In 1872, William Aylward opened the Aylward Plow Works in Neenah Wisconsin. Little did he know the direction his small plow company would go in the next couple of decades. Aylward Iron Works laid the groundwork for what would become Neenah Foundry. While the country would weather many storms in the 20th and 21st century, Neenah Foundry retained a steadfast presence in the water and sewer industries. Neenah Foundry was able to grow during the Great Depression due to WPA projects, supplied war materials in World War II and grew to become the national leader in construction castings during the economic boom of the 1950s.