Date: 2006-06-21
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Alex Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Bama was only able to squeak thru one short cell phone call today. She had a great time at the Pine Grove Furnace State Park hostel. The hostel was the 1829 Tudor mansion residence of one of the iron masters. She was joined by Cohiba, Otter, Indiana and Little Wing. Evryone else elected to stay in the campground. Bama asked me to find and post some history on the furnace (see below). She loves the rich history of this part of the country.This morning she got up and fixed coffee and sat on the porch to enjoy the morning before a lazy out about 7:30 am. There was some leftover milk and cereal in the kitchen to which everyone was told they were welcome.Tonight on to Alex Kennedy Shelter. Tomorrow, there's a long unusual stretch without a shelter and everyone will probably camp in one of the designated backpacker camp sites. Friday, Bama is supposed to be in Duncannon, PA (outside of Harrisburg) and near-by Amish country. Duncannon has a funky 100-year-old hotel catering to backpackers called the Doyle Hotel which features modest rooms, no A/C, European-style shared bathrooms and a huge turn-of-the-century bar that sells some killer mini-brews that ends up being the center of activity for trail tales and socializing.BillBrief history of Pine Grove FurnaceIn 1764, George Stevenson, Robert Thornburgh, and John Arthur built the first iron furnace at Pine Grove, which they enlarged in 1770. The furnace manufactured cast iron products like, ten plate stoves, fireplace backs and iron kettles. In 1782, Michael Ege purchased the furnace, iron mine, mill and mill house. By his death in 1803, Michael was the sole owner of the Pine Grove ironworks and two other ironworks in the area. His son, Peter, became the Pine Grove Furnace ironmaster and from 1827 to 1829 built a stately brick English Tudor mansion, currently the A.Y.H. Hostel. In 1830, Peter added Laurel Forge to the ironworks. With six fires, runouts and trip hammer, Laurel Forge could produce 2,000 net tons of (iron) blooms a year. Laurel Forge reheated and hammered the cast iron ingots from Pine Grove Furnace to produce wrought iron, a product that could be bent in many shapes.The financial panic of 1837 bankrupted tens of thousands of Americans including Peter Ege. At a sheriff¢s sale the following year, 37-year old Frederick Watts, later to be known as the father of Pennsylvania State University, and his partner, Charles B. Penrose, purchased Pine Grove Iron Works for $52,000.In 1864, the ironworks changed to a corporation. A group of investors formed the South Mountain Iron Company and brought in Jackson C. Fuller as the furnace manager. The new iron company also began construction of the South Mountain Railroad to bring raw materials to the furnace and move its iron products to market.Jackson was a life long friend of the chief investor, Jay Cooke, who is credited with almost single handedly financing the Union¢s efforts in the Civil War with the concept of selling war bonds to the public. Jay Cooke found himself deep in debt and went bankrupt, causing the financial panic of 1873. It took the federal government nine years to recover from Cooke¢s financial failure.In 1877, through his friend Jackson, Jay Cooke bought back the ironworks portion of the old company at sheriff¢s sale under the newly created corporation called the South Mountain Mining and Iron Company. The Cumberland Valley Railroad bought the other half of the old South Mountain Railroad. Throughout the winter of 1878, the iron furnace went through a total renovation raising the stack to 36 feet with closed bell and hopper on top, a steam hoist to raise raw material to the top of the new stack and three tuyeres to force air into the furnace with the new steam blowing engine which replaced the old blowing tubs.These innovations allowed the furnace to operate on fuels other than charcoal, which was becoming harder to secure due to constant harvesting of the forests. Now the furnace could be operated on coke and when that was low, anthracite coal could be mixed with the coke. Charcoal would remain the primary fuel of the furnace, but the furnace would no longer have to shutdown when charcoal supplies were exhausted. 1883 marked the peak production year for the furnace, producing 6,000 net tons of cast iron annually, but new technologies quickly put small iron producers out of business. Pine Grove Furnace went out of blast for the final time in 1895, ending 131 years of iron making in South Mountain.In 1913, the South Mountain Mining and Iron Company sold the ironworks, encompassing 17,000 acres, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be part of the new Forest Reserve system. Much of the land became Michaux State Forest, but part became Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Some of the historic buildings dating back to the charcoal iron community still stand and include the furnace, ironmaster¢s mansion, clerks office, stable, grist mill (now the Visitor Center), the inn (now the park office) and several residences. Remnants of raceways, charcoal hearths and related man-made features are still discernible.