Near Zaleski in Vinton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Hanging Rock Blast Furnace
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
1. The Hanging Rock Blast Furnace Marker
The Hanging Rock blast furnaces varied little in their design. They resembled flat-topped pyramids built of sandstone block. The narrow furnace top rose 35-40 feet from the broad base. Inside the sandstone blocks was a lining of bricks made of clay mined nearby. The necessary ingredients, including chunks of iron ore and limestone, along with charcoal for fuel were dropped into the open top of the furnace. Tall wooden buildings on stilts surrounded the furnace, providing easy access to the top of the furnace and a convenient dry place to store the charcoal.
After the charcoal was ignited, air was forced through openings at the base of the furnace into beds of sand where the hot liquid was molded into blocks called pigs. Blast funaces produced an average of 3000 tons of iron a year. This pig iron was loaded onto railroad cars for shipment to foundries in Cincinnati and Cleveland, to the east coast, and even to Europe.
Erected 2005 by Make A Difference Day Ohio and Others.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Natural Resources. In addition, it is included in the Appalachian Iron Furnaces series list.
Location.
this page online
We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in the Hocking Hills and in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It was also in the American Midwest, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: Hope Furnace / Hanging Rock Iron Region (here, next to this marker); Hope Furnace Ruins (a few steps from this marker); Hope Furnace (a few steps from this marker); The History of Lake Hope (within shouting distance of this marker); Hope Schoolhouse (approx. 1.3 miles away); Selinde Roosenburg (approx. 1.3 miles away); a different marker also named Hope Schoolhouse (approx. 1.3 miles away); Gallia County State Route 160 Racoon Creek Bridge (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Zaleski.
Other markers no longer nearby. From Forest to Furnace (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); The Furnace Legacy
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
2. The Hanging Rock Blast Furnace Marker
Hope Furnace in background.
Also see . . . Iron Furnaces in Ohio. Olde Forester website entry (Submitted on January 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
3. The Hanging Rock Blast Furnace Marker
Hope Furnace in background.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
4. Typical Hanging Rock Furnace Cutaway on Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
5. Furnace Photo on Marker
"Hecla Furnace in Lawrence County [Ohio]."
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,499 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
