The Susquehanna River and Pennsylvania's iron industry converged here and spurred the development of Steelton and New Market. Across the river, Steelton was a quiet rural area in the mid-1800s where canal, river, turnpike, and railroads passed through, but in 1866 a handful of businessmen acquired 91 acres on the east bank and formed the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Steelton then grew rapidly as the new industry drew immigrant workers seeking well-paying jobs and a place to settle, and by the early 20th century it had a diverse population of more than 16,000 residents representing more than 30 different ethnicities. The Steelton facility was one of the earliest commercial steel plants in America and used the Bessemer Method to produce large quantities of steel inexpensively. Steel made in Steelton helped build the American railroad system, U.S. military battleships, skyscrapers, and bridges. In New Market, a mid-1800s settlement comprised largely of Pennsylvania Germans, significant growth also came from the area's steel-making prosperity, and it became an early bedroom community of Steelton whose residents often commuted there by ferryboat for work.