San Bernardino County history: Kaiser Steel – Welcome to San Bernardino County

Henry J. Kaiser at Kaiser Steel, circa 1950.

Henry J. Kaiser founded more than 100 companies, including Kaiser Cement, Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser Steel. He began building his steel empire by making ships during World War II. Realizing that he needed a steady supply of steel, Kaiser decided to build a plant.

In 1942, he established Kaiser Steel in the city of Fontana. The steel produced at the mill made the production process more efficient, which enabled the company to make a ship in 45 days. The average time was over 100 days.

His team even set a world record by building a ship in four days, beating the previous record of 10 days. At its peak, Kaiser Steel employed more than 2,500 workers and had its own newspaper and medical facility.

Kaiser, along with Dr. Sidney Garfield, a medical doctor, established a three-tiered system of healthcare, including first aid stations and a hospital. In 1943, Kaiser and Garfield opened a 50-bed hospital in Fontana, housing six physicians to care for Kaiser Steel Mill employees and their families. At the time, they offered a revolutionary pre-paid healthcare plan for 60 cents a week for adults and 30 cents a week for children.

Kaiser closed its mills in the 1980s, and a large portion of the land was sold. Eventually, it became the Auto Club Speedway, while a portion of the old site continued to operate in steel production.

As one of the few remaining heavy industry sites near Los Angeles, the area is occasionally used as a filming location. It was featured in the film Black Rain and the 1991 blockbuster Terminator II.

Kaiser’s contributions have been honored in Fontana with a street and a high school named after him.The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – July 10, 2025