A Community Comes Alive

A Community Comes Alive. . , Imagine this peaceful site abuzz with activity! It took about 40 men to keep the furnace "in blast” and many more to support the workers and their families, creating the furnace community., At the Break of Day , The village sprang to life with the hustle and bustle of farmhands heading to the fields, laborers setting off toward the hills, children walking to school, and women washing laundry. The general store, hotel, and post office hummed with activity., At the Furnace , Thick smoke incessantly billowed from the furnace stack. Laborers headed in while others Founders and keepers directed fillers and moulders. Carpenters, blacksmiths, and engineers kept equipment running. Overseeing all was the owner, or ironmaster, Mr. Chalon Guard., At the Heart , All the while, the ceaseless waterwheel powered the large bellows up and down, driving the furnace fire hotter and hotter. The community moved to the rhythm of the bellows and roar of the fire, heard day and night-the heartbeat of this lively little town., [Caption:] , The community was relatively self-sufficient. Company-owned farms grew grain, and fodder for hogs and cattle. Garden plots provided fresh vegetables. Women did weaving and spinning and made soap and candles.