Charcoal production

In nineteenth century Pennsylvania, charcoal was produced primarily to fuel iron production. Charcoal is the result of the destructive distillation of wood to yield a fuel that is primarily carbon. In the 19th century, when iron production was at its peak, the demand for charcoal as fuel for furnaces had an impact on forests. As a result, the charcoal industry was one of the first to think about sustainability and forestry.

Types of Wood

Generally, hard woods produced the best charcoal. Trees like oak, hickory, chestnut, and elm were greatly preferred to softer woods, like gum and poplar.

Making the Hearth

Charcoal hearths require large flat area. They are often placed on hillsides to facilitate dirt movement and are usually round. In the center of the hearth, a triangular chimney is made from stacked wood. In the chimney, a large stick called the Fagan pole is inserted. The Fagan pole is used to mark the center of the pit and can be also be used to gauge how far down in the pit the charring is taking place.

Piling the Wood

After making the chimney and the pole, the collier leans pieces of hardwood around the chimney. Hardwood was the preferred type of wood to use in charcoal production because it was denser and therefore more conducive to the iron-making process.

Covering the Wood

The wood in the hearth is first covered with a layer of leaves or straw. Then, that is covered with dirt. The leaves and straw act as a barrier between the wood and the dirt, helping to ensure even charring of the wood.

Igniting the Wood

To ignite the wood, kindling wood is put up to the top of the the chimney. Then, hot coals are dropped into the chimney and the opening is covered with a piece called the "bridgen." The bridgen is then covered with leaves and straw.

Sustainability

The need for charcoal in the iron industry created a significant demand for wood. Several early proponents of sustainable forestry were involved in the making of charcoal, like Bernhard E. Fernow, the manager of the Lehigh Furnace from 1879 to 1883. He advocated for coppicing of wood and protection from fire and cattle grazing to speed up regrowth of forest used for charcoal.

Charcoal v. Coal

The transition to coal as the primary fuel for furnaces began around 1840, but in 1859 around three quarters of furnaces in America (particularly in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York) still primarily used charcoal. Charcoal remained a source of fuel in some places until 1945.

Charcoal tended to produce a higher quality of iron than coal. Iron made from charcoal had a "fine grain" compared to iron made by coal, and maintained a better cutting edge.

References

• "Agriculture andrRural economy – Charcoal → ." The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project. Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.did2222.0001.346 (accessed [fill in today's date in the form April 18, 2009 and remove square brackets]). Originally published as "Agriculture et économie rustique – Charbon de bois," Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, vol. 1 (plates) (Paris, 1762).

• Straka, Thomas J., and Wayne C. Ramer. 2010. “History on the Road: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.” Forest History Today Spring/Fall: 58–62.

• Jones, Claude A. 1976. “Making Charcoal at Jacobsburg.” In Slate Belt Bicentennial Heritage, edited by Marjorie May, Maryann Repsher, Robert R. Saltern, Gordon E. Wilson, and Albert M. Toth, 32–33. Heritage Committee of the Slate Belt Bicentennial Commission.

• Wagner, Van. 2008. Fire the Pit- Charcoal Production in Pennsylvania. 4 vols. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxW7g3IwD1k ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVE_7hMLMZU ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88FbebFElaY ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghj2p9rrUmM.