Peter Kern and Dr. David Taschler are proud of the early growth of Palmerton.

They recently presented results of years of study to the Palmerton Area Historical Society.The story began with Stephen Palmer and the New Jersey Zinc Company."A lot of our talk is from deduction, a lot of what they did, not what history tells us," Kern said.In 1913 Palmer died and his son Edgar took over the New Jersey Zinc Company.August Herkscher, the first general manager of NJZ, helped children in New York City, so he had a social awareness background.Herkscher believed a company has responsibility to its shareholders for philanthropy, and ethical, economic and legal responsibility.From 1890 to 1925 there was never an argument between employers and employees at NJZ. This was the time of mining strikes, the Molly Maguires and Bethlehem Steel strikes, but those employees were treated almost like slaves. They had to buy food and equipment from a company store that kept them owing money.It was a time when President Calvin Coolidge said the business of America is business.Kern said a few business owners were philanthropists, such as Andrew Carnegie, who gave away more than $350 million for library and educational buildings.Taschler said in the 1920s the big trusts were broken up. The Community Chest was started and 25 percent of its money came from corporations.By 1906-1907 NJZ was already showing a sense of responsibility. Many small zinc companies were arguing and Stephen Palmer consolidated them.The company bought the land between Lehigh Gap and Hazard Road and built the infrastructure which was to provide a stable, healthy workforce.Wide streets and a central park were the downtown of Palmerton. Four miles of 30-inch water pipe were put in, bringing running water to 73 percent of the population. In 1899 a sewage treatment plant was built. It was another 50 years before the decline in outhouses in other areas.Kern said houses were built because people needed a place to live.The first doctor, Dr. Cattersoon, was hired in 1903 and the hospital was built in 1909. In 1914 there was a traveling community nurse and a mutual relief program was instituted in 1919 with NJZ contributing. Dr. John Luther was the first surgeon. A typhoid outbreak came in 1906.A nursing school operated from 1914 to 1955, and Dr. Majorie Batchelor opened a well-baby clinic.Delaware Avenue was built of concrete with the help of the Civil Engineering Construction Society.By 1913 there were 100 houses which could be bought for $1,500 with a company-supplied mortgage or rented for $7 per month. NJZ encouraged homeownership. There were public bathhouses.The company enabled stores but didn't operate them. It provided rentals and professional help from Easton merchants.The first high school was started in 1904 and the Stephen S. Palmer School was built in 1923 with $150,000 from the Palmers.Frances Hughes, a sociologist, was invited in 1914 and there was a sociological department at the company. English classes were taught.There were two neighborhood houses, said Taschler. Programs were put in place there to help with human mingling, dancing, folk dancing and club meetings. Although it helped the people, the company also benefited. Young college men from the plant worked in the neighborhood houses.Education built a strong company and strong community. It had the first kindergarten in the county.The company provided every person part of a week's work all through the Great Depression. Kern said it would have been easy to shut down but was expensive to quit and restart the furnaces. It also maintained a trained workforce.In 1935, the Social Security Act was passed and fair labor standards set working hours and conditions to be equal throughout an industry.Machinery was made safer. The American Red Cross did lots of things for the community.Tocqueville said, "A company must be well in order to do good, but doing good can help it do well."