The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-12
PRODUCTION OF IRON.
DEYsL0PsMEST or TBAr INDUS
orr IN vJR0fSfA SINCE 1907.
a fcw facts gathered from wcli-known a"-
thorities--Govcrnor spostswood's
interest In the enterprise

tiuced AZ one OF the furnaces owned by
the Principle Company which IN tne eal
ly part OF mst century Ola business u
Maryland and Virginia. Inc IRON 1 ,i,'e,',
Try in Virginia has played a pronllneh'
part In the history OF the Oid DVihIniO.
Tor many years past. anu IN view "
she prominence given TO the saihe ieSe ~
~ by Congress IN the discusSlne % nv
uueatfou whether iron ore should De
placed on the free list, II might not pe
Without interest 10 mention q lew iacts
In connection with ne carry , StakrS u
This Industry in the state OF Virginia
These facts have been CLEANED from re-
searches made by Dr. X: d. BROCK the
igrIner secretary of the Virginia Histor'
teal soSsy from bsVI Progress to ny
Mnes by Colonel William Byrd vi
McstoycT. Va. and from history 81
she Manufacture OF Iron, by James NJ
swank. secretary Of the American Iron
and Steel Association.
In 1GO7 the nrst permanent English col
ony in the New World was founded az
jamestown, IN this state, by the Virginia
Company OF London. and on April luth
10i> the company ship, commanded by
captain Christopher Newport, sailed from
jamestown. loaded with iron ore. sassa
fras cedar posts. and walnut boards ana
on May 2Otb. II arrived IN England.
This iron was smcited ana seventeen tons
OF metal were sold at four pounds per
ten 10 the East India COMPANY ms
was undoubtedly the FIRST iron made by
Europeans from American ore. In 1910
Sir Thomas Gates, who had spent some
time in Virginia testified before the cVuh-
eli Of the company at London, tnat theIe
were divers minerals, cspecI0Iiy IRON
ore in Virginia, lying upon the surface
oI the ground, some OF WnIch ore, iaFins
been sent home. had been found TO yield
AS good iron as any ia Europe
THE WORKS AT FAILING cRrEK.
in 1919. the Virginia Company sent 10
Virginia q number Of persons VINO were
Isl be
''set up three iron works in the colony
The enterprise was undertaken IN that
year and was located on Failing Creek,
h tributary of the James river, when IL
tnters on its right or southern bank IN
Chesterfield county. about seven miles be
low Richmond. and about siNty-siN miles
BDOve jamestown
'Iiistory Of Virginia AN lronwork at
Failing creek. IN jamestown, was set
up. where they made proof OF Sood IRON
ore, and brought the whole Work 50 near
u perfection that they writ WORD 70 tHc
company in London that they did not
doubt but to finish the WORK ana have
plentiful provision Of iron for them 5py
the next Easter" In the spring OF 1871.
But neither plentiful provision nor any
other provision of iron was made on
Failing creek n 1871. owing TO The deaths
Of three Of the master Workmcn who
had the enterprise IA charge ln July OF
that year the company sent over Mr..
John Berkeley. formerly OF BevcrstOuc
castle, Gloucester, a gentleman OF an
honorable family, 10 take charge Of the
work. lie was accompanied hy his son
Maurice ana twenty experienced work
men.
In letter from the company 90 the
colonial authority dated July 25, 1921. IL
was stated that the advancement OF the
iron works we esteeme 10 be most neCcs-
sarily perfecuug whereof We esteeme the
plantation Is gained. We therefore re-
uuire all possible assistance be given
- 1fr m
bnCe-tO his ship, especially good enter
1ainment at their landings on August
18th. OF the same year the company IN
A. communication 10 the authorities wrote
Respecting the iron works and the saw
anills which had been proJected
ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE.
I'VE pray your assistance in the per
Feelings of these two works; the prOhtt
will rebound to the whole colony. and
wherefore 1T Is necessary that You extend
Sour authorize To the utmost lymitts
10 enforce such as shall refuse the help
10 business so much tending 10 ;he
general good: On December D ~ the
company again wrote, enjoining "au pos
hible diligence ana industrious care To
Further and accomplish those great ana
snany designs OF saite, saWinge mills, au4
5ron.'
In January. 1922 the authorities wrote
10 the company that the care we shave
taken of the iron worries We reserve 10
b. reported by NE Thresnrsf Ana Ana MI.
fpany wrote Of the good enterance which
I'VE have understood You have made In
the iron works. anu other staple coumod-
stiles" and added, "let MS have at least
by the next returnes some good quanttc
OF iron and wyne.' But before this let
Ter was written the colony had been
visited by the Indian massacre of March
- loo. In which John Berkeley and ali
his woTkmen were slain and the iron
works were 0ostTOvcl These works We're
not rebuilt. Beverly, writing in 1905, says
The project OF iron works on railing
creek has never been set on foot since.
lin Of late: but il has not had it's full
trial" In 1921 the charter of the Viz
Btnid Company was revoked and thus
ended disastrously the first attempt by
Europeans 10 make iron in America.
HUNDRED YEARS or DELAY.
After the failure to manufacture iron
effort was made TO revive the iron in
dustry in Virginia until after the begin
ming of the succeeding century, delay
of almost a hundred years To COlncl
Of Virginia from l7l0 10 l723, the honor OF
having established the iron industry of
the colony on a firm and permanent
basis is fairly due, although the exact
date OF the commencement OF his various
iron enterprises Is lost. From the re-
searches made by Dr r. \. Brock may
be seen that Governor SpotswoOd on
October "a. l7lo wrote 70 the Lords Com
1nssiOnCrs. the Council Of Trade at Lon
don. az follows:
There is project 10 De handed 10
the next assembly for Improvement of
the iron mines. lately discovered in this
country. the ores Of which. upon trial.
have been found 10 be- extraordinary,
rich and good. 1t Is proposed that the
work be carried on az public charge"
This scheme appCars not 10 have been
acted upon by the assembly and on
December 10. i3lo Governor Spotswood
writes: 81 humbly propose TO your
lordships consideration whether IL might
would be pleased 10 take that work tthe
from in her own hands, sending over
wOrkmen and materials for carving II
on" He states that the iron mines lie
az the falls OF James river ON January
q. 1'l4. he asks that the German PrOtcf-
tants. settled at the head of the Kappa
hammock river, VINO came over with
Out mines" be exempted from the pay
ment Of levies for the support Of the
government
CHARGES or MALFEAsANCR
In the latter part Of l7l6 elaborate
charges OF mnlfeGsence in office We're
anonymously prefeared against Governor
SpotsWood. 70 the Council OF Trade. the
counts OF which were numerous. In one
Of them the Governor is charged, under
prctence or guarding the frontiers with
building at the cost OF the government
two forts. one at the head Of James
river and another at the head of Rap
pahannOck river. only 20 support his
two private interests. az least one Of
which that on the RappahannOck re-
lated 10 the manufacture II iron.
In l12l the General Assembly of Vir-
ginia passed IAN act for encouraging adj |
venturers IN iron works" which begins |