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Sharon's Industrial History 

Among the first Lake companies was the Jackson Mining Company. The Sharon Iron Company sent General Curtis to visit the mines and to obtain a controlling interest. This seemed to have been accomplished, but events show that the Jackson Mining Company really absorbed the Sharon Iron Company.  

Early in 1855, 40 or 50 tons of ore were hauled out by wagons to the Lake and brought to Sharon at heavy expense. The experiment proved a financial failure.  

Some ore was then sent by canal to Mr. Allen at the Clay Furnace, which was at that time owned by the Sharon Iron Company. The Clay Furnace first roasted the ore, as it was so hard it would not break. Then they mixed 20 per cent of lake ore and 80 per cent of local ore. The mixture was gradually increased to 50 per cent of each, and finally iron was produced.  

In the experiment. Mr. Allen discovered that the use of charcoal and native ores would produce iron, but to handle the lake ore he needed a different kind of furnace. He also needed a new kind of fuel and expressed a desire to experiment further.  

In 1845 he conceived the idea of employing native coal. He first coked the coal in open kilns on the ground and mixed the charcoal and coke. He continued to increase the coke until he had eliminated charcoal entirely. The result was so satisfactory that he concluded that he would try raw coal mixed with coke. The coke was gradually reduced until, in April, 1846. Iron was successfully produced from raw coal. In 1876 all of the Valley furnaces were producing iron from raw native coal.

The Sharon Iron Company and the Jackson Mining Company built a railroad from their mines to the Lake and projected two new blast furnaces. The Government was building a canal around Sault Ste. Marie, and this delayed shipments. Additional capital was required, and it was obtained in New York City and Philadelphia.  

Finally, when everything pointed to a successful venture on a large scale, a Professor Smithe from Rochester, New York, convinced Eastern capitalists that the best quality cast steel could be made from Superior ores at a cost less than that of bar iron. General Curtis was dismissed, and the experiment was tried. It failed, as it has many times since. The stockholders suffered huge losses, and the Sharon Iron Company was dissolved.  

General Curtis had, however, connected the ore of Lake Superior with the coal of Mercer County, and Mr. Allen had discovered a new process for converting ore into iron, which led to further development and discovery.  

The history of the Sharon Iron Company, from its establishment until it passed from existence in the early 1900's,involved many of the well-known characters in the iron and steel industry in this section. 

General Curtis was president of the original stock company and in 1861 bought the entire plant. William Coleman, James Westerman, C. B. Wick and P. W. Keller were the next set of owners, and in 1865, when the Westerman Iron Company took control of the property, its constituent members were James Westerman, P. W. Keller, C. H. Buhl, C. H. Andrews and W. J. Hitchcock. Mr. Westerman retired in 1874 and in April, 1882. Christian H. Buhl became sole owner. His son, Frank H. Buhl, was made general manager of the works in 1887, and the company was known as Buhl, Sons and Company. 

In 1856 new furnaces had been built. Lake ore was melted with raw coal, and no county ore was used. Gas seas brought from the top to the base of the furnace, and hot blasts were introduced. Results, unbelievable at the tone, were obtained. 

Furnace and mill properties changed hands rapidly. The Shenango Furnaces were built at Sharpsville in 1859. They were the first built on level ground, making use of steam hoisting machinery. A steam crusher was introduced to break the ore. The latter took the place of roasting, which reduced the yield. 

Perkins, Boyce and Irvine built their furnaces in 1868. Then came the wonder of the times, the Fannie Furnace at West Middlesex. It was built on cast iron pillars, and the super structure was a round brick stack encased in boiler plate. The furnace had a capacity of 30 tons a day and was built by E. A. Wheeler, H. Veach, W.W. Morrison and E. T. Reed. The cost was $175,000, and the concern was known as the Wheeler Iron Company.

The Wheeler Iron Company suspended in the panic of 1874 but had given to the country the nearest approach to the modern, steel-jacketed brick-lined, skip-hoist furnaces which today have a daily capacity of 900 tons or more.

These developments preceded the great panic which began in 1873 and which had many characteristics of the present depression.

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