The Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company was founded in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1880. In 1893, a shift in product lines and a shortage of space prompted the company to establish itself in the Village of South Milwaukee, where rail and water transportation offered strong potential for moving its products. Its name became The Bucyrus Steam Shovel and Dredge Company of Wisconsin. Bucyrus delivered 77 steam shovels to build the Panama Canal and was a major contributor to the war effort during WWI and WWII. Over the next 130 years, its research and development efforts continued to add new products and improve established product lines. The company came to position itself as a premier mining equipment manufacturer with a world class product portfolio for surface and underground mining applications, including draglines, rope shovels, hydraulic excavators, drills, trucks, longwall and room and pillar equipment, highwall miners, and belt systems. In 1996, the company changed its name from Bucyrus Erie to Bucyrus International, Inc. to reflect its global footprint. Bucyrus and South Milwaukee both experienced tremendous growth from their early beginnings, and through mutual support over the years they formed a strong partnership that brought distinction to the company and the City of South Milwaukee.