Carp River Forge facts for kids
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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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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Negaunee, Michigan |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architect | Jackson Mining Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000957 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1975 |
The Carp River Forge was an old iron-making factory near Negaunee, Michigan. It was built along the Carp River and is now part of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum. This forge was the very first one built in northern Michigan.
The Carp River Forge site is important to history. It was named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956. Later, in 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. You might also hear it called the Jackson Iron Company Site.
Building the Carp River Forge
In the winter of 1846 and 1847, the Jackson Mine company started gathering materials. They wanted to begin mining and build a forge. A forge is like a factory where metal is heated and shaped.
Construction on the forge began in 1847. It was located a few miles from the new Jackson Mine, right on the Carp River. William McNair was in charge of the building work at first. However, he didn't know much about building a forge. Because of this, progress was very slow.
Things changed when Ariel N. Barney arrived in July. He was an expert at making iron. Barney took over the project, and the work moved much faster. The forge site included a tall dam built across the Carp River. This dam helped power a waterwheel. The waterwheel then powered eight fires and a large hammer used for shaping iron.
A Small Town Grows
A small community grew around the forge. It was known as "the Jackson Location." This place became big enough to have its own post office. It was called the Carp River Post Office and opened in 1847.
Building the forge continued into early 1848. The very first iron was made on February 10, 1848. Ariel N. Barney, the forgemaster, made these first pieces. They were sold to help build a new steamboat.
However, in March, a lot of snow melted. This caused a big flood that washed away the dam on the river. The forge had to stop working until the dam could be fixed. Repairs were made during the summer.
Challenges and Closure
The Carp River Forge faced many problems. It was hard to make money from it. One big reason was the difficulty of moving iron ore and supplies. Getting these materials to the forge was tough. Also, getting the finished iron out was hard too.
The forge also had issues with water. Sometimes there wasn't enough water to power the waterwheel. Other times, there was too much water, like when the dam washed away. When the forge worked well, it could make about three tons of iron each day. But this didn't happen very often.
The Jackson Mining Company ran the forge off and on until 1850. The Carp River post office closed in 1851. After this, the company rented the forge to different people and small businesses. One of these people was a young man named Peter White. He later became a very important person in Marquette.
However, everyone who tried to run the forge lost money. Because of all these problems, the Carp River Forge closed for good in 1854. It had made "little iron and no money."
Images for kids
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Carp River Forge site around 1907; you can see parts of the old dam.
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The Carp River Forge site in 2010.
