Wilder Museum to host open house honoring National Forge Co.
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The Wilder Museum will host an open house on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. to pay tribute to the National Forge Company and the men and women who have worked there.
The event is free and open to the public.
As World War I raged across Europe, Clinton Wilder founded the National Forge and Tool Company in Erie, Pa., in 1915. The company's immediate success led him to look for additional facilities. Wilder purchased the Irvine Steel Forge Company in 1916 and moved his entire operations to Irvine in 1917.
The company became a major manufacturer of machined steel forgings and experienced growth during World War II. It earned an Army/Navy "E" award for excellence, an honor entrusted to a minor 5% of military contractors during the war years. Now known as the Ellwood National Forge, the company remains one of Warren County's largest employers.
Clinton's son, Robert O. Wilder, established a museum in 1991 to honor his father, by housing artifacts from the company and the greater Irvine area. The museum is located at the former Irvine School at 51 Erie Avenue, Irvine, Pa. Following Robert Wilder's passing in 1995, the museum was gifted to the Warren County Historical Society. The Wilder Museum of Warren County History is the largest museum in the area and home to 4,000 artifacts of local significance. The National Forge Exhibit Room features Robert Wilder's 1963 fire engine and red Mercedes Benz. The display also includes factory tools, machinery, and manufactured goods-such as a 37 MM anti-tank gun and an inoperable torpedo.
Donations are welcome, with all proceeds benefiting the Wilder Museum. For more information, please call (814) 723-1795, visit warrenhistory.org or like the Wilder Museum's Facebook page.
The museum will operate through October 10. Fall hours are Friday and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.