Rebuilding Bethlehem: 1990-present
Gone are the golden days of
the steel industry. Bethlehem no longer hears the sound of active
steel mills or loaded trains. Yet this city has refused to die like
so many other defunct steel towns have. New industries have been encouraged
to construct branches in the area, and the city has learned to profit from
one of Pennsylvania's largest industries - tourism! Playing off the
image of Bethlehem as the "Christmas City", a cultural center, or a historic
steel center, the city attracts many thousands of tourists - and their
money - to Bethlehem each year. Just recently, Bethlehem has even
attracted the attention of the Smithsonian Institute as a site for preserving
and displaying the symbols of America's industrial past. Though no
longer supported soley by the steel industry, Bethlehem is once again on
an upward path. Only time will tell where this path will lead.
Remains
of the Steel New
Industry Tourism
Education
and Recreation New
Character