Pottstown was laid out in 1752-53 and named in honor of its founder, John Potts. In the past, its iron and steel interests were very extensive. There were large rolling mills, furnaces, nail works, textile mills, bridge works, agricultural-implement works, boiler and machine shops, foundries, and manufactories of bricks, silks, shirts, hosiery, etc. You can still see the remnants from Industrial Blvd.