“It’s not a museum. It’s not a place of artifacts; it’s a place of ideas “
-Jeanie Kahnke
The Bucyrus Steam Shovel and Dredge Company was established in Bucyrus, Ohio in 1880. The company moved to the unincorporated town of South Milwaukee in 1893. The new factory was instrumental in the development and incorporation of the city, and Bucyrus became a world leader in producing railroad, excavating, and dredging equipment.
Bucyrus supplied 77 of the 102 Steam Shovels used to dig the Panama Canal. Bucyrus’ influence in developing the City of South Milwaukee also helped to bring other manufacturers to the area.
In 1927, Bucyrus merged with the Erie Steam Shovel Company to form Bucyrus-Erie and is still known around the world as B-E. In 1997, the company adopted the name Bucyrus International, Inc., to highlight its leading role as the premier global manufacturer of some of the world’s largest excavating equipment.
Bucyrus was a renowned American designer and manufacturer of construction machinery, dredges, and heavy equipment for surface and underground mining. In July of 2011, Bucyrus was purchased by Caterpillar and the Bucyrus name was consigned to history.
