Hidden away in a corner of an industrial storage yard lies a piece of Pittsburgh’s history. … Hidden away in a corner of an industrial storage yard lies a piece of Pittsburgh’s history.

Two massive steel ladles once used in the steel-making process that made Pittsburgh famous are now awaiting their fate as either scrap metal or historic artifacts.

The ladles were unwanted and forgotten for more than 30 years, and now it may be too late to save them from the scrap yard, unless City Council president Doug Shields has his way.

“We need to preserve these iconic symbols as an important part of the Steel City’s heritage,” Shields said in a press release.

The ladles, which are 10 feet tall, 13 feet wide and weigh 25 tons each, were used to transport and pour molten metal as part of the steel-making process more than 75 years ago at the Allegheny Ludlum steel mill outside of Pittsburgh.

Allegheny Ludlum is famous for producing the steel used in the famous Ford Model A automobile and in the Empire State Building in New York City.

While the exact history of the ladles is unknown, Shields believes that they are significant to Pittsburgh’s history and its designation as being the steel-producing capital of the world.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the ladles are currently owned by Fusion Technologies, a company that makes products for the cement, aluminum and steel industries.

Not anticipating the amount of public interest the ladles have created, the company arranged to have them scrapped as early as next week as a way of generating extra revenue.

Now councilman Shields must race against time to find a bidder willing to purchase the ladles for an estimated $8,000 – the amount they would acquire if sold for scrap metal.

“I don’t think we can put a price on history,” Shields said.

Private property owners, heritage organizations and city departments have all been approached as possible sources of funding, although no one has yet come forward.

Other relics from Pittsburgh’s legendary steel-making past can be seen at major attractions throughout the city.

Remnants of a Bessemer furnace are a focal point at Station Square, while the smokestacks of the former Homestead steel mill have been preserved at the Waterfront.

A similar future may be in store for the rediscovered ladles.

Possible locations for the ladles include Heinz Field, the South Side and the grounds of the planned casino on the North Shore.

The ladles could also be placed at several spots along the city’s riverfront paths and trails.

The ladles could also feature prominently during Pittsburgh 250, a year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the City of Pittsburgh slated to begin next month and run through 2008.