BIG
GEM
A CACHE FROM THE
PAST
Big Gem cache is
located on the site of the former
Big Gem Furnace.
One of the Town's fathers,
William Milnes, Jr., sought to capitalize on the arrival of the
railroad in the town. He built Big Gem Furnace in 1882. Molten pig
iron was poured into the grooves of the foundry floor, called
"blooms", to make shippable rails of steel.
With ore banks exhausting and the foundry stack deteriorating, the
furnace ceased operations in 1907, and was completely dismantled by
1917.
The pond, known locally as Gay's Pond after the former owner of the
gasoline station across the street, is said to have a locomotive
resting on the bottom. Likely local lore.
Your trip to the cache will take you through the park and on the
course of the old railroad that was the route to the Fleeburg ore
mines.
The site has vastly improved over the past few years through the
work of the Town and volunteers. Enjoy your trip and imagine how
industrious this area was a century ago.
The cache container is a waterproof Rubbermaid® container and
includes a log with pencil. The container is large enough for small
to medium sized trading items.
Check out the Big
Gem site on the Town of Shenandoah's website by clicking the Big
Gem logo at the top of the page. The park has birding and nature
trails. The pond is stocked with catfish as part of the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries stocking program. A
Virginia license is
required to fish.