12 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



YOUNG'S IRON WORKS. 



About eight miles southwest from Jacksonville and three miles from the 

 Neches River was located one of the most extensive iron works of its time 

 in the State. It was generally called by the name of the president of the 

 company owning and operating it, "Young's Iron Works." 



The smelter was of the most substantial construction, built of selected 

 brown sandstone, which abounds in the vicinity. Its outside dimensions were 

 a square of thirty-four feet at the base, and it had the same height. This 

 smelter was operated successfully for a time and pig iron and castings manu- 

 factured, but the explosion of the boiler and killing of one or two men 

 thereby interrupted the work for a time, and the close of the war caused its 

 final stoppage. Everything was put in order and left to await the building 

 of a railroad to the furnace. Dr. Young secured the charter for the Houston 

 and Great Northern Railroad, which was projected to run just by the side of 

 the works, and the building of the road was begun, but before twenty miles 

 of it had been constructed Dr. Young was killed in an accident Nothing 

 further was ever done with this furnace, which is still standing. 



PHILLEO'S IRON WORKS. 

 " South of Rusk about eight miles, amid pine clad hills, and at a perennial 

 stream of clear water, is Philleo's Iron Works, where ore was smelted on a 

 large scale during the war, at the close of which smelting was suspended and 

 only the foundry business continued; hence the works are now in a very 

 dilapidated and decaying condition. During their operation three hundred 

 men were employed "* 



THE NECHESVILLE BLOOMARY. 



Dr. J. B. Bussey, of Timpson, furnishes the following account of the bloom- 

 ary located near Nechesville, Anderson County, in which he was personally 

 interested. 



In the year 1863, Col. Chas. Bussey, father of Dr. Bussey, and Mr. Joseph 

 P. Griggs began to erect works to make iron. They began with one twenty- 

 five-horse power engine, using the ordinary fan blast. They soon found 

 that this would not answer, and that it would be necessary either to enlarge 

 the plant or stop operations. About this time Dr. J. B. Bussey returned 

 from the army, and thinking that it was a good investment, took a third in- 

 terest in the works. Another engine was bought, additional sheds were 

 erected, and two tub bellows, or blowing cylinders, were made; in fact, 

 almost an entirely new bloomary plant was erected. 



With this plant it was expected to manufacture from three to four thou- 



* Dr. S. B. Buckley, First Annual Report, etc. 



