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 Janney Furnace - Ohatchee, Alabama Posted by:  Lat34North
N 33° 47.694 W 086° 01.224
16S E 590682 N 3739846
The furnace was constructed by Montgomery businessman Alfred A. Janney. Located on Janney Road 0.1 miles east of Spring Road, Ohatchee, Alabama.
Waymark Code: WMF4G8
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 08/21/2012
Views: 4
A historic marker located nearby provides the following information on this furnace.
Janney Furnace
The furnace was constructed by Montgomery businessman Alfred A. Janney, reportedly using slaves brought from Tennessee by a "Dr. Smith." The furnace was completed and ready to produce pig iron when, on July 14, 1864, a Union cavalry raiding force of 2,300 men, led by Major General Louvell H. Rousseau, crossed the Coosa River at Ten Islands Ford in route to destroying the railroad between Montgomery and West Point, Georgia. Learning of the location of the furnace, Rousseau dispatched his Engineer Officer, Captain Ed Ruger, and a detachment to destroy the chimney of the furnace, leaving the stone structure in place. They also burned all wooden buildings intended to support operation of the furnace.
The iron ore came from the nearby hills and was primarily Brown Hematite.
On July 16th, Gen. Rousseau´s men cut the rail line at about twenty-five miles west of Opelika, AL, as well as three miles of the branch toward Columbus, GA, and two miles towards West Point, GA. This force the joined Gen. Sherman in Marietta, GA, on July 22. Tis action was part of the Atlanta Campaign.
Janney Furnace web site.
Wikipedia - Lovell Harrison Rousseau
Army of the TN moves to cut the August Railroad. Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you or your GPS with the iron furnace ruins.
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