USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > History of Berks county in Pennsylvania > Part 17
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97
EARLY AND GENERAL INDUSTRIES.
years, till about 1865, when he gradually dis- continued active operation, and finally aban- doned them. They were latterly known as " Heilig's Forges."
SPEEDWELL FORGE .- The Speedwell Forge was erected, it is supposed, by Philip Seidel, about 1800. In 1815 it was purchased by Nicholas Yocum, who operated it for some years. It was situated in Cumru township on Angelica Creek, about five miles south of Read- ing. Speedwell, No. 2, was built by Mr. Yocum in 1835. Moses and Daniel Yocum, his sons, then operated them separately till about 1870, when they were abandoned.
RECENT INDUSTRIES .- Among thie more recent furnaces and forges in the county, there were the following, the date after the name in- dicating the year of erection :
Furnaces.
Windsor
Hamburg
Moselem 1823
Mount Penn 1825
Earl 1835
Mount Laurel 1836
Henry Clay 1844
second stack 1854
East Penn (2 stacks).1874
Monocacy 1852
Kutztown 1875
Leesport 1853
Bechtelsville 1875
Forges.
Do-Well
1825
Exeter 1836
Moyer's. 1825
Mount Airy 1840
Moselem 1825
Seidel's. 1853
Sixpenny 1825
Keystone. 1854
North-Kill 1830
Reading 1857
Bloom 1830
Douglassville 1878
IRON-MASTERS .- The iron-masters of the county comprise many men distinguished for their energy, enterprise, success and wealth. They extend through the history of the county from its earliest settlements till now. A great proportion of the material prosperity and en- richment of the county has been contributed by them. They have, to a great degree, influenced its social, political and industrial welfare. In the settlement and development of its several sections, south, east, west and north, they have been pioneers. Though their great and influen- tial industry does not antedate agriculture in the
affairs of the county, it has, nevertheless, been a traveling companion ; and, like agriculture, it has been transmitted from grandfather to son and grandson. Their names reveal the fact that the great majority of them have been Germans or of German origin.
In the year 1806 Berks County was distin- guished for its numerous manufacturing estab- lishments, its trade and enterprise. The follow- ing iron industries were then in operation :
Tilt hammers. 9 Furnaces 8
Slitting-mill.
1
Forges 20
Other industries of the county :
Powder-mills 4
Grist-mills 155
Fulling-mills
14
Tanneries
49
Hemp-mills
2
Oil-mills.
20
Paper-mills.
10
Hat factories (Read-
Saw-mills
235
ing) 40
Distilleries
212
(These were reported by assessors and published in the Reading Adler April 22, 1806.)
The county at that time was evidently a great industrial centre. In the manufacture of iron alone it contained thirty-eight establishments. In 1830 there were eleven furnaces and twenty-four forges ; in 1850, thirteen furnaces and twenty- three forges ; and in 1876, twenty-seven fur- naces, but only four forges. The great decrease of forges is accounted for by the introduction of rolling-mills, of which there were ten in the year last named. Water-power was apparently supplanted by the introduction of steam-power; and instead of being located in many places throughout the county, as theretofore through a period of one hundred years, they were concen- trated in several places.
The only industries of those named which were begun before 1800, now still in operation, are the following : Furnaces-Oley, Hopewell, and Joanna ; Forges-Charming and Gibral- tar.
PRODUCTION, 1828-30 .- The following two tables were arranged by Daniel M. Keim, to show the furnaces and forges in operation in Berks County for the years 1828, 1829 and 1830, number of hands employed, the amount of production, etc., and published in the Berks and Schuylkill Journal, from which they were copied :
Maiden Creek 1854
Reading (Seyfert,
McManus & Co.) .. 1854
second stack. 1873
Temple. .1867
Keystone. 1869
second stack. 1872
Topton. 1873
13
98
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
FURNACES.
OWNERS.
Work- men.
Depend- ent per- sons.
No. of horses.
Cords of wood.
Tons of pig metal.
Tons of castings.
Wheat, rye, and corn used.
Beef and pork used.
Reading.
George Ege.
228
1056
198
23,822
3,568
95
33,000
150,000
Hopewell
Buckley & Brooke ..
168
1600
84
15,000
1,279
981
21,000
30,000
Joanna
William Darling ....
168
1358
80
15,000
2,200
500
21,000
78,500
Mount Penn
Seyfert & Schwartz.
220
1050
120
15,000
1,700
500
16,890
92,000
Oley
J. Udree Schneider.
153
765
75
10,500
1,050
360
14,226
46,500
Sally Ann
J. V. R. Hunter.
150
750
51
10,800
1,300
252
11,650
36,000
Mary Ann
Reuben Trexler.
153
765
81
12,000
1,350
330
12,500
47,000
Windsor
Jones, Keim & Co ...
195
1075
48
11,200
650
750
8,600
49,000
Moselem
N. V. R. Hunter ...
18
90
15
4,500
643
2,000
2,000
Union
George Reagan ...
18
90
15
6,000
700
2,500
15,000
Kernsville
Jonas Kern & Co ..
12
60
12
4,500
250
100
3,000
3,000
Total.
1483
8659
779
128,322
14,690
3868
146,366
549,000
FORGES.
OWNERS.
Work- men.
Depend- ent per- sons.
No. of horses.
Cords of wood. Tons of bar iron.
Tons of blooms.
Wheat, rys, and corn nsød.
Boef and pork used.
Charming.
George Ege ..
99
475
70
9,000
800
9,000
98,550
Gibraltar (2)
Seyfert & Schwartz.
168
740
60
9,000
1900
12,000
175,000
Do-Well.
Jonathan Seidel ..
85
425
60
5,000
1000
7,000
65,000
Six-penny
George Zacharias ...
62
310
36
3,000
600
5,500
56,000
Birdsboro'
Heirs of M. Brooke.
94
470
52
7,500
750
10,500
81,000
Speedwell
Daniel Yocum
99
99
54
3,450
205
300
11,000
86,000
North-Kill
B. & J. Seyfert ..
36
160
22
3,000
300
5,000
33,000
Green Tree.
Keen & Burkhart ...
19
82
12
1,600
150
2,500
17,000
Moselem
N. & J. Hunter
110
550
60
7,500
300
750
13,000
102,000
Rockland (2).
J. Udree Schneider.
53
265
31
4,500
450
6,000
5,000
Union
George Reagan
41
205
40
3,750
375
6,000
36,000
Oley
Jacob S. Spang.
35
165
61
3,000
300
5,000
32,000
New District
William Schall.
30
146
48
3,000
240
4,000
26,000
District (2).
Reuben Trexler
62
320
64
5,300
480
7,000
53,000
Mount Pleasant (3).
93
453
47
9,600
720
10.000
78,000
Dale
David Schall
32
146
19
3,100
240
3,500
25,000
Rockland
Daniel Oyster J. Rutter.
90
460
61
8,500
700
10,000
79,000
Total
1287
5857
851
95,300
6160
5150
135,000
1,089,050
INDUSTRIES IN 1840 .- In 18401 there were in the county eleven furnaces and thirty-six bloomeries, forges and rolling-mills ; total num- ber of iron industries, forty-seven. The pro- duction, investment, men employed, etc., were as follows :
Tons of cast-iron.
9,165
bar-iron
6,569
fuel consumed.
45,765
Men employed.
1,245
Capital invested.
$367,444
Value of mine product.
$54,800
Capital in mines.
$32,100
Other industries in county then :
Flour-mills
27
Grist-mills.
114
Oil-mills.
15
1 Berks and Schuylkill Journal, December 26, 1840.
Stores
119
Saw-mills
108
Paper-factories
5
Potteries
3
Powder-mills
3
Pounds of powder
549,000
Distilleries
29
product (gals.).
54,644
Breweries.
6
product (gals.).
61,600
..
...
61
305
37
3,000
600
5,600
25,000
Spring.
J. S. Bertolette
...
18
81
17
2,500
150
2,400
16,500
Pine
.
In 1851 there were forty-one iron-works in the county, a larger number than in any other county of Pennsylvania; and there was no county in the United States which contained more. Lancaster County had thirty; Chester County, twenty-five. The whole number in the State was five hundred and four. The capital invested in iron-works in the county then was $1,231,000.
99
EARLY AND GENERAL INDUSTRIES.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT, 1850-1876 .- The following statement shows the number of iron-works in Berks and adjoining counties for the years 1850 and 1876, respectively :
FURNACES.
FOROES.
MILLS.
LOCATION.
1850.
1876.
1850.
1876.
1850.
1876.
Berks
13
27
23
4
5
10
Bucks
2
1
0
0
0
1
Chester
5
4
6
6
14
9
Dauphin.
6
12
0
0
0
1
2
Lancaster
16
15
12
2
2
6
Lebanon
6
10
3
3
0
2
Lehigh.
9
28
0
0
0
3
Montgomery.
6
15
2
0
4
9
Philadelphia
0
1
3
0
8
14
Schuylkill.
5
9
6
1
1
6
68
122
57
17
36
67
Total of State.
298
279
127
39
79
156
MEMORIAL FOR NATIONAL FOUNDRY .--- In February, 1845,1 a " memorial " was pre- pared by a committee of citizens of Reading, appointed at a town-meeting, setting forth rea- sons why Reading should be selected as a site for one of the national foundries, and it was presented to Congress. The committee referred to the security of Reading in time of war, its central position with regard to points of defense and supply of ordnance, its facilities of trans- portation, its supply of iron, coal and other materials and its low wages of labor. John Banks, Isaac Hiester and Isaac Eckert were on this committee-the others not being mentioned.2 A statement of the furnaces and forges in the county was added, including those along the
1 There had been a movement in this behalf seven years previously, the completion of the Reading Railroad baving suggested the feasibility of procuring at Reading the estab- lishment of a National Foundry, the building of which was then being agitated in Congress. A large meeting of the citizens of Reading was held in March, 1838, with this object in view, at which meeting General George M. Keim was appointed the chairman of the committee to present a memorial to Congress, and Henry A. Muhlenberg and John Ritter accompanied him to Washington to urge the claims of Reading.
2 Reading Gazette, February 1, 1845. The entire memo- rial appears in this issue. Fifteen members were on the committee. The committee who carried the memorial to Washington were Wm. Darling, Wm. Strong and J. Pringle Jones.
Schuylkill Canal, in Schuylkill County, and also those along the Union Canal, in Lebanon County. They afforded employment to about eleven hundred hands.
The following statement 3 comprises only the furnaces and forges in Berks County in 1845:
Distance from Reading.
Furnaces.
Owners.
Miles.
Mount Penn .John Schwartz.
3
Joanna.
.Darling & Smith
11
Hopewell
.Brooke & Buckley
14
Reading D. R. Porter & Co 12
Alsace.
.J. & S. Kauffman 4
Moselem .N. V. R. Hunter 12
Sally Ann J. V. R. Hunter, .15
Mary Ann .Horatio Trexler. 18
Oley.
Jacob S. Spang. 10
Windsor Jones & Co. .16
Schuylkill. Schuylkill Nav. Co 18
Oley
J. Udree Snyder. 8
Glasgow Jacob Weaver. 15
Union .George Reagan 24
Henry Clay Eckert & Bro .... [Reading]
Speedwell (1) Nicholas Yocum 2
Speedwell (1)
Daniel Yocum.
2
Gibraltar (3) Simon Seyfert. 3
Allegheny (1) Thompson 3
Birdsboro' (2) E. & G. Brooke. 10
Clinton (1) George Zacharias. 11
Pine (1) Joseph Bailey 15
Charming (1). David R. Porter 11
Spring (1) D. K. Bertolette.
11
Oley (1) Jacob S. Spang 10
Rockland (2) .Snell & Co. 14
Araminta (1) .. ... Gottlieb Moyer 3
Maiden-creek (2).Merkel & Co. 20
Union (2)
George Reagan. .24
Mt. Pleasant (1) .. John Rush. 20
Jacob Weaver. .15
Du-Well (2) J. Seidel 4
Dale (1). David Schall 16
Green Tree (1) J. W. Burkhart. 6
Sally Ann (1). .... J. V. R. Hunter 15
District (1). .. Jacob Deisher. .15
Iron and nail-works, Reading, Whitaker, Seyfert & McManus,
Total-15 furnaces and 21 forges (including nail- works).
SUMMARY OF PRESENT FURNACES, FORGES AND MILLS. - Statement of iron furnaces, forges and mills in county, including size, capacity, etc., as published in "Directory of
3 Reading Gazette, February 1, 1845.
1
1
5
Delaware
0
Glasgow (1)
100
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
Iron and Steel-Works in United States," by American Iron and Steel Association, 1884 :
ANTHRACITE FURNACES.
Bechtelsville Furnace, at Bechtelsville; now known as Norway Furnace. One stack, 58} x 14, built in 1875; open top; one iron hot-blast stove; ore, Berks County magnetic ; product, foundry and mill pig- iron ; annual capacity, 16,000 net tons. Brand, "Nor- way."
East Penn Furnaces, at Lyons Station, owned hy Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. Two stacks, each 48 x 12; built by East Penn Iron Company in 1874-75 ; injured by fire in 1881 ; closed tops ; annual capacity, 17,000 tons.
Henry Clay Furnaces, at Reading, owned by Eckert & Brother. Two stacks, each 57 x 13; one built in 1842, and blown in in August, 1844; the other built in 1855, and blown in in September, 1856; four iron hot-blast stoves; closed tops; fuel, anthracite coal and coke; ores, hematite and magnetic from Berks and Lebanon Counties ; product, No. 2 foundry and gray forge pig-iron ; total annual capacity, 22,000 net tons. Brand, " Henry Clay."
Keystone Furnaces, at Birdsboro', owned by E. & G. Brooke Iron Company. Three stacks; one, 50 x 12, built in 1853; one, 55x 15, built in 1871; one, 60 x 16, built in 1873; closed tops ; fuel, anthracite coal and coke; ores, principally magnetic, with a mixture of hematite; product, forge pig-iron ; annual capacity, 50,000 net tons. Brand, " Keystone."
Keystone Furnaces, at Reading, owned by Keystone Furnace Company. Two stacks; one, 50 x 15, built in 1869; the other, 50 x 14, built in 1872-73; blown in during June, 1873; closed tops; total annual capacity, 20,500 net tons.
Leesport Furnace, at Leesport, owned by Leesport Iron Company. One stack, 55 x 15, built in 1852; first blown in in 1853, and rebuilt in 1871; closed top; fuel five-sixths anthracite coal and one-sixth coke; ores, three-quarters hematite from Moselem, Berks County, and one-quarter magnetic from Corn- wall, Lebanon County ; specialty, foundry pig-iron ; annual capacity, 14,000 net tons. Brand, "Leesport."
Kutztown Furnace, at Kutztown ; owned by Phila- delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. One stack, 55 x 15, built in 1875, by Kutztown Iron Com- pany ; closed top; annual capacity, 8300 net tons.
Monocney Furnace, at Monocacy ; owned by Mono- cacy Furnace Company. One stack, 50 x 13, built at Hopewell in 1852; removed to Monocacy in 1854; specialty, foundry pig-iron ; annual capacity, 10,000 net tons. Brand, "Monocacy." Formerly called Theresa Furnace.
Moselem Furnace, at Moselem, owned by Leibrandt & McDowell. One stack, 49 x 12, built in 1823 for charcoal, and rebuilt several times; two Ford hot- blast stoves; closed top; fuel, anthracite coal; ores,
three-quarters Moselem hematite and one-quarter Cornwall magnetic; specialty, foundry pig-iron; an- nual capacity, 8000 net tons. Brand, " Moselem."
Mt. Laurel Furnace, one mile east of Temple; owned by Clymer Iron Company. One stack, 50 x 11, built in 1836, rebuilt in 1847; changed to anthracite in 1873, but not blown in afterwards until February 1, 1880; closed top; annual capacity, 5000 net tons ; two hot-blast stoves ; ore principally hematite; pro- duct, foundry pig-iron.
Reading Iron- Works Furnace, at Reading; owned by "Reading Iron-Works." Two stacks, 55 x 15 and 55 x 16, huilt in 1854 and 1873, respectively ; closed tops; ore, principally hematite from Lehigh and Lebanon Counties ; product, foundry and mill pig- iron; total annual capacity, 20,000 net tons.
Robesonia Furnace, at Robesonia; owned by Fer- guson, White & Co. One stack, 80 x 18, built in 1858, and rebuilt in 1874, and again in 1884; three Whitwell hot-blast stoves; closed top; fuel, antbra- cite coal and coke; Cornwall ore is exclusively used; product, red-short pig-iron for Bessemer steel and bar- iron ; annual capacity, 25,000 net tons. Brand, "Rob- esonia." A furnace, built here in 1845, was aban- doned in 1880.
Topton Furnace, at Topton ; owned by Topton Fur- nace Company. One stack, 55 x 16; built in 1873, by Topton Iron Company.
Temple Furnace, at Temple; owned by Temple Iron Company. One stack, 55 x 14, built in 1867, and rebuilt in 1875; two iron hot-blast stoves; closed top ; ores, from Lehigh, Berks and Lebanon Counties, and from New Jersey ; specialty, foundry pig-iron; an- nual capacity, 12,000 net tons.
CHARCOAL FURNACES.
Hampton Furnace, at Birdsboro', owned by E. and G. Brooke Iron Company. One stack, 30 x 8, built in 1846, and rebuilt in 1872; closed top ; cold blast; ore, principally hematite, obtained in the vicinity of the furnace ; product, car-wheel iron ; capacity, 1500 net tons.
Hopewell Furnace, in Union township, south of Monocacy, owned by Edward S. Buckley. One stack, 30 x 7, built in 1765, and rebuilt in 1800; cold blast ; water and steam-power; ores, hematite and magnetic, obtained in the neighborhood ; product, car-wheel pig- iron ; annual capacity, 1200 net tons.
Joanna Furnace, at Joanna, owned by L. Heber Smith. One stack, 30 x 8, built in 1792 by Potts & Rutter, and rebuilt in 1847; cold blast; water and steam-power; open top; ores, local magnetic and hematite; specialty, car-wheel pig-iron; annual capac- ity, 1200 net tons. Brand, " Joanna."
Mary Ann Furnace, in Longswamp, owned by Horatio Trexler. Built in 1793. Out of blast since 1869.
Muiden-creek Furnace, at Lenhartsville, owned by Jacob K. Spang. One stack, 33 x 9, built in 1854;
101
EARLY AND GENERAL INDUSTRIES.
cold and warm blast ; water and steam-power ; open top; annual capacity, 1600 net tons.
Mount Penn Furnace, in Cumru township, owned by W. M. Kaufman & Co. Built in 1830. One stack, 30 x 8}. Abandoned in 1883.
Oley Furnace, in Oley township, near Friedensburg, owned by Clymer Iron Company. One stack, 30 x 8, built in 1772 ; open top; cold blast; steam and water- power ; ores, three-quarters hematite and one-quarter primitive ; specialty, No. 1 dead gray iron ; annual capacity, 2000 net tons.
Sally Ann Furnace, latterly called Rockland, in Rockland township, owned by Hunter estate. Built in 1791, rebuilt in 1879, and burned in 1881.
MILLS.
Birdsboro' Nail- Works, at Birdsboro', owned by E. & G. Brooke Iron Company. Built in 1848; 2 single and 11 double puddling furnaces, 2 scrap and 4 heat- ing furnaces, 113 nail-machines, and 5 trains of rolls ; steam and water-power; product, nails; annnal ca- pacity, 250,000 kegs. Brand, "Anchor."
Blandon Iron- Works, at Blandon, owned by Maiden- creek Iron Company. Built in 1867 ; 11 single pud- dling furnaces, 2 heating furnaces and 3 trains of rolls; product, round, square, flat, hoop, band and skelp-iron ; annual capacity, 8000 net tons.
Gibraltar Iron-Works, at Gibraltar, in Robeson township, owned hy S. Seyfert & Co. Built in 1846, and completely rebuilt in 1883-84, and new machinery erected ; 2 heating furnaces and one 18-inch train of rolls; product, boiler-plate and boiler-tube and pipe- iron; annual capacity, 3000 net tons.
Keystone Iron- Works, at Reading, owned by J. H. Craig and Jacob Snell. Built in 1854; 1 double and 5 single puddling furnaces, 2 heating furnaces and one 18-inch train of rolls; product, boiler-plate, skelp, tank, chute, stack, pipe, boat and car-iron and muck- - bars ; annual capacity, 3600 net tons.
Mellvain & Sons' Boiler-Plate Mill, at Reading owned by Wm. McIlvain & Sons. First put in opera- tion in 1857 ; 2 double and 4 single puddling fur- naces, 3 heating furnaces, 2 trains of rolls (break- down rolls, 52 by 25 inches, and finishing rolls, 81 by 25 inches) and one 3-ton hammer; product, every variety of plate-iron ; annual capacity, 6000 net tons. Brand, "McIlvain."
Philadelphia and Reading Rolling-Mill, at Reading, owned by Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company, built in 1868; 12 single puddling furnaces, 10 heating furnaces and 3 trains of rolls (one 12, one 23 and one 24-inch) ; product, rails, splice-bars, and muck-bars ; annual capacity, 50,000 net tons. Spe- cialty, reheated iron rails. Bessemer steel rails are rolled from purchased blooms. Brand, " P. & R."
Reading Bolt and Nut Works, at Reading, owned by J. H. Sternbergh. Established in 1865 ; enlarged in 1872 and 1881; 4 heating furnaces, 3 trains of rolls (one 9, one 10 and one 12-inch,) and 1 hammer ;
product, refined merchant bar, band and skelp-iron ; also, bolts, nuts, washers, rivets, etc. ; annual capacity, about 8000 net tons.
Reading Iron- Works, at Reading, owned by " Read- ing Iron-Works." Flue-iron mill built in 1836; 12 single puddling furnaces, 4 heating furnaces, 1 rotary squeezer, 3 trains of rolls, 28 nail-machines and 1 spike-machine; product, cut nails, bar, band, hoop and skelp-iron; annual capacity, 7000 net tons. Plate mill built in 1863 ; 8 double puddling furnaces, 4 heating furnaces, 1 hammer and 4 trains of rolls ; product, sheet, plate and bar-iron ; annual capacity, 10,000 net tons.
Seyfert Rolling-Mills, at Seyfert Station, W. & N. R. R., in Robeson township, owned by Samuel R. Seyfert. Built in 1880-81, and started in March, 1881; 4 double puddling furnaces, 4 forge fires, 3 heating furnaces, one 4-ton hammer and 2 trains of rolls ; product, boiler-plate, boiler-tube and pipe-iron, blooms, and puddled bar ; annual capacity, 5,000 net tons.
BLOOMERIES (FORGES).
Charming Forge, in Marion, near Womelsdorf, owned by W. & B. F. Taylor. Built in 1749; 5 forge fires, 1 heating furnace, 1 refinery and 1 ham- mer ; water power ; product, charcoal and coke blooms for boiler-plate and sheet-iron, made from pig-iron ; annual capacity, 1000 net tons.
Gibraltar Iron-Works, at Gibraltar, in Robeson, owned by S. Seyfert & Co. Built in 1846; 1 coke run- out, 4 charcoal forge fires and 2 hammers; water- power; product, charcoal blooms for flue-iron and boiler-plate; annual capacity, 500 net tons.
Mount Airy Forge, on North Kill, in Tulpehocken Upper, near Shartlesville, owned by Robert C. Green. Built about 1840; 2 forge fires, one 4-tuyere run-out and 1 hammer ; water-power ; product, run-out anthra- cite, charcoal and scrap blooms and billets for boiler- plate, sheets and wire; annual capacity, 450 net tons.
Moyer's Forge, on Antietam Creek, in Exeter, south of Jacksonwald, owned by Morgan J. Althouse. Built in 1825; 3 fires and 1 hammer; water-power; product, charcoal blooms for steel, made from pig-iron and steel scrap. Abandoned in 1883, and converted into a chopping-mill.
North Kill Forge, near Shartlesville, on North Kill, owned by M. B. Seyfert & Co. Built in 1830, and re- paired and started in 1879 after a long idleness. Pro- duct, run-out anthracite blooms.
Schuylkill Steam Forge, at Douglassville, owned by B. F. Morret. Completed in 1878; 8 fires, 1 double run-out and 1 hammer; product, charcoal blooms for boiler plate and sheet iron, made from charcoal pig- iron and scrap-iron.
COMPARATIVE TABLE. OF STATISTICS FOR 1880 .- Statistics relating to iron establishments and their production in Berks and surrounding counties for the year 1880,1-
1 From United States Census Report, 1880.
102
HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
BERKS.
CHESTER.
LANCASTER.
LEBANON.
LEHIGH.
MONTOOMERY.
Number of establishments.
33
12
18
Capital invested.
$5,365,118
$2,159,900 1.735
$2,407,500 1,605
·$1,428,628 501
$9,514,850 2,673
19 $5,245,613 2,973 $1,301,610
Wages paid.
Value of all materials ..
Value of all products .. Total weight of " (tons) ..
$1,123,946 $5,049,091 $7,730,512 213,580
$812,079 $2,650,898 $4,162,957 78,363
$444,305 $1,757,828 $2,663,223 87,019
$230,134 $1,250,411 $1,904,489 73,149
$8,578,871 324,875
$4,593,563 $7,194,821 168,628
PRODUCTION OF IRON IN BERKS COUNTY, AT THREE RECENT PERIODS.1
1876.
1882.
1884.
PIG IRON.
Net tons.2
Net tons.
Net tons.
Anthracite and coke
55,962
148,359
133,664
Charcoal
2,679
8,391
2,283
Total
58,641
156,750
135,947
The following table shows the production of all forms of rolled iron, including bar-iron, plate-iron, nail-plate, sheet-iron, and iron and steel rails. (No steel was produced in Berks County. Steel for rails bought elsewhere.)
Years.
Net tons.
1876
.31,799
1882
94,996
1884.
49,795
Years.
Hammered Iron Blooms.
Net tons.
1876
460
1882
3,457
1884.
2,185
GENERAL INDUSTRIES .- The industries pre- viously mentioned were prominent in their sev- eral sections on account of the capital invested and the men employed to carry them on success- fully. But besides these there were many other industries in the several townships. Blacksmith- shops and wheelwright-shops were located and conducted in every community. They were necessary for the accommodation of the settlers. They were not large. Only a few individuals worked together-mostly a master-workman and his apprentice. Grist-mills for flour and feed were situated along all the large streams. The mill of George Boone, Esq, on the Monocacy, is the earliest one of which I found any notice-it having been referred to in 1727; and the Price Mill, at the mouth of the Wyomissing, was one of the earliest, having been erected about 1735. The Welsh were mechanics who con- ducted their trades in small factories along the
Wyomissing. Rope-makers were common in every section. Ropes and cords were largely used in the daily affairs of life. This industry was conducted for many years by individuals at their homes; but improved machinery and steam caused its decline, and small ropewalks were compelled to discontinue. Carpenters and builders were numerous. They were finished workmen, preparing every article out of wood by hand. Some of the old buildings, still in a good state of preservation, attest the excellence of their workmanship. Doors and windows and frames of all kinds used in building opera- tions were hand-made. This custom amongst them continued till the introduction of the planing-mill about 1835, and then it began to decline. The country saw-mill, run by water- power, was active then in preparing lumber ; but great steam mills in the lumber regious have caused them to become less and less active. Great rafts of logs are no longer towed down the canals to Reading, especially the Union Canal from the Susquehanna River, to afford employment to our saw-mills. The railroads instead deliver finished lumber.
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