Hopewell Furnace, Source: Remarkable Ohio
It all began here, as far as iron and steel making in the Mahoning Valley goes. In 1802, the same year that Youngstown was incorporated, James and Daniel Heaton (they later changed their name to Eaton) built an iron furnace along Yellow Creek, below Lake Hamilton, in present day Struthers. It was known as the Hopewell Furnace. It was the first such furnace in Ohio, which became a state the next year, and the first west of the Alleghenies, according to Dr. John R. White (who I had as a professor in several classes at YSU), who excavated the site over three seasons beginning in 1975.
Nearby deposits of kidney iron and coal, forests and that could be converted to charcoal, along with a water source, provided the necessary ingredients for the first iron blast furnace. White asserts that it is the first furnace to use a combination of bituminous coal and charcoal in the New World. It was first “blown” in 1803 and the smelting operation produced approximately two tons of iron per day during the 275 days a year or so it could operate outside the winter season. The iron was cast onsite into Dutch ovens, kettles, skillets, trivets, andirons, stove parts and hearth grates. These were sold not only to local residents in the growing community but also in nearby Pittsburgh. The furnace became the leading employer in its immediate vicinity and was instrumental in the founding of Struthers.
“Hopewell” expressed the Eaton brothers optimism for this new enterprise. Unfortunately, both competition and depletion of a key resource led to the end of iron-making at this site by 1808. In 1806, John Struthers (after whom Struthers is named) and Robert Montgomery opened another furnace a little ways downstream. This furnace used a more efficient “blast” using water wheels and fans. In 1807 Eaton sold the Hopewell furnace and related interests for $5600 to Montgomery, Clendenin, & Co., who operated it until the following year. By this time the hardwood forests that provided the key ingredient for charcoal had been used up. The Montgomery furnace downstream operated until 1812.
The Eaton family went on to build the Maria Furnace in Niles in 1813 and the Mill Creek Furnace, in present day Mill Creek Park, some time around 1830 and it operated up until around 1850. Around this time, a new, high quality form of coal, known as block coal was found in the Brier Hill area and resulted in a new boom of iron making in the Mahoning Valley, paving the way for the later emergence of steel, stronger and more flexible in the late 1800’s.
It all began in 1802 at Hopewell Furnace. Access to critical resources, growing markets, and a workforce all played a part. Although Hopewell Furnace only operated for about six years, it was a rehearsal for an industry that would shape the life of the Mahoning Valley for the next 175 years.
Bob on Books 
keep the early history coming-as a direct descendant of the Wick,Tod,Powers,Stambaugh and Ford families-very unappreciated now-this legacy remains critical.it makes one wonder about the recent decision of Lordstown to reject 1500-2000 jobs on Nimby grounds……Ford Elsaesser
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Thanks, Ford!
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Bob! Another wonderful history lesson about my hometown. As a child I never learned much about the place I lived and grew up in…..thank you for so many wonderful enlightening articles. Bless you! Keep writing, keep educating me and many others! Meg
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Thanks, Meg!
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Built on land sold to him from from one of my ancestors. There’s a monument to the furnace; I have the photograph somewhere…. just have to find it!
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Would love to see it. Thanks for sharing your personal connection!
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Love to read these posts about the Youngstown area. Grew up on Y-towns north side & was, as a youngster, never too interested in local history. Now living in Colorado & I can hardly get enough of it. Google maps has the Hopewell Furnace site tagged – https://www.google.com/maps/search/hopewell+furnace+struthers+oh/@41.0366807,-80.5888347,456m/data=!3m1!1e3
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Thanks, Edward!
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One of my fondest memories of kid-hood in the ’60’s was going into the stream by the Mill Woods furnace and finding “slag” – the melted left-over from the furnace there. Curious looking rock-like things. I still have a couple of the pieces. I’m sure there are still more around, but the last time I was in town I noticed they built a bridge of sorts there and it was nigh on impossible to get to the spot.
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Enjoy reading your memories.
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Interesting learning of another Hopewell Furnace. As a kid I visited one in Pennsylvania between Philadelphia and Reading. It ran from 1771 to 1883 and is now a National Historic Site – https://www.nps.gov/hofu/index.htm.
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I ran across this when I was researching this piece!
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I enjoy all of your Youngstown articles. I grew up in Struthers and graduated from YSU. I lived near Lake Hamilton and hiked all along Yellow Creek from the dam all the way to the park – lots of fun. In grade school, we had field trips to the Hopewell Furnace to study local history. Thanks for sharing all of these “gone but not forgotten” sites, people, and history!
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I’m glad you enjoy the articles! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Bob
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I am curious to know if there is and cast iron around from the Hopewell furnace, did the company have a particular mark? Like ERIE cast iron?
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