Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-04-08
NUMBER 81.
Oldest Furnace in the Valley of Va.

Editor Spectator.
It is conceded believe that
| the furnace erected By Gov. Spotswood, 10 the
| direction of the Wilderness, from Fredericks-
burg, and lately, if not at present, the property
| OF our friend, Sandy Little, was the first erect
ed 10 Virginia. 'Tis treated of in the Byrd
manuscripts. leave it to our friend Sandy
to rescue its history from oblivion. As we may
pc M sald to De just entering upon the IRON AGE
| IN virginia, 1t Is a matter of more than ordi-
nary interest to wipe off the dust and cob-webs
from the few meagre records that remain of the
bold Iubal Gains, who, under great discourage
ments, Initiated the manufacture of iron in this
Valley. Ot the most prominent of these was
Henry Miller, who built the furnace known for
nearly century by his name, on Messy Creek.
IN this county. From the best information in
regard to his early history, he must have come
here about 1850, with his young wife, Miss
Winters, from some part of Penna. Without
means, through energy be secured an immense
landed estate IN Augusta and Rockingham. and
having attained some knowledge, as We NAV
suppose, of iron manufacture in his native State
very soon entered upon it here. The exact date
of the erection Of the furnace is not known.
but believed to have 0een within G few wears
after Mr. Miler's settlement on Messy Creek.
Besides furnace he erected forge with sew
eral fires close by, and after some years the Mt.
vernon forge, near Weyer's cave-now the
property Of the Abbott Company of Baltimore.
No bar iron ever made in Virginia, had q high
er reputation for toughness, hardness. and eIas-
tIclty than the old Miller iron from the red he
MATTE ores OF what Is yet known as the Staun-
ton bank-a mile from the furnace, and so call
ed because on the road leading to your town
The art of drifting or tnnneling was not then
known, and the veins lying at the depth of one
to two hundred feet-all the superincumbent
earth was remoVed-requiring heavy expense.
Mr.. Miller was one OF the most successful iron
men that ever carried on the business in Va,
and IN the comparatively rude state of the man.
ufacture of that day, his success was remarka-
BILE. His hollow ware and castings were excel
lent, and It's no unusual thing to fiud in Rock
ingham or Pendlston, Hardy or Bath, some of
the old template stoves that have been Gen.
tury or more Ia use. He had large quantities
of mountain land and every Spring was in the
habit OF seeing to the several sugar camps,
where much sugar and nossses we're made
ln the Spring of 1898 ne died suddenly at one
OF these camps, nov known as Huffer's canp.
10 miles N. West of Mt Solon. He left four
sons-Samuel James, William and Henry-all
OF whom raised large families, except the lat
ter, who. about the time Of tbe discovery of
Weyer' Gave, With others of his age, visited
1t, took cold and died. There were four girls,
who married the late Capt. John Lewis and
Col Andrew Cameron of Bath, and James
Mofett and John NJ. Estill of Augusta
Capt. Samuel Miller, the eldest son of Hen
ry, wore his father mantle from 1898 down to
about 1882, the period of his death, as sue
cesstul manufacturer of iron. From some of
the returns, made quarterly to the commissions
er OF the Revenue for the lower district of the
county, the late James A. McCue, ESQ.,, see,
that tor the months Of Nov, Dec. and JAM,
l0l5-l6, he returned 81 tons Of pig, % tons of
castings and % tons of bar iron. There were
a number of ore banks from which the furnace
was supplied, varying somewhat in quality,
but mixed, made the excellent quality Of iron
referred to. feW years after his death his
sons, James and John, carried on the business.
and the landed estate having been. divided
among the nine heirs, the furnace, with 1000
acres of land adjoining, and large body of
mountain land. was sold to John Keneagy, of
Lancaster county, Pa, about 1885. His son,
Henry, carried on both furnace and forge num-
ber Of years, and failing in business his father
conveyed the property to bis son-in-aw, the
late Daniel Forrer. 'Tis proper to mention
that the furnace vas burned a year or two be-
fore Henry Keneagy surrendered il, and has
never been rebuilt Mr. Daniel Forrer carried
on the fcrge with energy up to the date of his
death in 1870. He drew the supply of pig
metal from the Elizabeth furnace that had been
erected by him and bis brother Henry in part,
and portion from their old furnace in Page,
which they had bought from its founders, Sam
and John Gibbons, and the same property now
owned by Messrs. Mines & Co., though reju-
renated since the big food-so that It's founders
would not recognize it. This Messy Creek iron
property is Immediately on the line of the W..
Gin. and ST. Louis narrow guage r. r. aud
will be lighted up with divers furnaces as soon
as the Webster coal is delivered to it. Apo
site to tbis fact I may mention tbat Masora
Mines & Go. are willing to take of this Rail-
road company, one hundred thousand tons of
this coal per annur,.
VxKx