This cache is part of the 25 cache Pennsylvania State Parks America250PA GeoTrail. Have fun exploring and discovering Pennsylvania's history!
Life of a Collier: the collier hut.
Photo Credit: Steven L. Markos
Iron furnaces in Pennsylvania were a pivotal resource, the task of these furnaces were to create Iron used to make cast iron pans, tools and stoves. These furnaces melted down a combination of products in a blazing hot furnace that reached upwards of 3,000 degrees. But what created the heat? Charcoal was fed into the furnace to create the temperature needed to melt various materials into iron. Colliers were responsible for making charcoal used to feed and heat the furnace. Collier life was not easy.
To create charcoal, they needed to rely on woodcutters to supply them with wood. Once the wood was acquired, they would stack chopped wood into a tee-pee formation. These piles were about 30 feet wide and 6 feet tall. The center of the pile would be lit to start the fire. The pile would then be covered with dirt and leaves and smolder for about 10 days. Once the charcoal finished smoldering and the pile shrunk, colliers would rake out the remaining pile, where charcoal was formed. These condensed pieces of wood (charcoal) were then carted to the furnace where it would aid in the iron making process. During the 10 days colliers were in the wilderness they slept in collier huts. These collier huts were made from wood and bare earth that resembled a Tee-Pee. Go to this location, and look for a small tee pee formation in the woods, make sure to sign the log book.
You know you are getting close to this cache when you see signs of an eagle that has been there in the past.
For more information about this state park and its amenities, please visit the website: French Creek State Park | Department of Conservation and Natural Resources| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
