Valley Girl Views: Forest Iron Works, White Deer

Forest Iron Works

The Forest Iron-Works were erected in 1845, by Green, Howard & Green. The works were purchased at sheriffs sale for $7,00, by Kaufman and Reber in 1849.

I found these gps coordinates for the location of the old furnace, but I have not confirmed them - 41.07397,-76.93497 (Please don't trespass. I have no idea what is at that exact location - but it's likely private land)

"The Charcoal furnaces of the Forest Iron Works is an old establishment which has been in operation for many years, producing a celebrated brand of charcoal iron which has always commanded the highest market price. Owing to the general stagnation of the iron industry, a stock of about 1,200 tons of No 1 iron has accumulated at the furnace, but a save was recently made to parties at Williamsport and Bellefonte, and additional orders are daily expected. The furnace has been in blast since last May, and is still in operation, producing iron at the rate of 40 tons per a week. The capacity of the furnace will be somewhat increased this year. The iron ore is procured from Centre county, about four miles from Bellefonte, at which place it is loaded on cars and shipped to White Deer Station via Lock Haven.

The ore is the kilns known as pipe ore, and is exceedingly rich, from which iron of the every best quality is manufactured. The ore occurs in inexhaustible quantities, and large works have been put up at the ore bed which have been in constant operation from the time that the bed was first opened.

In addition to the furnace at the Forest Iron Works, there is a grist-mill, saw-mill, store, blacksmith, wheelwright, and carpenters shops, farm building, and other buildings usually appurtenant to an establishment of this kind. " - Reading Times, 15 Mar 1875

In July of 1893, Capt I.A. Ranck took a company of cadets on a march up White Deer Creek, to the ruins of the White Deer Iron Furnace. The cadets camped in the buildings of the iron works, and slept in the barn on the farm. The article about the outing states that "the Iron Works had long been closed."

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Reading Times
15 Mar 1875

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1893

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January 1908

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Directory of Iron and Steel Works of the United States and Canada Volume 11, 1892

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Limestone, so abundant along Penns Creek that a township was named for it, provided rich soil, building material, and smelting flux for the iron industry. Buffalo Valley's farms yielded enough produce to export to the coal towns east of the river. Large deposits of iron ore were processed at Glen Iron Furnace in Hartley Township, Union Furnace in Winfield, and Forest Iron Works on White Deer Creek.

https://sah-archipedia.org/essays/PA-02-0004-0002

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