Near Zaleski in Vinton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
From Forest to Furnace
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
1. From Forest to Furnace Marker
Hundreds of men labored cutting timber, working the furnace and driving teams of oxen hauling iron ore to the furnace. To fuel the furnaces, the forests were repeatedly cut, and the wood converted to charcoal. Each furnace required cutting 300 to 400 acres of timber annually to keep up with the demand. Charcoal was produced from this timber. The wood was placed onto a pile 30-50 feet in diameter and 25 feet tall. The pile was then covered with a mound of dirt and the timber was burned for 3-30 days, turning the wood into charcoal. These charcoal fires were tended 24 hours a day; so much wood was required for this process that surrounding hillsides were almost completely stripped of their timber.
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. 39° 19.927′ N, 82° 20.423′ W. Marker is near Zaleski, Ohio, in Vinton County. Marker is adjacent to Hope Furnace, in the Zaleski State Forest, about 200 feet north of the state forest backpack trail parking lot on Ohio
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Hanging Rock Blast Furnace (here, next to this marker); The Furnace Legacy (here, next to this marker); Life in Zaleski (here, next to this marker); Hope Furnace (here, next to this marker); The Hanging Rock Iron Region (here, next to this marker); Forest Of Honor (approx. 4.3 miles away); Lockheed T33 Shooting Star (approx. 5.3 miles away); Creola (approx. 6.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Zaleski.
Also see . . . HOW IT WORKS - Charcoal. YouTube video (4m 29s) (Submitted on March 19, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
2. From Forest to Furnace Marker
Hope Furnace in background.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 15, 2009
3. From Forest to Furnace Marker
Hope Furnace in background.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 723 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 16, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
