Vinton Furnace & the Belgian Coke Ovens
N 39° 13.092 W 082° 24.492
17S E 378434 N 4341935
Vinton Furnace was one of several in the Hanging Rock Region of Ohio. Operating only for a short time, its operation was replaced by the nearby Belgian Coke Ovens.
Waymark Code: WM89H
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 03/03/2006
Views: 104
Text borrowed from:
Old Industry
Vinton Furnace was built in 1853 by Clark, Culbertson and Company in Section 31 of Madison Township. It was placed close to the projected path for the Marietta and Cincinnatti Railroad line. The furnace went into blast during 1854 and was in good operation. In 1857, the furnace produced 3,100 tons of iron in 47 weeks. The furnace operated successfully for several more years, until Mr. Culbertson retired in 1859. The furnace passed to the ownership of Means, Clark and Company in that year. Cyrus Newkirk was the new manager.
In 1868 or 1869, the owners sank a 130 foot shaft west of the furnace with the intent of using coal as a substitute fuel for charcoal. They were not successful in using coal and apparently abandoned the idea. In 1872, Thomas B. Bancroft and his partner, Charles I. Rader, leased the property under the name of the Vinton Coal and Iron Company. They attempted to smelt local ores with the shaft coal. The attempt was a failure, reportedly due to the high sulfer content within the coal. According to this source, the original furnace operated until 1883, when the new furnace was built. The new furnace was 50 feet tall (11 ft bosh) and could produce 20 tons of iron per day, or about 6,000 tons per year. It had a steel jacket and was water cooled.
The furnace ran for a few years on coal shipped from a mine near Athens, Ohio. The main workers were of German and Polish origin, in many cases recruited directly from Ellis Island. During this time period, there are reports that the women worked alongside the men in the operation of the furnace.
In the mid 1870's the crash of Jay Cook caused wide spread failures throughout the HRIR region and led to the demise of the Vinton Furnace site. Many thousands of dollars were lost in this visionary, yet flawed venture into iron production.
This pages waypoint is for the historical location of the Vinton Furnance. Very little is left at this location, except some foundation stones. Nearby the abandoned railbed from the mid-1800s can be seen. The tracks were gone by the 1900s.
The replacement furnace & coke ovens can be found nearby at: N39-12.926 W82-24.444 This is the location that is most interesting and has the most to see.
Old Industry site
The Olde Forester has several good pages on this area.