Coke Oven, State Route 56 Vicinity, Old Irontown

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,11-OLDIR,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Typical coke oven, remains of the "Iron Mission" to Southern Utah in the and PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A, Physical History: 1. Original and subsequent owners: Section Patented by Ebenezer Hanks, July 1, Union Iron Works Great Western Iron Mining and Co. Utah Iron Co. later Iron Co. of Utah Recorded as town on June 2 , (iron City) (County records after very incomplete) 2. Date of erection: 3. Architect: None B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Building: The Utah Pioneers and Landmarks Association plaque at the site reads: OLD IRONTOWN Established by Ebenezer Hanks and others who organized the Great Western Manufacturing Co., a cooperative enter- prise. Officers were E, Hanks, Presi- dent; Homer Duncan, Vice-President; Seth M. Blair, Secretary.

800 of iron of good quality was produced each COKE OVENS HABS No. U-59 (Page 2) 8 hours, the plant running day and night. The enterprise was taken over in by the Iron Manufacturing Co, of Utah, with George Q. Cannon, President; Thomas Tay- lor, Vice-President and Manager; John C. Cutler, Secretary. A railroad was moved here from Nevada to haul coal from Cedar Canton to "Little Pinto1.1', the name given this townsite. The plaque is somewhat in error, since it was the Union Iron Works, organized in who built the charcoal kilns and two small furnaces on Pinto Creek about 25 miles southwest of Cedar City, Utah. Up to two tons of gray cast iron were produced per day, much of which was sent to the stamp mills at Bullion, Nevada.

(This company vas also known as the Pinto Iron Co.) The principals in the records of incorporation were: Ebenezer Hanks, Seth M. Blair, Chap- man Duncan, Homer Duncan, Peter Shirts, and Robert Ritchey, In the company was reorganized as the Great Western Iron Mining and Manufacturing Co., and considerable equip- ment was imported, including machinery for molding and cast- ing iron. A new engine house, foundry, pattern ship, business office and two new furnaces were built. Production of pig iron was increased to five tons per day, and mining machinery, stoves, flat irons and other items in demand were manufactured for shipment to Nevada and towns in Utah. The iron used in cast- ing the twelve life-size oxen supporting the baptismal font in the Mormon Temple at St.

George, Utah was produced here, It is estimated that was spent to produce tons of pig iron before the sale of the property in In August, the Utah Iron Co, was organized with a capital of Extensive iron and coal lands operated by their predecessors were acquired, but litigation of cross- claims prevented their commencing operations until 188U, when a new company was again formed, known as the Iron Co. of Utah, This company was partially underwritten by the Mormon Church, who subscribed to one-fourth of the capital stock. This company then constructed another furnace, factory and storehouse, and also purchased the 20 mile Pioche-Bullionville Railroad in Nevada, with all its rolling stock.

They moved it to Iron County and used it to transport coai to the iron works and to transport iron from Iron City to the Southern Utah Rail- road at Milford, Utah. COKE OVENS HABS No. U-59 (Page 3) With the need to expend greater amounts of money for devel- opement purposes, and the increasing pressures of the "Polyg- amy Crusade" which harassed them with increasing frequency, the Mormon Church leaders became disenchanted with the enter- prise and withdrew their support. The project was abandoned and never revived; only one coke oven and some building ruins remain. Except for the actual site of the ovens, the section belongs to Stuart W. Lamb. C. Sources of Information: 1. Primary and unpublished sources: Abstracts of Titles, Iron County Courthouse, Parowan, Utah.

Record of Incorporations, Iron County Courthouse, Book A. Site Plaque, Utah Pioneers and Landmarks Association. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,11-OLDIR,1-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Arrington, Leonard J, Great Basin Kingdom. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., Deseret Mews. Salt Lake City; May 10 and June 18, August 30, Larson, Gustive 0.; "Bulwark of the Kingdom, Utah's Iron and Steel Industry," Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. 31, Ho. 3, Utah Historical Society, Salt Lake Cuty, Utah. Salt Lake City Directory and Business Guide for E. J. Sloan and Co., I869. Salt Lake Herald. Salt Lake City, December 16, Prepared by John L. Giusti, AIA August 1, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A, General Statement: 1, Architectural interest: Early industrial structure typifying coke ovens at other sites in Utah, 2. Condition of fabric: Intact COKE OVENS HABS No. U-59 (Page It) B, Description: 1.

Over-all dimensions: Circular in plan, this beehive-shaped structure reaches an interior height of 20* 2. Foundations: Sandstone 3. Wall and roof construction: Red sandstone below, brick pointed dome above. U. Structural system, framing: Masonry 5. Chimneys: Rectangular opening high in dome. 6. Openings - doorways and doors: Segmental arched opening at west. C. Site and Surroundings: 1. Orientation: Door opening faces approximately west. Site is remote from present habitations or highways. 2. Outbuildings: Ruin of similar coke oven adjoins north and a little east. Ruins (foundations) of other buildings ex~ tand to the west. 3. Landscaping and walks, enclosures: The general area of Old Irontown is enclosed by a wire fence.

A turnstile is near the coke oven, convenient to the parking area where the dirt road ends. Prepared by Paul Goeldner Supervisory Architect Utah Project July 18, PART III. PROJECT INFORMATION This record is part of a Utah Survey conducted in the summers of and under Joint sponsorship of the Historic American Buildings Survey of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation of the National Park Service and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Field work, historic research and record drawings were done under the direction of Project Supervisor Paul Goeldner, AIA (Texas Tech Univer- sity) assisted by Project Historian John L. Giusti, AIA (University of Utah). Photographs were made by P. Kent Fairbanks of Salt Lake City.

Student Assistant Architects on the team were Robert M, Swanson and Charles W. Barrow, (University of Texas) and Kenneth L. Lambert and Keith Sorenson, (University of Utah). Student Assistant Architects were Keith Sorenson, Charles D. Harker and Robert Sehriever, (University of Utah) and Donald G. Prycer, (Texas A. & M, University)t