Elk Rapids Iron Company - Michigan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Description: Marker text reads: The brick ruin near this marker was the hearth of the Elk Rapid furnace, during the 1870s one of the nation's greatest producers of charcoal iron. Forty-seven feet high and twelve feet in diameter, it was begun in 1872 and produced the first blast of iron on June 24, 1873. The local logging firm of Dexter and Noble constructed the furnace, locating it in Elk Rapids to utilize the vast stands of hardwood timber which surrounded the town. The hardwood was converted to charcoal to fire the furnace, and iron ore was imported form the Upper Peninsula by freighter. Once the town's major employer, the furnace closed during World War I when the nearby forests were depleted, and cheaper smelting processes were developed. Parking nearby?: yes D/T ratings: Registered Site #: S0292 Historical Date: Not listed Historical Name: Not listed website: Not listed

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Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/13/2016 just for the fun visited it 07/04/2015 Historic Markers visited it 04/20/2015 Vante & Sammy Pants visited it 11/24/2008 Bindle Babe visited it

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