Claire Furnace.
In 1868-69 General Pierce
and William Scott of
Erie built the Mt. Hickory Furnaces No.1 and No. 2. They were
built of brick and iron on stone foundations. In 1886 these
were torn down and one stack, 15 1/2 foot bosh and 75 feet high was
erected. This furnace used Lake Superior ore and produced
Bessemer and foundry pig iron. Its capacity was 40,000 tons
annually, It was entirely rebuilt, no part of the old furnace being
used, by the Reliance Coke and Iron Company.
The organization
consisted of M.A. Hanna,
chairman; A. C. Saunders,
treasurer, and A.M. Robbins,
secretary and general manager at Cleveland. Josiah Robbins was the
superintendent at Sharpsville.
About 1933
operations were discontinued and it was later sold to a wrecking
company which dismantled it for scrap.
Source:
Sharpsville
Centennial Commemorative Booklet, 1974, page 28; History
of Mercer County, 1888, page 194.
|
Claire
Furnace
Click to enlarge
Claire
Furnace with the
Erie
Train crossing the Shenango
Click to enlarge
|