Maramec Iron Works - St. James, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 37° 57.335 W 091° 32.045
15S E 628784 N 4201900
Iron furnace located in Maramec Springs Park south of St James, Missouri
Waymark Code: WM1PPY
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2007
Views: 151
Maramec Iron Works was the first successful iron works west of the
Mississippi, the company was started by Thomas James and Samuel Massey from
Ohio. The original furnace was constructed between 1826 and 1827. The current
furnace was constructed in 1857. The location was nearly ideal for the
production of iron. The ore deposit has a high concentration of iron, the spring
provided water power to run the mill and there was abundant timber in the area
to fuel the furnace. The major difficulty facing the mill was its remoteness
from markets and the lack of transportation. The furnace was operated
twenty-four hours a day seven days a week by men on twelve hour shifts. They
charged the furnace nearly 100 times per day, with each charging consisting of
640 pounds of iron ore, 18 bushels of charcoal, one bushel of brands (half
charred wood) and 100 pounds of limestone flux all dumped in, in' alternating
layers.
During the Civil War the iron works created canon balls for the North and by
this time the rail roads had extended service to St James thus easing the
transportation problems. The iron works continue production until 1876 when poor
business decisions and an economic downturn caused the business to go bankrupt.
For a more comprehensive history of the Maramec Iron Works (visit
link).
The Maramec Iron Works was awarded landmark status by ASM International
in 1987
The furnace is located in Maramec Springs Park operated by the James
Foundation. It is known as one of Missouri's trout parks. There is a $3.00
admission into the park per vehicle. For more information on the park (visit
link)
For more more information on the James Foundation and family (visit
link)