Click Here to Return to Milestones
From the large and interesting volume entitled "Iron in All Ages," recently published by its author Mr. James M. Swank, secretary of the The furnace was abandoned at an Philadelphia, we copy the following interesting extracts, relating to the earliest manufacture of iron in the United States, in which it will be observed, Beaver County occupies an important position:
"A blast furnace was built at Beaver Falls, on the west side of the Beaver River, in Beaver County, in 1802, by Hoopes, Townsend & Co., and was blown in in 1804. A forge was connected with it from the beginning, and was in operation in 1806. The furnace and forge were in operation in 1816. The whole enterprise was abandoned about 1826. The ore used was picked out of gravel banks in the neighborhood in small lumps. There was another early furnace in Beaver County, named Bassenheim, built in 1814, by Detmar Basse Muller, on Connoquenessing Creek, about a mile west of the Butler County line. In February 1818, $12 per ton was paid for hauling the pig metal made at this furnace to Pittsburgh, thirty miles distant over a bad road. The furnace was abandoned at an early date.
"Ohio is entitled to the honor of having had established within her boundaries the first successful works in the United States for the manufacture of crucible steel of the best quality. (The proof of this claim is ample, as presented in a subsequent chapter.) The works alluded to were located on the bank of the Miami Canal, in Cincinnati, and were built in 1832 by two brothers, Dr. William Garrard and John H. Garrard, who were natives of England, but were residents of the United States after 1822. After the works were built William T. Middleton and Charles Fox were successively partners with Dr. Garrard, his brother having retired. Dr. Garrard was the inspiration of the enterprise and its master spirit during the whole period of its existence. The firm failed in 1837, but the business was continued for some time afterwards. During the first five years the best crucible steel was made at these works by Dr. Garrard, entirely by American materials. It was used for making saws, springs, axes, reaper knives, files and tools generally. Dr. Garrard is still living at an advanced age at Fallston, in Beaver County in Pennsylvania, and it affords us a great deal of pleasure to rescue from threatening oblivion, and in the Doctor's lifetime, the details hereafter to be presented of his honorable connection with one of the most interesting episodes in the history of our iron and steel industries."