The Forge Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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Do NOT attempt to walk from the school lot DIRECTLY to the cache - especially at night - there is a big drop-off.
Cache is NOT on School Property.
The School Colonial Forge gets it's name from the location where it sits. That site was the location of a large Iron Forge. In front of the school you will find Historical Marker E-49.
In 1724, John England, Iron master at the Principio Iron Company (in Cecil County, Maryland), learned there were rich iron deposits in Stafford, Virginia. These rich deposits were located nearby along the Accokeek Creek. John England then conferred with Augustine Washington concerning the supervision and mining of the ore.
In an agreement with Washington, ore was mined on his land and processed in a blast furnace constructed here. The iron was then sent to Maryland for refinement in Principio’s forges. For a time, the Accokeek ironworks proved profitable. In 1750, it shipped over 410 tons of pig iron to England, about one-fifth of the entire tonnage exported from Maryland and Virginia. As ore deposits diminished, shipping pig iron from to Maryland for forging became less practical and operations at this site ceased around 1753.
By 1729, Augustine Washington held a one-twelfth interest in the Principio Company and oversaw operations at the Accokeek ironworks. Part of his agreement was that he bear one sixth of the cost of it’s operation. One of the main reasons he acquired nearby Ferry Farm and moved his family there was to be able to personally manage the Accokeek iron furnace. When he died, his share in the company passed on to his son Lawrence.
Depending on how you come at this cache the terrain could be anywhere from a 2 to a 5. If you come at it wrong you will have to cross a small stream. Parking can be along side road or in the school parking lot if it's after the hours of 7 to 4 pm Monday to Friday.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx urer vs lbhe fghzcrq.