Scranton Iron Furnace

During the early 19th-century, the economic potential along the Susquehanna River was fueled by furnaces such as these as well as the arrival of the railroad. In 1854, 45% of pig iron made in the US used anthracite which was plentiful in the area of northeastern Pennsylvania. William Henry claims that by 1836 he and his fellow investors had their eyes on the Slocum hollow tract which is now present-day Scranton. Although seldom Scranton did not have the initial funds himself he had more well-off brothers and cousins who could help make this business come alive. With the assistance of seldom successful cousins Erastus and Joseph Scranton they made one of the first agreements to get the property with the start-up funds needed. There was an additional partner grant and then they added a fourth partner Philip mats.

This created the first company Scranton grant and company and they began construction of the blast furnace and supporting facilities on the former Slocum hollow tract. The foundation was laid in October and workmen began to dig for Iron ore. Then with cooperation from farmers in the area they were to supply fire brick to the company. With high hopes, Henry started to develop town planning laying out a community around the furnace beginning the first stages to pushing Scranton to be a larger settlement. They faced many setbacks but on October 9, 1841, when they were already it was a disastrous first try. On October 25, 1841, they attempted to light the furnace for the second time which only lasted until the 29th. With the addition of the roaring Brook water levels dropping the company, it was facing hardships. At that point, the Scranton brothers decided to step in and send George to oversee the furnace and the project. On December 14 the furnace attempted its third try which was promising but held new setbacks as well. By the next year on October 11, 1842, The furnace burned until March and yelled at 900 tons of pig iron. William Henry was slowly pushed out and left his role to George the year. From 1842 to 1843 the company developed a desperate atmosphere it needed a new strategy.

The company decided to produce nails, as well as, pig iron. With assistance from investors, the company secured a loan and made much-needed repairs around the facility. By January 1844, the first big burn could commence. Off the first burn, the company yielded 5 tons per day. Just as things were appearing to be smooth, the production with the nails backfires. The company once again decided to incorporate something else to replace the failure of the previous product. The decision that changed the fate of the company was the idea of producing rail irons. From there the Lackawanna company negotiated a contract delivering 4,000 tons of rails to NY and Erie rail line charging $65 per ton. Once the first large deal was completed, the second deal was even larger at 12,000 tons. The company decided to rebrand after the newfound success with new partnerships. By 1848 the company went through several reorganizations. Then the town was officially renamed "Scranton" because of the influence the family held in the area.

The business held on to the name Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company for most of the 1800s because by 1853 the company doubled its capital. By 1854 the company assets included: 3 furnaces, 3 rolling mills, 2 Blacksmith shops, car shops, two carpenter shops, sawmill, office, co store, boarding houses, ore mines, coal mines, and 200 dwellings. Scranton and the surrounding areas largely benefited from this capitalist venture. Immigrating businessmen moved from New England to establish banks, retail, manage at the mines. The first bank opened in 1855, at the peak of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company, which is not a coincidence. In addition to all the lower class workers who filled jobs at the company or mines.

As much as the town was flourishing, the company was outgrowing the area it was in. Shipping products became a large problem for the company. The Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company had to make the decision to move to Buffalo, NY. After the property was sold in 1903, an agreement was made to strip and scrap everything on the site. All the structures were torn down except for the towering blast furnaces. By the late 1960s, the property was acquired by the state. The administration for the state parks transferred the land to the Pennsylvania history and museum commission in 1971. It is currently maintained by the Anthracite Heritage Museum. For the past ten years, expect 2020, a fundraising bonfire takes place in the field next to the furnace. This event benefits the Anthracite Heritage Museum and also brings awareness to Scranton's industrial past.

“Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnace -- National Register of Historic Places Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Travel Itinerary.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/nr/travel/delaware/iro.htm. 

“Lackawanna Iron Historical Marker.” ExplorePAHistory.com, explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2BC. 

Lewis, W. David. “The Early History of the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company: A Study in Technological Adaptation.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 96, no. 4, 1972, pp. 424–468. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20090678. Accessed 14 Dec. 2020.