Charcoal Hauling Wagon, Hopewell Furnace - Elverson, PA
Posted by: 
Janila
N 40° 12.345 W 075° 46.472
18T E 434084 N 4450881
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is a village that was built around the iron industry. Hopewell Village is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Waymark Code: WMZCHM
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 10/19/2018
Views: 3
Before iron can be made, there must be charcoal. Charcoal was in many ways the most difficult part of the iron making process to achieve. The first step in creating charcoal was to cut wood, lots of wood, a job which was handled by the colliers (the charcoal makers) during the winter when the iron fires weren't burning. The wood would be stacked and then burned following a very definitive process and would eventually turn into charcoal. The charcoal hauling wagons were useful in hauling the wood from the forests and then hauling the finished charcoal to the iron making sites.
From the book, "Hopewell Village, the Dynamics of a Nineteenth Century Iron Making Community" by Joseph E. Walker:
"Charcoal wagons were built in several different sizes varying in capacity from one hundred to three hundred bushels. They had high sides and were built with bottom boards which would pull out for quick unloading. The lead team was unhitched, brought to the rear of the wagon and used to pull out the bottom boards. To load the charcoal a plank was placed with one end against iron bars along the side of the wagon and the other end on the ground. The teamster, carrying baskets of charcoal on his head or shoulders, walked up the plank and filled his wagon bed. A short plank projecting from the left side of the wagon was called the 'lazy board' because the driver sometimes rode on it instead of walking. In front of the bed was a tool box in which were kept the supplies necessary to make emergency repairs - and according to report, a quart of whiskey was some times concealed among the tools."
Type and Quantity:
Charcoal hauling wagon, one on display
Opening Hours:
9-5 daily
Admission Fee: none
On-line Documentation: [Web Link]
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