Harvesting Wood
A cord of wood is four foot lengths of wood stacked four feet high and eight feet long.
At Hopewell Furnace on average approximately two cords of wood could be chopped down in a single day[1]. Two and a half cords was the average at Hanging Rock District[2]. It was noted, however, that in the Hanging Rock District "Rueben Bevery, who was a reputed to be a champion chopper of this region and who, it is said, could cut, split and rank eight cords per day indefinitely... his name was as familiar as was that of a lad who cut down the cherry tree"[3]. Crandall also indicated that he personally had "known many expert wood choppers who could chop, split and rank from four to five cords a day"[4].
Woodcutters could cut anywhere from a few cords to more than one thousand cords. Many woodcutters were farmers who supplemented their income in the offseason[5]. For example, between 1851-1853 Edwin Gault was paid for 1993.5 cords[6]. One must remember, however, that he may have had helpers whom he then paid.
Wood cutters comprised a large proportion of the workers at any charcoal iron furnace. At Hopewell between 1851-1853, 225 persons were paid for any type of work and 116 were paid for cutting cord wood[7].
Woodcutters sometimes delivered the wood to the charcoal hearth, called "delivering in the ring". They were paid $1.75 for this wood[8].
References
- Crandall, Elias. 1906. Reminiscences of the Hanging Rock District. The Iron Trade Review, July, 20–23.
- Walker, Joseph E. 1966. Hopewell Village; a Social and Economic History of an Iron-Making Community. Philadelphia,: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press.