The Maryland and New York Coal and Iron Company was incorporated in 1837, and it acquired land north of Frostburg, Maryland. The company, led by Samuel Swartwout, a New York land speculator, renamed this area as the town of Mount Savage, and made plans to establish an iron works.[1]: 289 After raising funds from investors, the company built two blast furnaces in 1840, using coke as fuel.[2]: 256 It built a rolling mill in 1843 specifically to manufacture rails. Production of bridge rails, with an inverted "U"-shape and weighing 42 lb/yd, began in 1844.[2]: 434 Some of the initial rail production was used to build a railroad line to Cumberland, Maryland to connect with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O).[1]: 301, 306 (SeeMount Savage Railroad.) The company also manufactured 50 lb/yd T-shaped rails for the Fall River Railroad in Massachusetts;[2]: 434 and sold rails to the B&O.[3] Production in 1845 was about 200 tons per week.[4]
In 1846-47 the Mount Savage works faced financial problems, due to the Tariff of 1846, which ruined the iron business, and the flooding of a portion of the Mount Savage Railroad.[1]: 312 The company defaulted on several loans. A group of New York City investors, Erastus Corning the most prominent among them, acquired the company later in 1847 and renamed it the Mount Savage Iron Company. The facilities were expanded with additional capital, and in the 1850s the labor force grew to over 900 workers. The Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad became another important customer.[3]
The works faced competition from various facilities in Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes region, where superior grades of iron ore were discovered and mined beginning in the 1850s.[2]: 324 The facilities were acquired by the Consolidation Coal Company in 1864. The rolling mill was shut down in 1868 and dismantled in 1875. The blast furnaces ceased operation c. 1870.[3]
^ abcDilts, James D. (1996). The Great Road: The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio, the Nation's First Railroad, 1828–1853. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN978-0-8047-2629-0.
^ abcdSwank, James M. (1892). History of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages, and Particularly in the United States from Colonial Times to 1891. Philadelphia: American Iron and Steel Association.
^ abcAllen, Jay D. (1970). "The Mount Savage Iron Works, Mount Savage, Maryland: A Case Study in Pre-Civil War Industrial Development". Mount Savage Historical Society. Graduate thesis, University of Maryland.
mount, savage, iron, works, operated, from, 1837, 1868, mount, savage, maryland, ironworks, were, largest, united, states, late, 1840s, first, nation, produce, heavy, rails, construction, railroads, works, were, established, area, adjacent, mines, coal, iron, . The Mount Savage Iron Works operated from 1837 to 1868 in Mount Savage Maryland The ironworks were the largest in the United States in the late 1840s and the first in the nation to produce heavy rails for construction of railroads The works were established in an area adjacent to mines for coal iron ore and fire clay Facilities included blast furnaces puddling furnaces a rolling mill iron refineries coke production and brick production History editThe Maryland and New York Coal and Iron Company was incorporated in 1837 and it acquired land north of Frostburg Maryland The company led by Samuel Swartwout a New York land speculator renamed this area as the town of Mount Savage and made plans to establish an iron works 1 289 After raising funds from investors the company built two blast furnaces in 1840 using coke as fuel 2 256 It built a rolling mill in 1843 specifically to manufacture rails Production of bridge rails with an inverted U shape and weighing 42 lb yd began in 1844 2 434 Some of the initial rail production was used to build a railroad line to Cumberland Maryland to connect with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad B amp O 1 301 306 See Mount Savage Railroad The company also manufactured 50 lb yd T shaped rails for the Fall River Railroad in Massachusetts 2 434 and sold rails to the B amp O 3 Production in 1845 was about 200 tons per week 4 In 1846 47 the Mount Savage works faced financial problems due to the Tariff of 1846 which ruined the iron business and the flooding of a portion of the Mount Savage Railroad 1 312 The company defaulted on several loans A group of New York City investors Erastus Corning the most prominent among them acquired the company later in 1847 and renamed it the Mount Savage Iron Company The facilities were expanded with additional capital and in the 1850s the labor force grew to over 900 workers The Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad became another important customer 3 The works faced competition from various facilities in Pennsylvania and the Great Lakes region where superior grades of iron ore were discovered and mined beginning in the 1850s 2 324 The facilities were acquired by the Consolidation Coal Company in 1864 The rolling mill was shut down in 1868 and dismantled in 1875 The blast furnaces ceased operation c 1870 3 See also editMount Savage Historic District Mount Savage Locomotive Works Technological and industrial history of the United StatesReferences edit a b c Dilts James D 1996 The Great Road The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio the Nation s First Railroad 1828 1853 Palo Alto CA Stanford University Press ISBN 978 0 8047 2629 0 a b c d Swank James M 1892 History of the Manufacture of Iron in All Ages and Particularly in the United States from Colonial Times to 1891 Philadelphia American Iron and Steel Association a b c Allen Jay D 1970 The Mount Savage Iron Works Mount Savage Maryland A Case Study in Pre Civil War Industrial Development Mount Savage Historical Society Graduate thesis University of Maryland Paul Amanda 2004 Mount Savage Arcadia p 19 ISBN 978 0 7385 1680 6 Minor D K ed October 1844 American Railroad Iron American Railroad Journal and Mechanics Magazine New York D K Minor 17 319 20 Iron Furnace Mount Savage MD Mount Savage Historical Society Retrieved 2010 01 04 Stakem Patrick H The Mount Savage Iron Works Western Maryland s Industrial little Giant Industrial Heritage Homepage Vagel Keller Archived from the original on 2015 10 02 39 41 54 N 78 53 1 W 39 69833 N 78 88361 W 39 69833 78 88361 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mount Savage Iron Works amp oldid 1194098336, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
