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Jackson Iron Company Site
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Carp River Forge Site as seen from the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, 2010
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| Nearest city: | Negaunee, Michigan |
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| Area: | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built: | 1848 |
| Architect: | Jackson Mining Co. |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 75000957[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | May 30, 1975 |
| Designated MSHS: | February 18, 1956[2] |
The Carp River Forge is an abandoned forge located along the Carp River on the grounds of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, at 73 Forge Road[3] near Negaunee, Michigan. It was the first forge constructed in northern Michigan;[4] the site was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956[2] and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1] It is also known as the Jackson Iron Company Site.
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In the winter of 1846-1847, the Jackson Mine company gathered materiel to begin its mining operations and to build a forge.[5] Construction on the forge, supervised by William McNair, was begun in 1847 at a site on the Carp River, a few miles from the then-new Jackson Mine.[5] McNair, however, knew nothing of forge construction, and progess was slow until forgemaster Ariel N. Barney arrived in July.[5] Barney took over supervision of the project, and more progres was made.[5] The forge site consisted of an eighteen-feet high dam across the Carp, with a waterwheel supplying power,[4] eight fires, and a forging hammer.[5]
A small settlement, known as "the Jackson Location" grew up around the forge.[6] The site was large enough to be assigned its own post office, the Carp River PO, in 1847.[6]
Construction continued until early 1848, and the first iron was made on February 10, 1848, by forgemaster Ariel N. Barney.[5] These first pieces were sold to construct a steamer.[5] However, in March, a wave of snowmelt carried away the dam on the river, and the forge remained idle until repairs were made in the summer.[5]
The Carp River forge proved to be financially unprofitable, due in large part to the difficulties of transporting both iron ore and forge supplies to the forge site,[7] and, as Mining Magazine dryly put it, "both from the want and excess of water as a driving power."[8] The daily output form the forge was about three tons when it was working smoothly, which was rarely.[4] The Jackson Mining Company operated the forge sporadically, and only until 1850.[5] The Carp River post office closed in 1851.[6] After that, the company leased the facilities to a succession of individuals and small companies, including a young Peter White, who would go on to become one of Marquette's most prominent citizens.[5] All the lessees lost money, and the forge was closed for good and abandoned in 1854, having made "little iron and no money."[5]
| Images of Site |
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