotives of War · Ironclads and Gunboats · Battleships

City Point, locomotive, 1864-65, black and white photograph — RR-100City Point, locomotive1864-65 · Locomotives of War

City Point, military railroad locomotives, 1864-65, black and white photograph — RR-101City Point, military railroad locomotives1864-65 · Locomotives of War

Culpeper, depot and locomotive, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-102Culpeper, depot and locomotive1862 · Locomotives of War

Locomotive, Orange and Alexandria RR, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-103Locomotive, Orange and Alexandria RR1862 · Locomotives of War

Nashville rail yard with locomotives, 1864, black and white photograph — RR-104Nashville rail yard with locomotives1864 · Locomotives of War

Richmond, crippled locomotive, 1865, black and white photograph — RR-105Richmond, crippled locomotive1865 · Locomotives of War

Richmond, damaged locomotives, 1865, black and white photograph — RR-106Richmond, damaged locomotives1865 · Locomotives of War

Richmond, destroyed locomotive, 1865, black and white photograph — RR-107Richmond, destroyed locomotive1865 · Locomotives of War

Richmond, ruins of depot, 1865, black and white photograph — RR-108Richmond, ruins of depot1865 · Locomotives of War

Crew on deck of monitor Lehigh, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-109Crew on deck of monitor Lehighcirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Crew on deck of monitor Saugus, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-110Crew on deck of monitor Sauguscirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Deck and turret of USS Monitor, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-111Deck and turret of USS Monitor1862 · Ironclads and Gunboats

Deck of gunboat Hunchback, circa 1865, black and white photograph — RR-112Deck of gunboat Hunchbackcirca 1865 · Ironclads and Gunboats

Gunboat Benton, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-113Gunboat Bentoncirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Gunboat Kickapoo, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-114Gunboat Kickapoocirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Gunboat Lafayette, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-115Gunboat Lafayettecirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Gunboat Milwaukee, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-116Gunboat Milwaukeecirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Gunboat Vindicator, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-117Gunboat Vindicatorcirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats · shown in monochrome from a toned original

Gunboat on the Mississippi, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-118Gunboat on the Mississippicirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats

River gunboat, circa 1860s, black and white photograph — RR-119River gunboatcirca 1860s · Ironclads and Gunboats

Sailors on deck of USS Monitor, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-120Sailors on deck of USS Monitor1862 · Ironclads and Gunboats

USS Monitor deck from the bow, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-121USS Monitor deck from the bow1862 · Ironclads and Gunboats

USS Monitor sailors, cookstove, 1862, black and white photograph — RR-122USS Monitor sailors, cookstove1862 · Ironclads and Gunboats

Battleship Indiana, circa 1890s, black and white photograph — RR-123Battleship Indianacirca 1890s · Battleships

US battleship Connecticut, 1909, black and white photograph — RR-124US battleship Connecticut1909 · Battleships

US battleship Kansas, 1909, black and white photograph — RR-125US battleship Kansas1909 · Battleships

US battleship Kearsarge, circa 1900s, black and white photograph — RR-126US battleship Kearsargecirca 1900s · Battleships

US battleship Massachusetts, circa 1890s, black and white photograph — RR-127US battleship Massachusettscirca 1890s · Battleships

US battleship Missouri, 1909, black and white photograph — RR-128US battleship Missouri1909 · Battleships

US battleship Ohio, 1909, black and white photograph — RR-129US battleship Ohio1909 · Battleships

US battleship Vermont, 1909, black and white photograph — RR-130US battleship Vermont1909 · Battleships