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Hunt Valley in Cockeysville in Baltimore County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Soot and Sweat

 
 
Soot and Sweat Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Adam Margolis, December 30, 2022
1. Soot and Sweat Marker
Inscription. Furnace workers performed a variety of dangerous, dirty and hard tasks. The threat of a major furnace explosion was always possible.

Putting the Furnace in Blast
The first step in putting the furnace in blast was to build a coal fire in the bottom of the crucible to make sure all the moisture was evaporated and the furnace preheated. Next, fillers would dump the required ingredients through a charging hole at the top of the furnace down into the crucible. The first material loaded was washed coal, followed by ore, and finally crushed marble stone. Each combination of mixed ingredients was known as a charge.

Smelting Ingredients
The correct mixture of ingredients necessary for producing a batch of pig iron was a recipe that furnace workers learned through experience. Proper proportions of each ingredient determined the quality of the pig iron produced in the furnace. A general rule of thumb dictated that 365 bushels of coal, 4 tons of iron ore, and 3 tons of marble stone produced 1 ton of pig iron.

The Smelting Process
As the initial charge melted down in the crucible cavity, additional layers of coal, iron ore, and marble were added. As the coal burned, reaching temperatures of 3000 degrees, the iron ore and marble melted and the impurities in the iron dissolved into the molten
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marble to form a substance known as slag. Being lighter than iron the slag containing the impurities from the smelting process, floated on the of the heavier molten iron and was drained off through an opening in the furnace base.

What to Do with Those Pigs?
The bars of pig iron were convenient for transport to market or to other processing facilities. Most pig ion was either cast into products at a foundry or refined into wrought iron at a refinery forge. As the demand for iron and then steel grew in the 19th century, pig iron became the foundation of the iron industry. By 1850, 25,000 ironworkers produced 500,00 tons if pig iron with a market value of $12,489,077. Production costs for a ton of pig iron at Oregon Furnace were typically many similar furnaces.

The Demise of the Oregon Furnace
In 1855, the Oregon Ridge Furnace produced an award winning 4,500 tons of pig iron with a profit value of $227,475. However increased production costs and the inability of furnace owners to keep pace with new furnace technology contributed to the closer of the furnace in 1857. The furnace was dismantled and all of its infrastructure sold.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceSettlements & Settlers.
 
Location. 39° 29.686′ N, 76° 
Soot and Sweat Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Adam Margolis, December 30, 2022
2. Soot and Sweat Marker
Marker location is indicated by the red circle.
41.328′ W. Marker is in Cockeysville, Maryland, in Baltimore County. It is in Hunt Valley. Marker can be reached from Kurtz Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13593 Kurtz Ln, Cockeysville MD 21030, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Furnace Operations - Labor (here, next to this marker); A Blast from the Past (here, next to this marker); Furnace Operations - Management (here, next to this marker); The Community (a few steps from this marker); Oregon Furnace (a few steps from this marker); Peter Goff Tenant House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Timber 1750 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Iron Ore Pit (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cockeysville.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 29, 2023, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. This page has been viewed 65 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on March 29, 2023, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024