Hope Furnace - Vinton County, Ohio
N 39° 19.923 W 082° 20.425
17S E 384473 N 4354482
Hope Furnace is located in the Zaleski State Forest in Vinton County, Ohio, and reported to be haunted by a watchman who perished in its fiery pits.
Waymark Code: WM89G
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 03/03/2006
Views: 67
Hope Furnace operated from 1854 until 1875. It was one of many furnaces which were part of the Hanging Rock Iron Region of Ohio.
Text borrowed from : http://www.oldindustry.org/OH_HTML/OH_Hope.html
*quote begin* Statistics of the Hope Furnace are given in an 1870 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF OHIO. Production was 15 tons of cast iron per day and in 1870 the furnace produced 2,827 tons of foundry iron. The raw materials were iron ore, roasted to remove some the impurities, 1,150 to 1,225 pounds; 70 pounds of limestone; and 35 bushels of charcoal. The charcoal was produced from trees on the nearby forest. Ore from the vicinity was unsatisfactory, so they brought ore from the Vinton Furnace Tract via the Big Sand Railroad -- the roadbed which is now under the waters of Lake Hope. Added was 70 pounds of limestone to complete the chemical reaction when heated to 950 degrees by the blast. *quote end*
Camping areas are close to the furnace, as well as a number of hiking trails and other attractions in the Zaleski State Forest area.
Legend has it that the ghost of a night watchman can be seen at the top of the furnace. Reportedly, he was making rounds, lost his footing, and perished in the firey pits of the furnace one night.