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.

"The rare picture [above] shown of the Forest Iron Works was provided by Jim Wertz. His family ran a gristmill and saw mill adjacent to the Forest Iron-Works along the road running west of the town of White Deer. From the picture one can see a waterwheel to the right of the stack. This wheel powered pistons in the wooden tubs above the wheel, which in turn provided the cold blast of air to the stone furnace in the center. The wooden structure above the stack was the bridge house. The iron ore, charcoal and limestone were hauled from the terrace above the furnace across the bridge and dumped down into the furnace. "  - UCHS

According to a history of White Deer, "A charcoal furnace, the Forest Iron Works, was begun in 1845 by Green, Howard, and Green.  By 1849 it was in the hands of the sheriff because of financial difficulties.  although Kaufman and Reber bought it, for $7,000 in 1850, it never operated successfully.  A Pardee man took over the operation after Kaufman and Reber had been bankrupted, but he had to give it up because it was too expensive."

1849 Sheriff's Sale, describing the property

Henry Shoemaker's writings are...  not to be trusted as history, on the whole.  He was a folklorist.  But he did also sometimes write good historical information - it's just difficult to tell what is what when it comes to his works.  In a 1934 article for the Altoona Tribune (he was editor) he wrote of a trip by the Northumberland Historical Society.  One of the stops was at the "famous Forest Iron Works, further up White Deer Creek, where Ario Pardee gained most of his fortune by cornering the state's supply of pig iron in the panic of 1857.  Later in the panic of 1873, Pardee closed down the works to save losses".

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LOCATION

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1856 map

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)

"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. " 

1850 Map

"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.

1872

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

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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."

"One stack, built in 1846"

Directory of Iron and Steel Works of the United States and Canada. (1890). United States: American Iron and Steel Institute. [listed under "long abandoned"]

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READ MORE

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1860 - Forest Iron Works For Sale

Reading Times
15 Mar 1875

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Clara Kauffman daughter of David, died in 1934.  Her obituary included "the daughter of David Kauffman, who was the owner of the Forest Iron Works at White Deer for many years."

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Bear Hunting near the iron works, from a 1921 newspaper

I haven't checked this  - but I think the article here, although signed by J.W. Zimmerman, may be a Shoemaker story?  Perhaps Zimmerman is quoting Shoemaker?  I'm really not certain - but it should be looked into before anyone takes this as fact...

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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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Report

By Pennsylvania State University · 1913

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David Barnet Kauffman was born in 1826.  He married Rebecca Madina.  David died in Jan of 1880, and is buried at St John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery.

"David B. Kaufman, of the Forest Iron Works, Union county, Pennsylvania, formerly of this county and a step brother of John G. Kaufman, of Leesport, and Samuel Kaufman, of Reading, died on Tuesday, 13th inst., and will be buried on Friday, 16th inst."

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See more of the  lime kilns in our area, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/03/lime-kilns-in-around-west-branch-of.html