Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-08
.Eurnt&tg Gfrat

Purchase of the 4.7O0-acre tract
or land In the western end of Hunt
ingdon county known as the Para.
disc furnace property for incorpor-
alton in the Pennsylvania State
Forestry Reserves will make the
seventh of the old-time iron manu-
racturing estates to pass into the
control of the Commonwealth.
Four of these old-time furnaces
Wl.n Sondst the hundreds of acres of
forest land from which they
drew their supplies of char
coal for making iron from local
ores are now. part of the State Re-
serves in Huntingdon county, two
are in Franklin county and one in
Cumberland. Some of them were
or wide fame and most of them
were among the furnaces which
helped make this the premier iron
manufacturing commonwealth a CEN
tury ago. One antedates the Revo-
| luton. Most of them are large
properties and the titles date from
the proprietors or from the early
| Commonwealth and all have his
| tories of interest in the industrial
system of Pennsylvania. The tracts
include farms, quarries, mines, sand
banks in some cases, houses, water
| power, ice ponds and in a few in
stances the old furnace mansions.
seats of hospitality that were fa-
lmouS.
Paradise furnace, the latest to be
bought lies in the western part of
huntington where 100 years ago
there was marked iron Develop
ment which survives in the Saxton,
Rlddlesourg and other furnaces.
Reuben Trexler, a Berks countian.
built Paradise furnace in 1921 and
1t ran for many years. Greenwood
furnace, another Huntingdon fur
mace property Incorporated in the
lstate domain, dates from 1893 and
until recent years was operated. 1t
is at McAlvey's Fort, which was
noted in early days. The Monroe
furnace property, another state
owned tract, is in Barree township
and this furnace was built by Cen
eral James Irwin in 1S45 and had
many ups and downs. 1t was noted
for its stove plates, cast on what
was known as the "Philadelphia
PLAN. The Barree forge tract dates
from around 1894 and was closely
sociated with early iron enter
prises in Huntingdon county. There
are parts Of the old furnace estab
llshments standing on some of these
properties. enough to give an idea
VI "AhI lHey we're ike.
The earliest one of these iron en-
terprises now owned by the state
i, is Pine Grove, where cannon balls
We're cast for the Continental army.
> This furnace is on a noted tract in
: Cumberland county and the furnace
5 was operated for over a century.
1t is supposed to have been started
about 1858 or 1869. In any event,
stove plates bearing the date of
t llf0 and the name have been found.
Michael Ege, the Carnegie of the
} Cumberland Valley in Revolutionary
| days, owned this plant together with
/ other Cum berland furnaces. In
' 1877 the furnace was renode,ed
ana Few years ago the state bought
= the property, one of the most valu-
= able and having varied resources.
{ Mont Alto furnace tract is now the
1 center of the State Forest Academy.
f The old furnace was built in 1907
t by the Hughes brothers, who figured
t In southern Pennsylvania iron man
= ufacture considerably a century ago.
/ AT one time there were rolling mills.
t nail factories, forges and foundries
at Mont Alto. Probably some of
v the other holdings of the state in
t. Franklin and Adams counties in
t GUIDED tracts used for furnishing
e charcoal to the score or more of
= iron making enterprises in that re-
$ gion, which still boasts hematite
= mines and has abundant water
= power.