USA > Pennsylvania > Pennsylvania, colonial and federal : a history, 1608-1903, Volume Three > Part 23
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Pennsylvania Colonial and Federal
West Clarion, July 21, 1897; 1.99 m.
Western Maryland, Mar. 21, 1853; 162.89 m.
Western N. Y. and Penna., Mar. 18, 1895; 576.39 m.
Western Pennsylvania, Mar. 22, 1860; 137.51 m .; op. by P. R. R. West Side Belt, July 25, 1895; 3 m.
Wheeling, Pittsburg and Baltimore, Apr. 5, 1887; 64.23; op. by B. & O. Wilkes-Barre and Eastern, Apr. 19, 1892 ; 86.85 m.
Wilkes-Barre and Harvey's Lake, Sept. 24, 1885; 15.18 m .; op. by L. Val. Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, Sept. 8, 1886; 4.37 m .; op. by C. R. R. of N. J. Williamsport and No. Branch, reorg. Sept. 1, 1882; 53 m.
Williams Valley, Sept. 19, 1891 ; 12 m.
Wilmington and Northern, Jan. 18, 1877; 88.41 m .; op. by P. & R.
Wind Gap and Delaware, Nov. 24, 1880; 9.96 m .; op. by C. R. R. of N. J. York, Hanover and Frederick, Mar. 1, 1897; 55.65 m .; op. by P. R. R. York Southern, Nov. 1, 1894; 42.30 m.
Youghiogheny Northern, Aug. 16, 1881 ; 2.05 m .; op. by P., McK. & Y.
Youghiogheny and Wick Haven, Sept. 18, 1893; 2,300 ft.
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CHAPTER VII.
NATURAL RESOURCES. IRON
I N the following pages only the earliest iron and steel enter- prises in the eastern, central, and western sections of Penn- sylvania will be specifically mentioned, following which his- torical survey will be presented a statistical summary of the pres- ent development of the important iron and steel industries of this great Commonwealth. The early settlers of Pennsylvania were encouraged to engage in the manufacture of iron because they found existing everywhere all the conditions necessary to its eco- nomical production-iron ore in abundance, limestone for use in the blast furnace, the forests to furnish fuel, and the streams to supply water power. Wherever they went they set up small fur- naces and forges almost as soon as they supplied themselves with . saw mills and grist mills.
Two years before the death of William Penn in 1718 the first iron works were established in Pennsylvania. The event is briefly described in one of Jonathan Dickinson's letters, written in 1717, and quoted by Mrs. James in her "Memorial of Thomas Potts, Junior :" "This last summer one Thomas Rutter, a smith, who lives not far from Germantown, hath removed further up in the country and of his own strength hath set upon making iron. Such it proves to be, as is highly set by by all the smiths here, who say that the best of Sweed's iron doth not exceed it; and we have accounts of others that are going on with iron works." Rutter's enterprise was a bloomary forge, which was probably called Pool
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Pennsylvania Colonial and Federal
forge, the exact location of which is uncertain, but it was on Manatawny creek, and probably about three miles above Potts- town. The forge was sometimes known as Manatawny forge. In the Philadelphia "Weekly Mercury" for November 1, 1720, Thomas Fare, a Welshman, is said to have run away from "the forge at Manatawny." Mrs. James visited the spot it is sup- posed to have occupied, "and could see some remains of the dam and an excavation in the bank where buildings once stood." An- other Pool forge is known to have existed farther up the stream, probably built after the first one was abandoned. This Pool forge was attacked by the Indians in 1728, who were repulsed. In his "History of American Manufactures" Bishop says: "A forge is mentioned in March, 1719-20, at Manatawny, then in Philadel- phia, but now in Berks or Montgomery, county." This reference is to Pool forge.
Mrs. James says that Rutter was an English Quaker, who was a resident of Philadelphia in 1685, and who removed in 1714 from Germantown "forty miles up the Schuylkill in order to work the iron mines of the Manatawny region." She gives a verbatim copy of the original patent of William Penn to Thomas Rutter for 300 acres of land "on Manatawny creek," dated February 12, 1714-15. The following obituary notice in the "Pennsylvania Ga- zette," published at Philadelphia, dated March 5 to March 13, 1729-30, ought to be conclusive proof of the priority of Thomas Rutter's enterprise : "Philadelphia, March 13. On Sunday night last died here Thomas Rutter, Senior, of a short illness. He was the first that erected an iron work in Pennsylvania." In his will, which we have examined, he is styled a blacksmith.
In Day's "Historical Collections" mention is made by a his- torian of Chester county of Samuel Nutt, an English Quaker, who built a forge called Coventry, in the northern part of Chester county, which "went into operation about the year 1720" and made "the first iron" manufactured in Pennsylvania, which latter statement is an error. Another historian of Chester county con-
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tributes to Egle's "History of Pennsylvania" the information that Samuel Nutt "took up land, on French creek, in 1717, and about that time built a forge there. A letter written by him in 1720 mentions an intention of erecting another forge that fall." Mrs. James states that Nutt purchased 800 acres of land at Cov- entry in October, 1718. Nutt probably made iron at Coventry forge in 1718. Bishop refers to a letter written by Dickinson in July, 1718, stating that "the expectations from the iron works forty miles up Schuylkill are very great." In April, 1719, Dickin- son again wrote: "Our iron promises well. What hath been sent over to England hath been greatly approved. Our smiths work up all they make, and it is as good as the best Swedish iron." Dick- inson probably referred to Nutt's forge as well as to Rutter's.
Coventry forge was in operation in 1756. In 1770 it is noted on William Scull's map of Pennsylvania. It was in active opera- tion after the Revolution, and in 1849 and 1856 we again find it active, making blooms from pig iron. It made its last iron in 1870. The foundations of the old forge may still be seen.
The next iron enterprise in Pennsylvania was undoubtedly Colebrookdale furnace, which was built about 1720 by a company of which Thomas Rutter was the principal member. It was located on Ironstone creek, in Colebrookdale township, Berks county, about eight miles north of Pottstown and three-fourths of a mile west of Boyertown. Plenty of cinder now marks the exact site. A large flour and saw mill stands about one hundred feet distant. This furnace supplied Pool forge with pig iron, and in course of time other forges, one of which was Pine forge, to be referred to hereafter. The Colebrookdale company appears to have been composed of Thomas Rutter, James Lewis, Anthony Morris, and others, Rutter owning at his death a two-thirds interest, as is shown by his will, on file in the office of the register of wills in Philadelphia.
In 1731, according to Mrs. James, Colebrookdale furnace and Pool forge were both owned by companies. In the list of owners of
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Pennsylvania Colonial and Federal
both enterprises appears the name of Thomas Potts, the founder of a family of the same name which has ever since been prom- inent in the manufacture of iron in Pennsylvania and in other States. He died at Colebrookdale in January, 1752. He was in his day the most successful iron manufacturer in Pennsylvania. In his will, dated 1747, he leaves his "two-thirds of Colebrook- dale furnace and iron mines" to his son Thomas and his "one- third of Pine forge" to his son John. He was of either English or Welsh lineage. In 1733 the furnace was torn down and rebuilt by the company, Thomas Potts being the manager.
It would seem that friendly Indians were employed at Cole- brookdale furnace, as "Indian John" and "Margalitha" are found in the list of workmen about 1728. A stove-plate cast at this furnace in 1763, and so inscribed, was exhibited at the Philadel- phia Exhibition of 1876. In 1731 pig iron sold at Colebrookdale furnace "in large quantities" at £5 10s. per ton, Pennsylvania cur- rency, a pound being equal to $2.66 2-3.
Soon after Nutt had built his forge at Coventry it is believed that he built a furnace on French creek, called "Redding." Mrs. James places the date of its erection at about 1720. It is probable that it was the second furnace in the State, Colebrookdale being the first. Samuel Nutt died in 1737.
Redmond Conyngham, quoted in Day's "Historical Collec- tions," says that iron works are supposed to have been established in Lancaster county in 1726 by a person named Kurtz, who is said by another authority to have been an Amish Mennonite. In Egle's "History of Pennsylvania" it is stated that Kurtz's works were on Octorara creek. They may have been built in Maryland, just below the Pennsylvania line.
Durham furnace, on Durham creek, about one and a half miles above its entrance into the Delaware river in the extreme northern part of Bucks county, was built in 1727 by a company of fourteen persons, of which Anthony Morris, William Allen, Joseph Turner, and James Logan (Penn's secretary) were mem-
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bers. In the consolidated exhibit of the iron works of the Lehigh valley at the Philadelphia Exhibition in 1876 the keystone of the Durham furnace, bearing date 1727, was an interesting feature. The furnace was between 35 and 40 feet square and about 30 feet high. From the first this furnace made pig iron to be converted into bar iron, although subsequently, as early as 1741, stoves were cast at the furnace in large quantities. There were three early forges on Durham creek, all below the furnace, and these and many other forges in the neighborhood, on both sides of the Del- aware, were supplied with pig iron from this furnace.
As late as 1780 negro slaves were employed at Durham, five of whom in that year escaped to the British lines. Much of the iron made at Durham was taken to Philadelphia in boats fash- ioned somewhat like an Indian canoe but much larger, and first built at Durham; hence the term afterwards in common use, Dur- ham boats. Large quantities of shot and shells for the Conti- mental army were made at Durham furnace. The furnace was in active operation until 1791, with occasional intervals of suspension from various causes, when it blew out finally.
In 1728 there were four furnaces in blast in Pennsylvania, one of which was certainly Colebrookdale. Another was Durham. The others were probably Sir William Keith's, on Christiana creek, in the present State of Delaware, and Samuel Nutt's Read- ing furnace on French creek. In November, 1728, James Logan shipped three tons of Durham pig iron to England. In 1728-9 Pennsylvania exported 274 tons of pig iron to the mother coun- try. Other furnaces and forges in Pennsylvania followed in rapid succession those already mentioned.
Warwick furnace was commenced in 1737 by the heirs of Samuel Nutt, and was built on the south branch of French creek, in Chester county. It was probably finished in 1738. In 1740 its management fell into the hands of Robert Grace, a friend of Benjamin Franklin, who had recently married the widow of Sam- uel Nutt, Jr. This lady was the granddaughter of Thomas Rut-
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ter. The celebrated Franklin stove was invented by Franklin in 1742, and in his autobiography he says: "I made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early friends, who, having an iron furnace, found the casting of the plates for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand." Mrs. James has seen one of these stoves, with the words "Warwick Furnace" cast on the front in letters two inches long.
Warwick furnace continued in active operation during a part of almost every year from its erection in 1738 down to 1867, when its last blast came to an end and the famous furnace was abandoned. During the Revolution it was very active in casting cannon for the Continental army, some of which were buried upon the approach of the British in 1777 and have only recently been recovered. Sixty cannon were cast at this furnace in 1776. There is now among the relics in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, a cast-iron bell which was cast at Warwick furnace in 1757 and used at Valley forge in 1777.
In 1740 or 1741 William Bird built a forge on Hay creek, near its entrance into the Schuylkill, where Birdsboro now stands, in Berks county. Hopewell furnace, on French creek, in Union township, Berks county, is said by tradition to have been built by William Bird in 1759, but it may have been built by his son, Mark Bird, about 1765. As early as 1760 William Bird built Rox- borough furnace, in Heidelberg township, Berks county, the name of which furnace was subsequently changed to Berkshire. Berk- shire furnace manufactured shot and shells for the Continental army.
As early as 1742 John Taylor built a forge on Chester creek, in Thornbury township, Delaware county, where Glen Mills now stand, which he called Sarum iron works. In 1746 he added a rolling and slitting mill. These works are said to have been carried on with energy by Mr. Taylor until his death in 1756. Acrelius, writing about the time of Mr. Taylor's death, says : "Sarum belongs to Taylor's heirs, has three stacks, and is in full
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George Mifflin Dallas
United States senator, 1831-1833; attorney-gen- eral of Pennsylvania, 1833-1835; minister to Russia, 1837-1839; vice-president of the United States, 1845-1849; minister to Great Britain, 1856-1861
Natural Resources
blast." Taylor's rolling and slitting mill was the first in Pennsyl- vania. The works were in operation until after the Revolution.
There was a forge on Crum creek, about two miles above the town of Chester, in Delaware county, which was built by John Crosby and Peter Dicks about 1742. Peter Kalm, the Swede, in his "Travels into North America," written in 1748 and 1749, thus describes it: "About two English miles behind Chester I passed by an iron forge, which was to the right hand by the road side. It belonged to two brothers, as I was told. The ore, how- ever, is not dug here, but thirty or forty miles from hence, where it is first melted in the oven and then carried to this place. The bellows were made of leather, and both they and the hammers and even the hearth [were] but small in proportion to ours. All the machines were worked by water. The iron was wrought into bars."
Peter Kalm states that at Chichester ( Marcus Hook) "they build here every year a number of small ships for sale, and from an iron work which lies higher up in the country they carry iron bars to this place and ship them."
In 1743 William Branson, of Philadelphia, erected two forges on Conestoga creek, near Churchtown, in Lancaster county, which he called Windsor, and which were famous forges in their day.
Charming forge, on Tulpehocken creek, in Berks county, was built in 1749. It was at first styled Tulpehocken Eisen Hammer. In 1774 it was purchased by George Ege. About 1777 Mr. Ege purchased from Congress the services of thirty-four Hessian pris- oners, for the purpose of cutting a channel throughi a bed of rock to supply with water power a slitting mill which he had previously erected. The mill-race was about 100 yards long, from 12 to 20 feet deep, and about 20 feet wide, and was cut through a mass of solid slate rock as smoothly as if done with a broad-axe. It was used until 1887, when the forge was abandoned.
In 1751 we find a forge called Mount Joy, at the mouth of East Valley creek, on the Chester county side of the creek, one-
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third of which was advertised for sale on the 4th of April of that year by Daniel Walker and the remaining two-thirds on the 26th of September of the same year by Stephen Evans and Joseph Williams. In Daniel Walker's advertisement it was stated that the forge was "not so far distant from three furnaces." Penny- packer, in his "Annals of Phoenixville and its Vicinity," says that the ancestor of the Walker family had come from England with William Penn and "at a very early date had erected the small forge on the Valley creek." It is clear, however, that in 175I Daniel Walker owned only one-third of the forge, Evans and Williams owning the remainder. In 1757, as we learn from Mrs. James, the forge was sold to John Potts by the executors of Stephen Evans. In 1773 it was owned by Joseph Potts, at which time it continued to be legally designated as Mount Joy forge, although for some time previously it had been popularly known as Valley forge. In that year Joseph Potts sold one-half of the forge to Colonel William Dewees. The forge was destroyed by the British in 1777, just prior to Washington's occupation of the vicinity for winter quarters. It was rebuilt after the Revolution on the Montgomery side of the creek, probably by David and Isaac Potts.
In his "History of New Sweden" Israel Acrelius, who resided in this country from 1750 to 1756, says: "Pennsylvania, in re- gard to its iron works, is the most advanced of all the American colonies."
At an uncertain period before 1750 William Branson and others established on French creek the Vincent steel works for the manufacture of cemented steel. Acrelius describes them, but they were not active at the time of his visit. Mrs. James says that they were the first steel works in Pennsylvania and were built by Samuel Nutt prior to 1734, but William Branson was probably associated with him in this enterprise. Branson appears to have owned the works in 1737. Samuel Nutt, in his will, written in that year, makes no mention of them. About 1736 Nutt and
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Branson built a new Reading furnace. Acrelius says: "At French creek, or Branz's works, there is a steel furnace, built with a draught-hole, and called an 'air-oven.' In this iron bars are set at the distance of an inch apart. Between them are scat- tered horn, coal-dust, ashes, etc. The iron bars are thus covered
William Bigler
Editor; elected State senator, 1841; governor, 1851-54; United States senator, 1855; delegate- at-large to State Constitutional Convention, 1873
with blisters, and this is called 'blister-steel.' It serves as the best steel to put upon edge-tools. These steel works are now said to be out of operation."
In 1750 there was a "plating forge to work with a tilt-ham- mer" in Byberry township, in the northeastern part of Philadel- phia county, the only one in the province, owned by John Hall, but not then in use. In the same year there were two steel fur- naces in Philadelphia, one of which, Stephen Paschall's, was built
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in 1747 and stood on a lot on the northwest corner of Eighth and Walnut streets; the other furnace was owned by William Bran- son and was located near where Thomas Penn "first lived, at the upper end of Chestnut street." These furnaces were for the pro- duction of blister steel. There appear to have been no other steel furnaces in the province in 1750. The Vincent steel works had probably been abandoned at this time.
Elizabeth furnace, near Brickersville, on a tributary of Cones- toga creek, in Lancaster county, was built about 1750 by John Huber, a German. In 1757 Huber sold it to Henry William Stiegel and his partners, who built a new and larger furnace, which was operated until 1775, when it passed into the hands of Daniel Benezet, who leased it to Robert Coleman, who subse- quently bought it and who was for many years the most promi- nent ironmaster in Pennsylvania.
After Elizabeth furnace came into the possession of Robert Coleman he made shot and shells for the Continental army, and some of the transactions which occurred between him and the Government in settlement of his accounts for these supplies are very interesting. Under date of October 26, 1780, the follow- ing entry is made by Mr. Coleman to the credit of the United States : "By cash, received of William Thorne, Pay-Master, 107,319,15-90 dolls, old emission, exchange 73 for one, £551,5,II." In August, 1781, another credit is entered of "328 dolls., new emission, three for one," which shows an apprecia- tion of the currency. Two months later exchange was at two and a half for one. On November 16, 1782, appears the fol- lowing entry : "By cash, being the value of 42 German prisoners of war, at £30 each, £1,260;" and on June 14, 1783, the follow- ing : "By cash, being the value of 28 German prisoners of war, at £30 each, £840." In a foot note to these credits Robert Cole- man certifies "on honour" that the above 70 prisoners were all that were ever secured by him, one of whom being returned is to be deducted when he produces the proper voucher.
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Martic forge, on Pequea creek, near the present village of Colemanville, in Lancaster county, was built in 1755, and was last in operation in 1883. Robert S. Potts, one of the last owners of this forge, who died in 1886, wrote us in that year : "There used to be a small rolling mill near the forge that stopped running some fifty years ago. There was also a charcoal fur- nace called Martic six miles east of the forge. The old cinder bank is still visible. During the Revolution round iron was drawn under the hammer at the forge and bored out for musket barrels at a boring mill, in a very retired spot, on a small stream far off from any public road, doubtless with a view to prevent dis- covery by the enemy. The site is still visible." Negro slaves were employed from the beginning in hammering iron at Martic forge, and it is a curious fact that negroes continued to be the principal workmen down to the abandonment of active operations in 1883. The forge was finally abandoned in 1886. A long row of stone houses was occupied by the negro workmen.
Cornwall furnace, built by Peter Grubb in 1742, was located within the limits of the since celebrated Cornwall ore hills, in Lebanon county. The Cornwall ore hills were conveyed by John Penn, Thomas Penn, and Richard Penn. proprietors-in- chief of the province of Pennsylvania and counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex on the Delaware, by their warrant dated Lon- don, May 8, 1732. to Joseph Turner, of Philadelphia, for five hundred pounds, money of Pennsylvania. The grant embraced 300 acres. Turner assigned the entire tract to William Allen, April 5, 1734, and on the 28th and 29th of November, 1737, Allen assigned the same to Peter Grubb, to whom a patent was issued August 2, 1745. Peter Grubb died intestate about 1754, and his estate descended to his sons Curtis Grubb and Peter Grubb, Curtis receiving two-thirds under the intestate law of that day and Peter one-third. Both sons were colonels in the Revolution. On June 28, 1783, Curtis conveyed a one-sixth in- terest to Peter Grubb, Jr., his son.
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By articles of agreement, dated September 26, 1785, Peter Grubb, Jr., grandson of the first-named Peter Grubb, and son of Curtis Grubb, sold to Robert Coleman his share of the Cornwall ore hills, Cornwall furnace, and appurtenances, reserving the right for a sufficient quantity of ore for one furnace, which right is held and exercised to-day by the proprietors of Robesonia fur- nace, in Berks county. The deed for the share sold to Robert
uni
Butler
From an old print
Coleman, signed by Peter Grubb, Jr., and Mary, his wife, is dated May 9, 1786. After that year Robert Coleman, through successive purchases from the Grubbs, acquired four additional sixths of the property originally conveyed by the Penns to Joseph Turner. At his death in 1825 his estate was devised to his four sons, and subsequently, under various partitions, the interest of Robert Coleman was vested in his grandsons, Robert and G. Dawson Coleman, and in the heirs of his grandsons, William and Robert W. Coleman, while one-sixth still continued in 1876 as the property of the descendants of Peter Grubb. Neither the Coleman nor the Grubb family limited its operations to the Corn- wall "ore banks and mine hills," but each became the owner of many other iron properties.
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Natural Resources
During the Revolution Cornwall furnace cast cannon and shot and shells for the Continental army. It was in operation as late as 1882 and for a few years afterwards, but is now aban- doned.
The following table shows the production of iron ore, in gross tons, by the Cornwall mines from 1864 to 1901. The pro- duction from 1740 down to February, 1864, amounted to 2,524,- 908 tons. The figures for 1864 are for II months only.
Years.
Gross tons.
Years.
Gross tons.
Years.
Gross tons.
Years.
Gross tons.
1864. . .
165.915
1874 . . .
II2,429
1884. ..
412,320
1894. ..
371,710
1865. ..
114,803
1875. ..
98,925
1885. . .
508,864
1895. . .
614,598
1866 ...
216,660
1876. ..
I37,902
1886 ...
688,054
1896. ..
463,059
1867 ...
202,755
1877 . . .
171,589
1887. ..
667,210
1897. ..
419,878
1868 ...
165,843
1878 ...
179,299
1888 ...
722,917
1898. ..
584,342
1869 ...
173,429
1879. . .
268,488 ·
1889. . .
769,020
1899. ..
763,152
1870. . .
174,408
1880. ..
231,173
1890 ...
686,302
1900 ...
558,713
1871 . ..
176,055
1881. . .
249,050
1891. ..
663,755
1901 ...
747,012
1872. . .
193.317
1882. . .
309,681
1892. ..
634,714
1873. ..
166,782
1883. ..
363,143
1893 . . .
439,705
There was a bloomary forge on a branch of Codorus creek, in Jackson township, York county, in 1756, owned by Peter Dicks, of Chester county. Spring forge, in York county, was built in 1770 to take the place of Peter Dicks's bloomary. It was active for many years.
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