Photo courtesy of Warren County Visitors Bureau The Committee of Retired Boilermakers will hold its annual Arch Builders' Day today.

Arch Builders Day will be taking place at the Warren County Visitor’s Bureau located in Starbrick, at 22045 US-6, Warren, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This celebration of 60 years is promoted by the Boiler Makers Local 659/Arch Builders. Oct. 28, 1965, is the date of the completion of the stainless steel covering of the St. Louis Arch.

The Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Mo., began a three-day celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the Arch’s completion. The events started Saturday and will end today.

St. Louis would not be celebrating without the workers from PDM (Pittsburgh DesMoines Steel Co.) You see, in St. Louis, you won’t hear of the story of how it was constructed right here in Warren County. Even so, the remaining workers here in Warren, and their families take pride in being part of something quite big in the history of the United States.

It’s been said that visitors passing through, that are even from Missouri, did not even know that the arch was from here. It was made here and shipped piece by piece. Built as a tribute to Thomas Jefferson and the westward expansion of America, the very intricate details of the construction are “monumental.” The arch in St. Louis is 630 feet high, has a 54-foot width for each leg, weighs more than an aircraft, has blocks as heavy as locomotives, and yet the arch had to be strong enough to sway only 18′ in 100 mph wind.

A 30-minute documentary titled “Monument to the Dream: The Construction of the Gateway Arch” is available on YouTube and gives the history of the westward expansion and the meaning of the monument. Challenging for both architect and engineer, Warren engineers take great pride in completing this project.

A baby arch is an eye-catching feature welcoming travelers into the visitor’s center where many will learn of a piece of American history that belongs to Warren County. The Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry also has a mini replica welcoming guests into their building in downtown Warren. This was attained after the factory shut down and was made out of the extra steel from the project.

If you are looking to gain more knowledge about our area and Pennsylvania history, come visit and pay tribute to those who were part of something bigger than they would have imagined.