The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-12-12
Cambria Coun+
CHAPTER Xxzv.
HsElEviIEe Borcugh---Ccnf,,,.,
CAMBRIA IRON WORKS

of Cambria county is of rather recent .:
gin, and is calculated to portray the sbo.,
sighteducss Of man, maugre all his so;a.
tiic attai4ments. " hat now is. perb.,.
the richest iron field in Pennsylyapi, -. -
4 few years since regarded as wortb,.,.
and unseemly bluf,-a kind Of wsrt ;,
the agricultural surface Of Cambria con,.-
Nay-at an early day in our historv .. =
have elsewhere noticed, pig metal from
the valley Of the Juniata, was, with ipc,s3
ible labor and difficulty, hauled over Il.
Allegheny Mountain, by what is lpor,
as the "Frankstown Road, "a road vb;oI
the progress Of Improvement in these I,.
ter days, has left with few travellers.
Nearly a score Of years since, Georgc
S. King. ESQ, who is entitled to the hon
or of first establishing iron works in Gam
bria county, purchased the ground and
commenced the erection of Cambria Fp,
uace, stimulated by the Tariff Act of 1870
This furnace is about mile from II,
canal and the Conemaugh River; and !.
supplied with water by tributary Of that
stream. Its distance, | believe, is abOu.
four miles from Johnstown in Conemaugb
(now Taylor) township. The Messp.
Shryock were associated with Mr.. Kipr
in this enterprise, but afterwards their
! interest fell into the hands of the late Dr.
Peter Shoenberger. This is the oldes;
iron establishment in Cambria county
At later period, Mill Greek Furnace
was erected, on the stream of that name.
in Conemaugh (now Yoder) township, and
owned by John Bell & Co, the firm being
John Bell, George S. King and Peter
! Shoenberger The interest of Mr.. Bell
became vested in Mr.. Shoenberger prior
to 1850.
Still another Furnace was erected On
Ben's creek, u tributary Of Stony creek,
short distance above its mouth, also in the
present township Of Yoder, (then Cone.
maugh,) some o: the dwellings being in
Somerset county. The same company
owned this furnace, under the firm name
of Bell, King & CO. In 1850, or about
that time DR. Shocnberger became sole
owner of this furnace.
The impulse that had been given to the
manufacture OF iron had meanwhile subsi
ded-the business languished-and gen
eral stagnation was the result. The worst
fears were entertained foI the success; OF
these establishments, and, if remember
rightly, they had (or at least some Q!
them) suspended operations.
1t was about this period, QS50) that
the idea of establishing the Cambria Iron
Company originated. l have not the Ac'
of Incorporation before me, but think the
capital stock of the Company was fixed
at One Million dollars Cambria Mil
creek and Ben's creek furnaces, with al
the lands attached to them, were put INTO
the concern at the modest sum Of SlVV'
600; this amount to be held by AessEs-
King and Shoenberger in proportl0n 10
their respective interests in these ill-
naces.
The act of incorporation was passed .!
the Legislature, the charter obtained an-
the company forthwith commenced opera
tions Everything was undertaken on 'A'
most gigantic scale, and the EXTENSIVE
works, now known as the Cambria Iron
Works progressed rapidly to comple',V-'
But rcverses came. As in most uhue''
takings of a similar character, the eAFe''
tations of the corporators were 100 d.
guine, their ideas of success were ~,
realized the stock vent down to nou-H''
prices. and ruin seemed to stare the "iiY'
enterprise in the face. Nothing Ou' -,
wisest counsels could have preserves ~
affairs of the Company from bankrupt
as heavy liens had been entered on i'',. ~
for the construction of the Mill and O'|., y,
buildings. Happily, wise eoun'eH =.
prevail, and the whole concern 10 "A
purpose of a final experiment, was lt',. ~,
to Messrs. Wood, Morrell a Co, VIM -
conducted the works to the Presen' -.
JONATHAN OLDBVCA'
: MoxKnARxs. December 10, 1851
nea- The Pennsylvania Central ,'rn hr,, f