Oregon Furnace

Oregon Furnace, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
aka Obeson? Furnace

Furnace Index Furnace Home Home
Oregon (aka Obeson) - Was on Lackawannock Creek in East Lackawannock Township. The 1873 map of East Lackawannock Township shows a furnace named "Obeson Furnace" in the same location as Oregon(elw). We assume these are one and the same(rp). Built in 1845 by Alexander Hutchinson and Company, it made little or no iron after 1847. A steam, cold blast charcoal furnace, it was owned for while by W. W. Wallace of the Iron City Furnace. At the time it was blown out it was owned by Lyons, Mix and Company(s&t). Nothing remains of the stack but we found the depression in the ground where the furnace was as described by Sharp and Thomas. (P)(V)(rp-1977).
Go west from the square in Mercer on US62 for 2.2 miles. At the west end of the bridge over Lackawannock Creek, turn sharply left on T496. About 0.1 mile ahead you will see a swampy spot on the right side of the road. Beyond this small swamp was the furnace location. It is in heavy undergrowth and rather difficult to find although only 20 or 30 feet from the road. Nothing remains of the plant but a depression in the ground. Coordinates 41º 13.77'N - 80º 16.95'W.

Probable site of Oregon Furnace - 1978

Portion of old East Lackawannock Township may showing an "Obeson" Furnace at ths site of Oregon Furnace.

Oregon Furnace Special Sources:
A Guide to the Old Stone Blast Furnaces of Western Pennsylvania, Myron B. Sharp and William H. Thomas (s&t)
East Lackawannock Twp. by Ruth Z. Woods(rzw) on Behalf of Mercer Co. Historical. Soc.
www.rootsweb.com/~pamercer/PA/PL/Maps/1873/elackawann.jpg --(elw)(courtesy Chris, Mercer County Historical Society).