1913] Geological History of Western X. C. 39 



for many of the inhabitants to pan the various streams for gold 

 and to pay their taxes in native gold. Just how much gold has 

 been taken from western Xorth Carolina in this way is not 

 kno'wn; but it evidently runs up into several hundred thousands 

 of dollars. 



Iron was discovered in western Xorth Carolina almost as soon 

 as the country began to be settled, and the manufacture of iron 

 dates back before the Revolutionary War. These early iron 

 works consisted of the primitive Catalan forge blo^vn by the 

 water trompe. Such forges were in operation in Ashe, Mitchell, 

 and Cherokee counties, and as late as 1893 one of these, the 

 Pasley forge on Helton Creek in Ashe County, was in operation. 

 These early forges supplied iron for all local uses and the forges 

 in Cherokee County shipped a good deal into Tennessee. The 

 most celebrated iron mine of western K'orth Carolina is the 

 Cranherry, and this iron was worked in Catalan forges as early 

 as 1820. The following facts regarding the Cranberry iron may 

 be of interest : 



*"Cranberry Bloomery Forge, on Cranberry Creek; built in 1820; rebuilt 

 in 1856; two fires and one hammer; made 17 tons of bars in 1857. 



"Toe River Bloomery Forge, situated 5 miles south of Cranberry 

 forge; built in 1843; two fires and one hammer; made about 4 tons of 

 bars in 1856. 



"Johnson's Bloomery Forge, 6 miles east of south from Cranberry; 

 built in 1841; had two fires and one hammer; made 1Y2 tons of bars 

 in 1856." 



This ore made an excellent quality of iron and soon became 

 known and attracted a great deal of attention throughout the 

 United States. Since 1882 the mine has been worked almost 

 continuously. Similar grades of iron ore are found in Ashe 

 County, and .the following is a summary of the history of the 

 Catalan forges that were operated on these Ashe County mag- 

 netic ores : 



"The Pasley forge was built by John Ballou at the mouth of Helton 

 Creek in 1859; in 1871 it was rebuilt by the present owner, W. J. Pasley, 

 and is now sadly in need of repairs. 



"Hehon Bloomery Forge, on Helton Creek, 12 miles N. N. W. of Jef- 



*From "The Iron Manufacturer's Guide," 1859, by J. P. Leslie. 



