In 1825 (with a new- born), upon her hus- band’s death, Rebecca Webb Lukens took over the management of the almost bankrupt Brandywine Iron Works in what is now Coates- ville, Pennsylvania. This was the first American company to make boiler plate and hull plates for steam-powered ships and locomotives; it thereby played a prominent role in the industrial and trans- portation revolutions of the 19th century. As a 31-year old mother and widow, she faced many obstacles including her own mother’s opposition to her running the mill. Legal disputes over ownership, and chal- lenges to her water rights from competi- tors threatened her.
Many women want to open their own businesses – for both the challenges and opportunities that being the owner brings. Throughout our country’s history, women have achieved long-term financial success and developed products and services that have survived for generations. In this col- umn, we profile four amazons among businesswomen – Rebecca Webb Lukens, Maggie Lena Walker, Gertrude Boyle, and Helen Greiner.
22 Kalon Women Magazine
By her shrewd business decisions, coura- geous defense of her rights, and her abil- ity to meet the demand for boiler plate, Rebecca Lukens became a significant fig- ure in the nation’s early industrial expan- sion. She managed and controlled the commercial end by buying supplies, set- ting prices, making contracts, meeting customers, and studying legislation that might affect her business.
In 1853, after
the death of her mother and the resolution of resulting family lawsuits, the Brandy- wine legally became hers.
Lukens’ success made her business the nation’s chief manufacturer of boiler plate. Her plates became known to all steam en-
Jan/Mar 2014
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