Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-03-02
Mistellaueons @eadima.
IRON IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

Mr.. Joseph NJ. Swank, Secretary of the
American Iron and Steel Association, and
special agent of the census, has prepared a
valuable compilation of the iron and steel
production of the United States From it
we extract some data pertaining to the growth
and decline of the iron industry of South Car
lima, which possess interest as local history:
At the beginning of the Revolution South
Carolina followed the example of other colo
nies by offe. ing premiums to those who would
establish iron works, but we do not learn that
the manufacture was thereby increased.
Several furnaces and forges were erected in
the State few years after peace was declared,
the principal of which were the Era and Etna
furnaces and FORCES in York county. The
Era was built in 1857 and the Etna in 1888.
These enterprises were situated on creek
flowing into the Catawba river, and about
two miles west of it. In 1895 the nearest
landing to these works was at Camden, seven
ty miles below. They were on the road lead
ing from Charlotte, in North Carolina, to
Yorkville. Iron ore was abundant in the
neighborhood, and was easily smelted after
having been roasted. It was obtained in such
massive quantity that it was thought there
would be no occasion to resort to shafts or
levels for half century. William Hill was
one of the principal owners Of the works. He
is said to have devised "a new blowing appa-
ratus," by the aid of which he contrived to
blow "all of the fires, both of the forges and
furnaces, so as to render unnecessary the
use of wheels, cylinders, or any other kind
of bellows" This apparatus was undoubted-
ly the tron1pe, or water blast, but Mr.. Hill did
not invent it, nor was he the first in this coun-
try to use it. The statement, which Bishop
quotes from unknown authority, is however
valuable, as it contains one of very few refer
ences to the tronepe in blowing blast furnace
in this country that has come under our notice
Bishop says that other iron works soon follow
ed those of Mr.. Hill, and that they were erect
ed in different places, including several IN
the mountain district Of Washington, where
iron, the only article made for sale to any
extent, was manufactured, at the beginning
of this century, as cheap and good as the I'M
ported"
In 1910 Tench Coke enumerates two bloom
aries in Spartanburg county, fourin Pendleton
county. two in Greenville county, and one IN
York county-nine in all. He also mentions
one small nailery and one small steel furnace
in the State. He makes no reference to blast
furnaces.
Scrivener mentions the following enterprises
in South Carolina as existing apparently about
1916:
son Allison's creek, in York district, there
is forge, furnace, rolling mill for max
ing sheet iron, and nail manufactory. On
Middle Tiger river are iron works on small
scale also on the Enoree river and Reedy riv-
er. on the north fork of Saluda river, on
Georges creek, and on Twenty-Six mile creek.
In 1902 an air-furnace was erected on neck
of land between Cooper and Ashley rivers
where good castings are made"
york district is the same as York county,
the subdivisions of South Carolina having
been known as districts down to 1861
In 1856 South Carolina had eight furnaces
one in York, one in Union, and six in Spar
tanburg county. They are described by Les