The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-12

But comparatively little has ever been
written relative to the early history of
iii-n making in Alabama and the south
ern states. Unlsss visit is paid TO
some of the plants erected during the
early settlement of these states, ons is
apt to fail 10 real re tas difficulties with
which the pionaers Of pig iron in the
south had to contend.
But few Of the residents, even in the
birmingham district probably are aware
of the methods pracGcsd by the pionesTs
in the industry of the causes which led
up tl The pres mt condl tions. Only those
persons who have visited the ruins of the
cid furnaces can appreciate the conds-
ilcns which existed nearly half csn-
fury ago. when the first iron was made
in these STATES.
Probably the first thought which inn
presses ITSELF on the minds Of the visitors
to one of dhsse old plants is that, the
structures ere cted N those days will
remain as land marks, generations after
these en5eted in the present time have
ben torn down and sold for scrap irons
As an illustration of this one has only
to visit the furnace plant at Roup's val
ley, near Tanner Hill Station, on the
Alabama Great Southern road, within
Thirty miles of Birmingham. There we
find today thIsis' stone stacks which
have not emily withstood the ravages OF
tine WedIn6T S1IlCG sJfl5 early ultfSSf bdt
also during the war the attacks of
portion of the northern army known as
Wilson's raiders, who with the aid OF th9
torch endeavolrs d to totally destroy TINS
furnace plant which was furnishing pig
iron to be fasionsd into implements of
warfare for the confederate COVE rnment,
The walls Of these old furnaces ara
constructed of the sandstone found in
the Immediate vicinity, many of the
blocks which We're used weighing not less
than five or six tons each. For the lining
of icne of the stacks, imported EngEsh
fire brick was used of such quality that
today, were the blowing engines and
stoves in condition DIT would be posslpfs
to charge the furnace and make pig
iron, Notwithstanding It's ldlsness since
1863 because reclining would De uiia1ec-
essary =.
Incids ntally this very furnace plant
was one of the main factors responsible
for the present condition of the iron IN
dustry in the Birmingham a. strlcib ana
had the builders of that plant nave uSsd
less skill and substantial maternal IN
it's construction the pr-ssnt develop
mena Of both the iron and coal INDUS
triss in the state of Alabama might nave
never been reached.
David Thomas, for years the pTss a. mt
of the Thomas Iron company, whicn
ore,rated in Hokendauqua, Catasauqua,
Tamauqua and either points in the L.
high valley, during a visit to mis- state IN
the early sixties, had his atts ntfon csdiSu
to this old plant and at once began a
Systematic prospecting tour OF me vi
cinity to ascertain the extent and value
of the fron ore deposits, and the oppor-
tunities for erecting furnaces and OPP
Grating on a large scale Welshman by
birth and a thoroughly practical iron
maker by occupation, being one or, IL
not the first furnace msn to- succs 81,
fully make pig iron in Wales with coai
for fuel, he made up his mi nd very qulch-
IL that when Iron making in the Lehigh
valley would be in it's decadence, THIS
portion of the state of Alabama was 80
rich in natural resources that II was
destined to becCme to the south what we
Lehigh valley was at that time 10 lne
north. His prospecting resulted IN ms
forming the determination or buNdtng
two furnaces in the immediate nelghDof-
hood of Tanner Hill Station, where NJ
could purchase property so favorapay 10
GATED for the carrying out OF his enter-
prise. that il was only a distance OF one
mile and half from the southeast cyr-
nelr of thu block of brown iron ore iahd'
to the northwest corner of coal properly,
with tract containing good limestone
for ffuxine, p5clatsd bstween the ore and
co,al while within mile and a quarter
of the nor Invest portion of the brown
ore, mines occurred sufficient red ore TO
supply two furnaces.
Had MIR. Thl-tnas have been able to
have secured such concessions from the
Alabama Great Southern railroad as ne
conside red desirable the possibilities aIs
that the present site on which is built
the city of Birmingham might never nave
been selected, because II the Pioneer
Mining and Manufacturing company
had have built its furnaces near Tanner
Hill Station the iron industry of the
district would probably never have be-
come 50 conce ntrated as it has.
In connection with Mr.. Thomas early
purchases of iron ore lands many inter-
esting anecdotes which have never been