Iron In Bedford County

The earliest dates we can find on the mining and manufacture of iron products in Bedford County began about 1802 when two men, Lane and Davis, built a furnace at the junction of the Yellow Creek and Juniata River at Hopewell.

Six charges of charcoal, iron ore and limestone would yield about one ton of metal. A daily out-put was approximately five tons. Around 1806, Mr. Lane erected a Lemnos forge on Yellow Creek, about two miles from the first furnace. This was abandoned a few years later. Sometime between 1812 or 1816, King and Swope erected a forge called the Bedford Forge in the same area. Another, called the Elizabeth Forge, was built near Woodbury in 1827 by King, Swope and Dr. Shoenberger and Co. Ore for this furnace was obtained from the surrounding areas. Then around 1847 the plant was moved to Bloomfield because a deposit of iron ore was discovered here. The plant was moved a second time to Blair County. It's new name was the Rodman Furnace. In 1868, the Kemble Coal & Iron Company began operation at Riddlesburg. Ore was now obtained from the Dutch Corner and Wolfsburg as well as Everett and Tatesville deposits. A mine in Hopewell Township also supplied ore. The daily yeild was now between 35 and 40 tons. The fuel was supplied by 80 bee-hive coke ovens and the coal was obtained from the Mount Equity Coal mine on Six Mile Run. Later a Mr. Powell erected a large furnace near Saxton.

In the surveys of the county, iron ore deposits were found in many sections. The following types of ores were found—Mauch Chunk in Ground Hog Valley, Pocono ore on the west side of Ray's Hill, Chemung ore on Buffalo Mountain, near Saxton and many places in Monroe and Southampton Townships. Hamilton ores were located along Warrior's Ridge. The lower Helderberg ore also was found on this same ridge as well as sections of West Providence Township.

The fossil type of the Clinton ore was located in Powel's Cove in Liberty and West Providence Townships and on Dunnings Mountain.

John Cessna and the Cumberland Coal & Iron Company mined the Will's Mountain deposits. Single beds varying from six to twenty-three inches had been found in Londonderry, Harrison and Napier Townships.

By 1873 most of the mines became idle, however the Dutch Corner mines continued operating by the Kemble Coal & Iron Co. The Cumberland Coal and Iron Company mined ore at Fossilville, located north of Bridgeport (Hyndman) on the western slope of Will's mountain. It did not prove successful and thus the company went bankrupt.

It seemed that although the quality of ore was very good in many places, the miners did not take the time to separate the shales, thus the mines lost money and had to close.

Search and speculation for ore was quite extensive. Deposits were found in many localities ranging from knife edge to 12 feet in thickness. At one section near Hopewell a long prospecting tunnel was dug to attempt to reach a bed of ore, however, clay was found. A similar tunnel was opened at Tatesville.

The percentages of iron ore deposits in various sections of the county were given as follows: Hopewel1 area-42.6, Londonderry-45.2, Harrison-49.8, Bedford County Home Farm-44.4, Wolfsburg-46.4, Dutch Corner-25.7, Southampton-48.1, to 54, Monroe-45 to 53, West Providence-54, Tatesville-38.6, East St. Clair-49.5, Cumberland Valley-43.8, Snakespring-57, South Woodbury-52.

From the survey reports of l874.to 1880, many of these ore deposits showed that the quality of the ore was good but the greater part of them was in small fragments, too small lo operate on a commercial basis. One such deposit was in Snakespring Township, which was located between the Chambersburg Pike and the Juniata River.

Of the various furnaces in the county, the charcoal irons made at the Bloomfield plant were so superior to others that it was chosen for making heavy ordinance and recommendations were made for the U.S. Government to purchase the Bloomfield deposits for a permanent supply.

In reviewing the century old survey reports, we found many references to ridges and coves in the county. We decided to list them and the Township in which they are located: Black Oak Ridge- East St. Clair, Chestnut Ridge, Hog Back and Millertown ridges in Napier, Clear and Milk & Water Ridges in West Providence, with Warrior's ridge being in the same township and on into Monroe. Dry Ridge-Harrison, Piney Ridge in Cumberland Valley, Red Ridge in Bedford. Rocky Ridge was also in Cumberland Valley, Snyder's Ridge- Monroe and Southampton had two- Ward's and Addisons Ridges.

Four Coves are mentioned: Bean's Cove- Southampton, Friends Cove-Colerain, Milligan's Cove-Harrison and Powel's Cove- Liberty. Cove Creek in Colerain and ('oveburg in Bloomfield were mentioned.

As a point of interest, months ago, I found a reference in an old deed to a property which was located on 'Knobbly Mountain.' Later I found it referred to as 'Wobbly Mountain'. I was unable to locate the exact location of this mountain through many references. In this survey, I finally found what I had been seeking. 'Knobbly Mountain' is in Cumberland Valley Township. Actually, it extends from the Juniata River in Bedford Township, through Cumberland Valley down into Maryland. It is broken by small streams, once in Bedford Township and five times in Cumberland Valley. This mountain is merely a succession of knobs rising from 300 to 500 feet above the adjacent valleys.