The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-06-01
BEAR CREEK IRON WORKS
An Early Industry Located At
Friendsville, Garrett County

"The Youghogany Iron Company"
went out of business just about one
hundred years ago and its activities
are almost forgotten, but the remains
of its blast furnace and chunks of
CLASSY cinder still litter Mr.. Doolan's
Garden on Bear Greek, above Friends
vile.
The old furnace stood on the west
side of the Greek near the present
highway and about a mile above the
town. Patrick J. Doolan resides on the
site; his home is said to stand on the
foundations of the company store and
part of his cellar is built of stones
taken from the furnace walls. Below
the furnace site is the house of E. C.
Rvland, which was originally built by
Tor for) John Raymond, once manager
of the plant. 1t was a fine dwelling
home in it's day. 1t has been twice re-
built.
The forge and foundry, where some
of the pig iron was used in manufac-
turing implements, tools, kettles, etc.,
was located on the west shore of the
Youghiogheny, a half mile below the
Friend settlement. A trace" carried
water from the river to furnish power
for the great hammers of the forge
About 1895 Leslie E. Friend repaired
the old race and built small power
plant on the forge site, which supplied
Friendsville with electricity until the
present electric system was installed.
Iron ore of good quality was mined
among the clay and rock of the hills
on both sides of Bear Creek near the
blast furnace.
There is also coal in this neighbour
hood; probably both coal and charcoal
were used-coal to melt the ore in the
furnace and charcoal in the foundry.
The Bear Creek enterprise -four
ished for a few years and provided
work for a hundred men or more. A
village grew up at the mouth of the
Creek and on January 7, 1880, a post
office was established under the
name of "Friends," with Gabriel
Friend as it's first postmaster.
But the iron works operated only
bout ten years. In 1920, Rev. D. A.
7riend wrote:
"Sixty years ago the greater num-
Der of the houses were still standing
and many of them in good condition.
The reason assigned for closing out
the works when they did was that the
cost of transportation at the time was
so heavy that it consumed most of the
profits, so that the enterprise was no
longer self-sustaining.
Competition with larger and better
equipped plants in localities more fav-
orably situated also doubtless FASTENED
the end. Debts were not paid and in
1899 the whole property was sold by
the Sheriff.
Most Of the pig iron manufactured
at Bear Greek was hauled by wagons
to Brownsville, on the Monongahela
River, and shipped thence by boat.
Boating down the Youghiogheny was
also tried; flat boats could be sent
down to the National Road at Somer-
field. but it was extremely difficult
to pole or tow them upstream. A
man named Patents is said to have
built boat and to have floated it down
the river successfully, but in towing 1t
back with his horse the animal was
drowned.
The Yough0gany Iron Company
1t appears that the promoters OF
the iron works began operations in
1928, when a company was incor-
porated under the name Of "Allegany
Iron Company" This was probably the
first company incorporated to do bus
mess in what is now Garrett county
We here quote from an Act Of the Gen
eral Assembly of Maryland, passed
March IA, 1928:
"WHEREAS, 1t is represented to
the General Assembly by Henry T.
VanBibber, VIM. D. McKim, Columbus
O'Donnell, John McHenry, John Hoye
and Upton Bruce, that they are the
proprietors Of tracts and parts OF
tracts of land situated on and contlg-
uous to Bear Creek in Allegany coun-
ty; that on said lands they have eX-
ten3ive water power capable OF beng
simultaneously used for various man
ufacturing purposes; that they have
already erected thereon suitable build
ings for a furnace and forge and
contemplate prosecuting an extensive
manufacture of pigs, castings and par
irons or any other manufacture Whlch
they may deem proper to connect
Herewith; and that they are desrous
of increasing their capital stock Tor
the purpose of extending said improve
ments the above named persons
are created a corporation by the name
Of