Incorporated on February 22, 1988, the Ellwood City Area Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history of our community. The Historical Society collects the memories and traditions of our forefathers who explored, settled, and developed Ellwood City and its surrounding communities.
The Railway Express Wagon played an important role in the early days of Ellwood City. Founded in 1892 by developer Henry Watters Hartman, the borough was named after Isaac L. Ellwood, one of the inventors of barbed wire. The community grew rapidly with the development of a strong industrial base fostered in large part by the development of the seamless tube industry here. The first seamless steel tubes in America were pierced in Ellwood City in June of 1895 by inventor and engineer Ralph C. Stiefel.
