BEST Geo-Art: S06/38
Colebrookdale, Douglas Township, Berks County, PA
The Colebrookdale Furnace set the mold for subsequent charcoal blast furnaces in Pennsylvania. As the first, it proved that British charcoal blast furnace technology could be used successfully in the colonies.
Thomas Rutter built a bloomery forge in 1716 to make iron, but he knew that a charcoal furnace could make better quality iron more efficiently than a bloomery forge. Financed by Philadelphia merchant investors, Rutter built Colebrookdale Furnace about 1720 to supply iron to his nearby refinery forge and supersede the bloomery forge. He named the furnace after the leading English iron furnace in the early eighteenth century–Coalbrookdale.
Colebrookdale Furnace continued to operate after Thomas Potts's death in 1752. By then, the furnace had consumed the nearby forest and was drawing lower-quality iron ore from the deposit that supplied it. The furnace was blown out for the last time just before the American Revolution. Although it came to an early close, Colebrookdale Furnace played a significant role in the early development of iron production in Pennsylvania
The name of the creek Rutter built the Colebrookdale Furnace on was called…
A. Iron Pebble (N 40° 29.175 W 075° 54.037)
B. Iron Stone (N 40° 29.181 W 075° 54.029)
C. Iron Rock (N 40° 29.175 W 075° 54.021)
D. Iron Boulder (N 40° 29.187 W 075° 54.037)
Note: A historical marker was placed at N 40 19.394, W 75 39.235 (Pa. 562 near SR 2040 SW of Boyertown) commemorating this location.
Note: This cache has the hunting attribute selected. Hunters wear orange, and when the time is right, and so should you. During hunting season, it is best to do this series on a Sunday. The majority of the cache containers are hidden within 10 - 20 feet from the trail. Since these caches are hidden in the woods, you will encounter things like wildlife, poison ivy, bugs, ticks, etc. That is just part of geocaching in the great outdoors. Good Luck.
Please note that GC4GQMT - Cache Quest #10: The Final Quest and GC45V8Q - Cache Quest #9 A Questers Pilgrimage were archived to make room for this BEST Geo-Art geocache. Thanks Rentell.