Lost Towns of the Pine Barrens

Part three in the series on iron making.

As the mixture of bog ore, charcoal and flux was heated, the flux would float the impurities to the top where they would be raked off. If you visit some of the lost towns like Atsion and take a walk in the woods you can still see some of this “slag” today. Bits of charcoal will be staring out at you from the black mass.

When the ironmaster decided the time was right, the bottom of the furnace would be opened, and the molten iron would flow out into channels dug into the sand. These channels branched off into short fat straight channels where the molten iron would form what was called a pig. They called it a pig because they resembled baby pigs suckling their mother.

Some moletn iron was pulled off and poured into molds to make things like firebacks. One of the most famous being George Washington’s crest or cipher. Washington ordered four of these firebacks for his home in Mount Vernon and they were cast at Batsto. Two still exist.

After it cooled and solidified this pig iron was taken to forges where it was reheated and poured into molds to make items like pots, cannon shot, or water pipe. Much of the water pipe used in Philadelphia came from the forges of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Some if it is still in use.

Some iron would go to slitting mills where the iron was heated and pounded into flat sheets to make flat items, like fireplaces.

Iron making in the New Jersey Pine Barrens died out in the late 1800’s when coal and a better grade of ore was found in Pennsylvania.

One of these places was Slocum’s Hollow, which is now part of present day Scranton. Ebenezer Slocum built iron furnaces along the Lackawanna River. He went out of business. The story goes that the iron was so pure that when he made nails from it, they would shatter when hit with a hammer. George and Seldon Scranton bought the furnaces and began forging T-bars which lead to the expansion of the railroad. It should come as no surprise that the Steamtown national Historic site, relating the history of Steam locomotives, is right across the street.