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The President Pumping Engine (1872-1900)

Lehigh County · dedicated 2024 · No address available. See map below.

Once housed here, it was one of the largest and most powerful single-cylinder steam engines of its time. Designed by Lehigh Zinc Company’s Cornish-born engineer John West to remove large volumes of water from the adjacent Ueberroth zinc mine. Manufactured in Philadelphia and said to be named for President Ulysses S. Grant, it operated 1872-1892. Its reli-ability, effectiveness, and innovative design attracted international interest.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Marker data: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission via data.pa.gov

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