Approach the cache site by entering the National Cemetery off GA 20 near Knox Bridge (34 12.970 / 84 34.235). The cemetery is posted, but cemetery management has granted permission to enter for the purpose of accessing the furnace site (IMPORTANT: see 3/25/04 and 6/13/06 notes below). Enter the cemetery off GA-20 and follow the paved road to the construction entrance gate. Park off the road outside the gate. From here you may walk the powerline up to where the old road crosses under the line and then follow the road to the furnace site. As you near the cache, resist the urge to bushwhack, continue down the road and look for a trail that descends to the right to the creek. There may be hunters in the area, so wear red, make noise, and be careful. This is a remote area, so it would be a good idea to let someone know where you are going, especially if you go alone. Practice Cache-In-Trash-Out, there is ample opportunity.
This furnace is one of more than a dozen such smelters that operated in this area in the mid 19th century. The ruins of six of the furnaces still exist, and two more ruins are submerged deep below the surface of Lake Allatoona. The most accessible and well preserved is Cooper Furnace in the park below the Allatoona Lake dam.
The Donelson furnace was probably built during the Civil War to provide iron for the Confederacy, but the war ended just as it was finished. The owner was a man from Canton named Joseph Donaldson (the name of the furnace was mis-spelled Donelson on old maps) who also owned land east of the furnace with rich deposits of iron ore. There were plans to build a rail line through the area, from Etowah to Canton, possibly along what is now the old Mt. Carmel Church Road, which follows a major ridge line and would be the logical location for such a railway. The railway could have been used for transporting ore to the furnace and iron to the Confederate iron works in Etowah (present site of the Allatoona dam). An interesting historical note is that Donaldson was one of the largest slave owners in Cherokee County, with about 35 slaves in 1860. It is likely that the furnace was built by slaves. The outcome of the Civil War and the destruction of the iron works at Etowah by General Sherman brought all of Donaldson's grand plans to a screeching halt, the old furnace is all that remains.
These furnaces were usually built along a creek at the base of a ridge. A waterwheel was used to drive a large bellows to provide a blast of air through the furnace. The mill race for the water wheel is still evident, a deep ditch between the furnace and the creek. The ridge behind the furnace was leveled to provide an area for shelter, storage and preparation of the materials used in the smelting process; iron ore, limestone, and charcoal. There was a loading platform on top of the furnace and a trestle extended between the ridge and the furnace, so that the materials could be dumped down into the stack. Wood framed roofs extended from the furnace on at least one side, probably from two or three sides. The furnaces operated 24/7 for months at a time, and tending the furnace was hard dangerous work. Standing on the ridge behind the furnace, try to imagine how it was 150 years ago, the creaking and splashing from the water wheel, the low roar of the furnace, and the voices of the men as they worked to feed the ever-hungry fire-breathing monster.
Typically, a community of 200 to 400 people lived near the furnace. Raw materials were often gathered and prepared by local farmers, who did this work in the winter months when they could not farm. After years of operation, the area around the furnace would be stripped of trees for miles, as the trees were felled to make charcoal. It appears that the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church may be all that remains of this rural community.
Some of these furnaces were destroyed by Sherman during the Civil War. A few resumed operation after the war, but all were shut down by 1880. Various reasons are given by historians, e.g., the depletion of the forests and/or economic depression in the 1870's. More likely, it was just the simple fact that iron production became much more efficient in the large-scale operations around Birmingham, Alabama, and in the north, and the expansion of the railroads increased inter-regional trade.
For more information on iron furnaces, see: Iron Furnaces and Hills of Iron and Tannehill Park AL
Thanks to Chantal Parker of the Etowah Valley Historical Society and Carl Etheridge of the US Army Corps of Engineers for most of the background history, and to National Cemetery Director Sandra Beckley for allowing access through the cemetery.
Important Note 3/25/04 - In recent weeks the old road from the cemetery to the cache has been closed to vehicles, which requires parking in the back of the cemetery and hiking about a mile to the cache site. After reading the 3/21 posts, I called the Cherokee County Sheriff's Dept. (770-345-3376) to explain that we had permission from Cemetery Director Sandra Beckley to be in the cemetery and to see if we could come to some agreement. I spoke to Sgt. Deb Harrell, who knew about geocaching and said she would advise the officers patrolling the area about our activities. She recommended that a note be left in the window of the vehicle telling why you are there (geocaching), when you expect to be back at the vehicle, and your cellphone number if you carry one. She also advised that the vehicle be parked in a place where it would not block access to any roads or areas that may be under construction. I think the Sheriff's Dept. is willing to work with us because the geocachers they have encountered so far have been cooperative and polite ... something to remember.
Important note 6/13/2006 - I checked with Sandra Beckley, the Director of the national cemetery, and she advised that it would be OK to park off the road in the area just outside the construction entrance near the power lines. She will advise the contractors that there may be cars in this area. From here you may walk the powerline up to where the old road crosses under the line and then follow the road to the furnace site. I think this is the way the last two groups accessed the site. It may be a good idea to leave a note under the windshield explaining why you are parked there ... Geocaching and hiking to the old iron furnace. Ms. Beckley is concerned about illegal hunting in the area, esp. with increased visitation to the cemetery. It is illegal to carry firearms on this federal property.
Note 7/25/2006 - Note that Navistar posted parking coordinates of N34°13.970' W084°34.408' in his log of July 8. Be sure to park outside the gates, they may be locked when you return.
Note 2/7/2015 - Some advice about access to this historic site. The geocache and the furnace are on land administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers as a result of the land acquisitions for Lake Allatoona. The best way to access the furnace (unless the lake is up and you have a kayak or canoe) is through the National Cemetery. As noted in the cache description in June 2006, I obtained permission from the director of the cemetery, Sandra Beckley, for geocachers to pass through the cemetery to access the cache site. Her only concern communicated to me was that there be no shooting in the area around the cemetery - for the safety of visitors and cemetery staff. A post by LZ33 in May, 2014 shows a no trespassing sign along the old road leading to the cache site. As stated above, in 2006 I was given permission to access the cache site - but if that is not enough - be advised that the strip of land that old road crosses is the property of Georgia Power Company - not the US Government, as shown on the attached screen shot from a Cherokee County property records site. (see post 2-17-2015) The property on either side of this strip is owned by the US Veterans Administration. So you can cross onto the Corps of Engineers property on the Ga Power road without setting foot on the posted property. Be advised that hunting is still allowed on property administered by the US Corps of Engineers - the cache site - so be careful during hunting season.