Foster Falls Furnace

Foster Falls Furnace. . , In the 19th century, dozens of iron furnaces and forges dotted the New River Valley due to its high mineral content. The town of Foster Falls was a product of this iron industry., The furnace built by the Foster Falls Mining and Manufacturing Co. in 1880-1881, was originally operated by water power from the New River. In 1889, the furnace was sold to the Virginia Iron Coal and Coke Co. The V.I.C increased the capacity of the furnace by eliminating the water powered bellows, replacing it with steam operated boilers - a process know then as hot blasting., In 1887, the railroad built a dinky rail bridge across the river to the hematite ore mines, 1/4 mile above the Foster Falls station. The furnace produced 12 tons of pig iron per day. The iron was transported to manufacturing centers in St. Louis, Baltimore and Cincinnati. In 1916, the rail bridge was washed out due to flooding, ceasing iron operations., (captions) , Dinky Rail Bridge (bottom left) In 1916, the New River rose to an astounding 32 feet above flood stage. Washing out the dinky rail, thus causing the mining operation at Foster Falls to cease., In 1940, the river left its banks rising 38 feet) above flood stage, six feet higher than re- corded in 1916., Dinky Rail and Crew (below) A Dinky Rail was a smaller version of a steam locomotive. Dinky rails were highly popular in the mining industry, due to their narrow gauge tracks and smaller design.