Furnace or Furnace Mills

Furnace or even Furnace Mill as it was known, was a settlement at the very footstep of Bloomfield, and was organized in 1832 by Andrew Downing, and by 1850 this community industrially had overshadowed the county seat town of Bloomfield.

The iron ore mined in the neighborhood was smelted here and made into iron products such as kettles of varying sizes, stoves, plows, machinery and pig iron. The prime outlet for these products was through the Louisville market.

No information has been found as to definitely when the Richland furnace went into blast, but it is thought about the year 1841, and the final blowing-out was in 1858 or 1859. The stack was about forty-five feet high and nine feet across the boshes; it was worked with a hot-blast, and used charcoal as a fuel. About nine tons of pig-iron were produced daily. Someone wrote of the furance here as follows:

No one of whom I inquired could inform me definitely when the Richland furnace went into blast, but it is thought about the year 1841, and the final blowing-out was in 1858 or 1859. The stack was about forty-five feet high and nine feet across the boshes; it was worked with a hot-blast, and used charcoal as a fuel. About nine tons of pig-iron were produced daily. The cause assigned for the stoppage of the furnace was the want of a suitable and economical means of getting the pig-iron to market.

The furnace-stack had been taken down some years previous to my visit, and the stone of which it was constructed used to build a bridge over Richland creek, though the engine, boilers, and blowing-cylinders were still on the ground and in good condition; the blowing-cylinders are forty-two inches in diameter, and six feet stroke

In 1856 Mr. Downing was joined by three wealthy men, A. L. Voorhees and Edwin J. Peck, both of Indianapolis and Chauncey Rose. For about two years the furnace was at its peak production employing as many as 120 men at an average wage of $1.00 per day, a fabulous salary for the 1850's.

During this period a expert from Louisville was hired to manage the mill; the capital was increased; the mill was enlarged, and additional real estate was acquired.

It has been said that the company had property holdings of some $200,200.00 A grist mill and saw mill had been added and a company store opened for the convenience of the employees.

In 1855 a bank was founded and it began to issue currency to the extent of $5,000.00 in denominations of $1 and $20 bills.

The village flourished. It boasted a store, grist mill, saw mill, bank, charcoal burning kilns, ore mining equipment, iron smelting plant, hollow-ware factory, and a distillery.

The company owned its own boats which carried not only its own wares but also agricultural products from the vicinity to Louisville and often to more distant markets.

In 1851 the first Wabash and Erie Canal boat passed opposite Bloomfield down the canal, so that the Furnace Company now could use not only the river but also the canal to ply its trade.

When disaster struck the Furnace, it struck hard, fast and surely. Trouble arose in the company in 1858-9; the lower part of the canal was abandoned; the furnace closed down operation; the bank doors with its unredeemed currency closed; families without work, moved away and the Furnace and all its associated industries passed out of existence.

The cause assigned for the stoppage of the furnace was the want of a suitable and economical means of getting the pig-iron to market.

After the demise of the iron making venture, this Richland Furnace Mill was erected and served the community for several years.

By 1959 no trace of the former bustling community was left.

The dam across Richland creek lasted for many years after the mill closed and was blasted out before 1959 and the mill race blocked. But the bridge was still standing.

The old bank building was disassembled stone by stone and moved to Bloomfield; and reassembled, stone by stone, on the corner of Judge and Main Streets, being first used as a bank and then was used for years by Dr. Riley Applegate as an office an small animal hospital. In the picture below, it looks as if the main part of the building had been added on to.

The furnace-stack had been taken, and the stone of which it was constructed used to build a bridge over Richland creek, though the engine, boilers, and blowing-cylinders were still on the ground and in good condition; the blowing-cylinders are forty-two inches in diameter, and six feet stroke

In 1962 artifacts of the Furnace was found by Jake Wilson Construction Company when the old Iron bridge across Richland Creek at Furnace was replaced with a more modern concrete bridge. When the holes for the footers for the new bridge were being excavated, the remains of the loading platform were exposed showing part of the web of the early iron ore production and shipping apparatus used when the Furnace Iron Mill was in existence.

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since 28 Nov. 2003

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