The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-30
FURNACES 90 YEARS AGO.
First Shelter to be Located in the
 State of Alabama.


 From the Montgomery Advertiser.
 Probably few persons knew that there was an iron furnace in Alabama as early as 1872 and that it was located in Frank lin county.
 Prof. c. W. Duncan, formerly of Au- burn, who was in Montgomery yesterday, has recently visited this old furnace. He talked interestingly about 1t to a repre- sentative of the Advertiser.
 Prof. Duncan of Auburn is now travel ing for a book house and he has been over the state recently. He is close observer and takes notes of many interesting and historic things as he goes along. Among the things that interested Prof Duncan was this old furnace.
 "fhe first iron or smelting furnace in Alabama was in Franklin county" said Prof. Duncan Tt was on Cedar creek, five miles south of Russellvlle, and was in operation as early as 1872. The furnace was constructed of limestone, lined inside with fire brick. and Is shaped like a hor- nets nest, base down, like a cone. It is about fifteen feet high and the diameter at the base is about twenty feet. The main furnace Is standing today covered with gray moss and all around for sev- eral acres, the ground is covered with slag and other waste products.
 "There is a bend in Cedar creek. The entire distance around the curve is about three miles, and at the point where the furnace is located it is not over 200 yards across the narrow strip of land separating the points at the curve of the bend. A race was cut across at these points and a large water wheel was placed at the lower point of the head or curve, and this fur nished the power to drive the machinery necessary to operate this primitive fur mace. the draft or blasts and large ham mer weighing over 300 pounds for working the iron into bars and heating it to make it uniform in proportion.
 Kettles stoves and many other usefm domestic articles were moulded there. as is shown by the pieces found in the fields around.
 Charcoal was used as fuel and old charcoal beds are found in the fields for miles around. These old hills are distinct now, and when the farmers blow their fields the black soil and cinders indicate clearly where the old beds were.
 "The second growth of timber on the mountain sides shows that most of the original forests were cut down to furnish fuel for this old furnace. The pits ana holes are quite large and indicate where the ore was found; most of these being on the side of the mountain south, and within, a radius of three or four miles.
 'The nearest shipping point at the time this furnace was in operation was the Tennessee river, twenty-five miles north and the products of the furnace had to b,, hauled to this point on wagons. There is standing now a long wall of masonry very thick and some eight to ten feet high extending quite a distance along the bank of the creek and opposite the furnace proper. The channel of the old race is distinct but the age of 1t is indicated by the large trees which are standing near some of them several feet in diameter There are oaks hac'Sberry, sycamore ana other varieties which bear the marks ot age in the decaying branches.
 "The ruins of this ancient furnace are interesting and are well worth visit by any one who is interested in the industrial progress of the state. They are in marked contrast to modern smeiting plant'
 Alabama is now one of the chief iron. making states of the country. and it will no doubt surprise some of the operators in Alabama nearly loo years ago