40 Journal of the Mitchell Society \_Odoher 



ferson; built in 1829; two fires and one hammer; made in 1856 about 15 

 tons of bars. Washed away in 1858. Another forge was built i^ miles 

 lower down on the creek in 1802, but did not stand long. 



"Harbard's Bloomery Forge was situated near the mouth of Helton 

 Creek; built in 1807 and washed away in 1817. 



"Ballou's Bloomery Forge was situated 12 miles N. E. of Jefferson, at 

 the falls of North Fork of New River; built in 1817; washed away in 

 1832 by an ice freshet. 



"North Fork Bloomery Forge was situated on North Fork of New 

 River, 8 miles N. W. of Jefferson; built in 1825; abandoned in 1829; 

 washed away in 1840. 



"Laurel Bloomery Forge, on Laurel Creek, 15 miles west of Jefferson; 

 built in 1847; abandoned in 1853. 



"New River Forge, on South Fork of New River, yi mile above its 

 junction with North Fork; built in 1871; washed away in 1878." 



The brown hematite ores of Cherokee County which occur in 

 the Cambrian rocks were worked in forges as early as 1840, 

 suiDplying the surrounding country with bar iron. We have 

 record of the following forges: 



"Lovingood Bloomery Forge, situated on Hanging Dog creek, 2 miles 

 above Fain forge; built from 1845 to 1853; two fires and one hammer; 

 made in 1856 about 13 tons of bars. 



"Lower Hanging Dog Bloomery Forge, on Hanging Dog Creek, 5 miles 

 northwest from Murphy; built in 1840; two fires and one hammer; made 

 in 1856 about 4 tons of bars. 



"Killian Bloomery Forge, situated ^ mile below the Lower Hanging 

 Dog forge; built in 1843; abandoned in 1849. 



"Fain Bloomery Forge, on Owl Creek, 2 miles below the Lovingood 

 forge; built in 1854, two fires and one hammer; made in 1856 about 24 

 tons of bars. 



"Persimmon Creek Bloomery Forge, situated on Persimmon Creek, 12 

 miles southwest from Murphy; built in 1848; two fires and one hammer; 

 made in 1855 about 45 tons of bars. 



"Shoal Creek Bloomery Forge, situated on Shoal Creek, 5 miles west 

 of the Persimmon Creek forge; built about 1854; one fire and one 

 hammer; made in 1854 about J4 ton of bars." 



With the exception of the blast furnace at Cranberry which 

 uses the magnetic iron ore from the Cranberry mine, no other 

 furnace has been erected in western !N"orth ^Carolina for the 

 treatment of iron ores; and when the Pasley forge on Helton 

 Creek went out of commission, there was no other point in west- 



