Fretz-Moon Tube Co. employees read pipe for threading after it has been cooled and straightened.

The

Fretz-Moon Tube Co. in East Butler, shown in this 1963 photograph, was established in 1923 and closed June 1, 1964. In 1950, there were 350 employees, and at peak capacity, it could turn out 50,000 miles of pipe per year.

John Moon was the inventor of the continuous weld process, which was universally adopted by the largest and most modern pipe mills, and S.S. Fretz Jr. was his partner for a short time. Keystone Pipe and Supply purchased the idle property in 1964.