68 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



to active mining operations as carried on in that section for the sup- 

 ply of three local forges and a furnace at Manchester. According 

 to the same authority ore was obtained, also, from t^tie town of 

 Sodus. Hall in 1838 mentioned the existence of workings on the 

 outlet of Salmon creek, town of Sodus, near whi-ch a forge was still 

 standing at the time. A furnace had been erected before that date 

 on Bear creek, at the locality now known as Furnaceville, 2 miles 

 north of Ontario village. The furnace was run upon ores taken 

 from the vicinity and continued to operate for many years. About 

 1-869, 3. new stack having a capacity of 80 tons a day was erected. 

 In the town of Wolcott the manufacture of .iron was begun soon 

 after 1820, undoubtedly at the old furnace just north of Wolcott vil- 

 lage. The iron after it was converted into castings was hauled to 

 Clyde and shipped to outside points by canal. The last run of iron 

 at this furnace was made in 1869, since which time there has been 

 little or no ore produced in the vicinity. In the town of Ontario 

 mining operations have been carried on more or less steadily from 

 the first discovery. 



Openings in the town of Wolcott. The oldest working in 

 this town is that found along the bed of Wolcott creek, 15^ miles 

 north of Wolcott village, near the furnace site. The ore outcrops 

 on both sides of the creek immediately below the soil. It is of 

 fossil character and belongs to the upper ore horizon shown in the 

 record of the test hole put down at Wolcott. It is about i foot 

 thick. An analysis quoted from Beck^ shows, the following compo- 

 sition: 



Fe^Og 51.5 



SiOa 6.0 



A1263 7.5 



CaCOs 24 . 5 



MgC03 7-75 



HoO 2.75 



100.00 

 Iron 36.05 



A second locality, where ore was obtained in the early days, is 

 about 5 miles northeast of Wolcott village, on the course of the 

 little stream called Bear creek. The bed here is 30 inches thick, 

 representing the lower or main seam of ore as developed in this 



» Mineralogy of New^York. 1842. 1 p. 28. 



