Once the prosperous jewelers' district in 19th century Paragon City, many of Steel Canyon's neighborhoods still possess names dating back to that era. The 20th century, however, brought with it an explosion of finance and investment industry. The once prolific mercantile district transformed overnight as brokerage houses, insurance companies, and law firms began taking over real estate. By the 1920s, most companies had erected towering skyscrapers to flaunt their success to the rest of the city. Because these huge buildings loomed over city streets like manmade mountains, the newspapers dubbed the area "Steel Canyon."