The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is paying tribute to the industry that built the town of Palmerton.

The museum, which headquarters the Lehigh County Historical Society, is currently featuring an exhibit titled “The Zinc Industry in Palmerton, Pennsylvania.”

The exhibit highlights the importance the zinc industry has played in the history of this area, particularly Palmerton.

The display opened in November 2017 and will run through this May. It features 20 carefully selected photographs depicting images of people, architecture, and the story of the zinc industry. Several panels, which are currently being enhanced, will be added to the presentation in the upcoming weeks.

The exhibit is available for viewing during normal museum hours in the Lecture Gallery, which is located on the main floor of the museum in Allentown.

As museum Director Joseph Garrera explained, museum staff started with 200 historical images for this expose, eventually paring down to just 20 photographs. The 20 photographs on display represent the development of the New Jersey Zinc Company, and essentially the beginning of the town of Palmerton.

“The zinc industry, in a sense, built Palmerton,” Garrera said.

The New Jersey Zinc Company was founded in Newark, New Jersey, in 1848. In 1893, the company began to acquire farmland at the Lehigh Gap in Carbon County for the creation of one of the most ambitious industrial plants. The town of Palmerton was founded five years later, named after Stephen S. Palmer, president of NJZ.

In 1911 and 1912, NJZ built two zinc-smelting plants in town. For many years, NJZ was the largest producer of zinc. In 1944 alone, records indicate the company employed 4,400 workers at the Palmerton plant.

The importance of the zinc industry in Palmerton was apparent during World War II, as the metal was used in making ammunition for the war. Huge amounts of zinc were necessary for that process, with Palmerton supplying a fair amount of the necessary metal.

“This exhibit at Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum highlights the great impact Palmerton and the zinc industry have had, both on this area as well as historically,” said Peter Kern, president of the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce and former senior vice president of NJZ.

Photographs included in the exhibit represent the start of NJZ, with historical photographs of the official groundbreaking of the company and the actual construction of the company’s main structure. It explores the lives of the men, women and children who lived in Palmerton through images of housing; community activities, including sports teams, the band, and the pool; and cultural meccas such as the library.

“Palmerton’s seminal place in American history is often overlooked,” Garrera said.

While many zinc metal operations in Palmerton ceased to exist in 1980, the quintessential town still boasts a self-contained, bustling downtown.

“Palmerton is one of the most inviting little hamlets, a true gem. It remains rich in historical significance and patriotism,” Garrera said.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is located at 432 W. Walnut St. in Allentown.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org.