The United States Once Produced A Wide Array Of Goods And Products

Here’s What The Big Industrial Cities Used To Make

The controversy over tariffs to correct a trade imbalance has its proponents and its critics. One of the goals for the United States is to be more self-reliant by bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

It is an appealing idea, but can it be put into practice?

We once produced outstanding, quality  products without relying heavily on imports, while at the same time exporting a tremendous amount of goods.

But the rising cost of production and wages proved too tempting to companies and to improve  their bottom line, U.S. businesses looked to cut costs. Major companies began outsourcing manufacturing out of the United States starting in the 1960s and the trend has continued for over six decades.

Meanwhile, the shift from manufacturing to a service based economy means that over 81 million Americans earn their living in the service sector. What is the bottom line of that shift?

Not making things and being service based accounts for eighty percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

So what did the United States once make?

The section below is from The 1939 World Almanac containing the leading industries of major metropolitan areas in the United States.

The principal industrial areas in the United States with their leading industries ranked according to the value of their products, are as follows:

New York City area—Women’’s Clothing: Printing and publishing, newspaper and periodicals; men’s, youths’ and boys’ clothing (except work clothing); bread and other bakery products;
printing and publishing, book, music and job; meat packing, wholesale; petroleum refining: cane
sugar refining; gas, manufactured, illuminating and heating.

Chicago area—Meat packing, wholesale: works and rolling-mill products; petroleum
refining: printing and publishing, newspaper and periodical; printing and publishing, book, music and job; foundry and machine-shop products: bread and other bakery products; confectionery: electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies

Philadelphia area—Petroleum refining: knit goods; printing and publishing, newspaper and 
periodical; cane sugar refining; bread and other bakery products; men’s, youths’ and boys’ clothing  (except work clothing); worsted goods: foundry and machine-shop products; meatpacking, wholesale. The ‘‘radio apparatus and phonographs industry is one of the leading industries in this area, but its rank cannot be given without the  possibility of disclosing (by comparison with census reports) approximations of the data for individual establishments.

Detroit area—Motor vehicles, not incl. motorcycles; motor vehicle bodies and motor vehicle parts.

Boston area—Worsted goods; boots and shoes other than rubber, leather, tanned, curried and
finished; bread and other bakery products: printing and publishing, newspaper and periodical:
printing and publishing, book, music and job meat packing, wholesale; electrical machinery.
apparatus and supplies; foundry and machine shop products. ‘‘Cane-sugar refining’’ and soap
are also among the leading industries in this area. but their rank cannot be given without the possibility of disclosing (by comparison with census reports) approximations of the data for individual establishments.

St. Louis area—Meat packing, wholesale: motor vehicles, not including motorcycles; petroleum refining; chemicals; malt liquors; electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies; bread and other
bakery products; boots and shoes, other than rubber; printing and publishing, newspaper and
periodical. The ‘‘boot and shoe cut stock, not made in boot and shoe factories and the ‘tobacco,
chewing and smoking, and snuff” industries are among the leading industries in this area, but
their rank cannot be given without the possibility of disclosing (by comparison with census reports) approximations of the data for individual establishments.

Pittsburgh area—Steel-works and rolling-mill products; blast-furnace products: foundry and
machine-shop products; glass: electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies; coke-oven products; bread and other bakery products; structural and ornamental metal-work, not made in plants operated in connection with rolling mills; canned and dried fruits and vegetables, preserves, jellies, fruit butters, Pickles and sauces.

San Francisco-Oakland area—Petroleum refining; motor vehicles, not including motorcycles;
canned and preserved fruits and vegetables, preserves, Jellies, fruit butters, pickles and sauces;
smelting and refining, lead; meat packing, wholesale: printing and publishing, newspaper and
periodical; bread and other bakery products; Cane sugar refining’’ and ‘“‘cigarettes’’ are also
among the leading industries, but their rank cannot be given without the possibility of disclosing (by comparison with census reports) approximations of the data for individual establishments.

Cleveland area—Steel works and rolling-mill products; motor-vehicle bodies and motor vehicle
parts; foundry and machine-shop products; electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies; meat-
packing, wholesale; blast-furnace products; printing and publishing, newspaper and periodical.

Los Angeles area—Petroleum refining; meatpacking, wholesale, bread and other bakery pro-
ducts: printing and publishing, newspaper and periodical; rubber tires and inner tubes; women’s clothing; foundry and machine-shop products. The production of motion pictures is a leading activity this area.

Buffalo area—Flour and other grain-mill products: chemicals not elsewhere classified; motor-
vehicles not including motorcycles, steel-works and rolling mill products; feeds, prepared, for animals and fowls; motor vehicle bodies and motor vehicle parts; meat packing, wholesale.

Providence-Fall River-New Bedford area—Cotton goods, worsted goods: dying and finishing textiles; silk and rayon goods; jewelry. 

Baltimore area—Steel-works and rolling-mill products; men’s, youths’ and boys’ clothing (except work clothing) not elsewhere classified; tin cans and other tinware not elsewhere classified; meat-packing, wholesale. The following are among the leading industries in this area, but their rank cannot be given without the possibility of disclosing (by comparison with census reports) approximations of the data for individual establishments: cane-sugar refining; petroleum refining; smelting and refining copper.

Cincinnati area—Meat packing, wholesale; paper: motor vehicles, not including motorcycles;
soap, tobacco, chewing and smoking, and snuff; steel-works and rolling-mill products.

Milwaukee area—Liquors, malt; meat-packing, wholesale: foundry and machine-shop products not elsewhere classified; boots and shoes, other than rubber; motor vehicle bodies and motor vehicle parts; knit goods; electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies: bread and other bakery products. The motor vehicle industry is one of the leading industries in this area, but its rank cannot be given without the possibility of disclosing (by comparison with Census reports) approximations of data for individual establishments.

Bridgeport-New Haven-Waterbury area—Non-ferrous metal alloys and non-ferrous metal products, except aluminum, not elsewhere classified; electrical machinery, apparatus and supplies; hats; fur-felt; foundry and machine-shop products not elsewhere classified; ammunition and related products; gold, silver and platinum, refining and alloying.

What is probably most notable in this list is that in the intervening decades some of these areas have been decimated of practically all their manufacturing jobs. These metropolitan areas are no longer even considered major cities and their population and wealth has dwindled.

Can we re-shore jobs and reduce our dependency from the global supply chain? How quickly can factories be built or retrofitted? Will the manufacturing opportunities and jobs, many in technology, appeal and be suited to 21st century U.S. workers?

Time will tell.

The only certainty is that this is not the United States of 1939 and never will be again.