Many people do not realize that Vermont has an industrial history that is at least as important as its agricultural history. At one time variously sized mills crowded around Vermont's abundant waterfalls producing textiles, woodenwares and all sorts of finished metal goods. Since the late eighteenth century there have been small blast furnaces in Vermont smelting  iron from local ore. This iron would then be reprocessed as cast or forged goods. Iron smelting began in Forest Dale, Vermont by 1810 and continued under various owners and names until the 1860s. The site is now owned by the State of Vermont and is on the National Register for Historic Places. On October 24, 2000 the Rutland High School Advanced Placement United States History class visited the site.
 
 
 
 

The property the furnace is situated upon was last owned by the Horn family who donated it to Vermont in 1974. In the early 1950s a road crew working nearby dynamited the main arch to the furnace to retrieve stone for a building project. Mr. Horn's timely intervention prevented further damage. In the 1990s the State of Vermont rebuilt and stabilized the arch. To the side is an 1869 map of the site from the Beers Atlas for Rutland County. The approximate location of modern day Route 73 from Brandon to Goshen is shown in yellow, the Neshobe River is in blue, and the ironworks site is in pink.
 
 
 
 
 

Steven Langlois (famous for his amazing collection of polyester shirts from the notorious Disco Era)  played the role of Ezekiel "Zeke" Jones, son of Alvin B. Jones, a local farmer who carted ore and goods for the owners of the ironworks in the 1830s and 40s. Behind "Zeke" is the blast furnace. Ore, lime flux and charcoal were loaded into the top of the furnace from a ramp that ran from the hillside behind the furnace. The interior is lined in fire-brick and after the furnace was lit a blast of air was introduced from the bottom that drove the heat high enough to separate the iron from the mineral ore. The flux carried the glassy slag to the top of the furnace while the heavier iron sank to the bottom. At the right moment iron workers removed a plug at the bottom of the furnace and the molten iron ran into molds situated in the arch behind "Zeke." (The iron bars covering the arch were added after the stabilization project was completed. The bosch arches on the three other sides where the blasts of air were introduced are still accessible.

Standing at the edge of the wheel pit, teacher John Peterson in the character of Royal Blake describes the water powered bellows to the students. (l-r: Robbie Wetzler, Steve Langlois, John Peterson, Justin Brown, Scott Drew) Water was introduced to a large water wheel that drove a cylinder bellows which forced air to the furnace through pipes where it was first preheated then introduced to the bottom of the furnace. Originally the furnace was fueled with locally produced charcoal although an unsuccessful attempt to fire it with anthracite coal was made in 1854.
 

The original wheel had a diameter of nearly thirty feet. The wheel pit needed to be deep enough to accomodate that huge size. Here students (l-r: Justin Brown, Carrie Stanziola, Ally Shortle, Robin Harrison and Robbie Wetzler) walk along a raised track looking out for the iron bands that held together a wooden pipe that was over two hundred feet long and brought the water to the wheel.

Andrea Doenges and Ally Shortle are using their historical imaginations to picture the various support buildings that were once located on the site including a boarding house, blacksmith's shop and charcoal shed. Local farmer and oxcart driver Alvin B. Jones (played by Rutland High School principal Bruce Gee) watches from the background.

After following the path of the old head-race which brought the water to the wheel the group pauses in the approximate area of the original dam for a group photo. (kneeling: Carrie Stanziola, l-r Robbie Wetzlwer, Scott Drew, Ally Shortle in red fleece, Charles Romeo in cravate and cap, Liz Lathey in center, Andrea Doenges in white, Robin Harrison in blue fleece, John Peterson in blue cap, Justin Brown in fleece collar, Steve Langlois in straw hat, Bruce Gee in top hat.)