Corning’s old thermometer draw tower embodied the company’s leadership in glass technology and marked a major advance in tubing production. Built in 1912, the 185-foot tower represented the shift to the patented vertical draw process. Before that innovation, tubing was made on the factory floor by shaping a gather of glass into a cylinder and stretching it horizontally between two workmen as they backed away from each other. The last tubing was drawn in the tower in June 1973, and the restored tower is preserved as a historical landmark. The blue gaffer symbol painted at the top, affectionately called Little Joe, traces back to 1880, when it was taken from a sketch by an itinerant painter visiting a glass factory in Pittsburgh; after a series of graphic modifications, it became a Corning trademark. Since its origin in 1851, Corning has been known for expertise in glass technology. Thermometer tubing was one of its earliest products and was hand-drawn for many years. In 1897, Corning patented a vertical tube-drawing process, launching innovations that pushed thermometer tubing sales to more than $2 million by 1968. Over time, the company also produced many other drawn-glass products, including neon tubing, electronic components, and optical fiber.