Shelby Iron Company facts for kids
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| Location | 10268 County Road 42, Shelby, AL 35143 |
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| Type | Local History Museum |
The Shelby Iron Company was a factory that made iron in Shelby, Alabama. This important company produced iron for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. An ironworks is a place where raw materials are heated to very high temperatures to create iron. The Shelby Iron Company was damaged near the end of the war. However, it continued to make iron until the early 1900s. Today, you can visit the Shelby Iron Works Park to see what remains of this historic site.
Contents
History of Shelby Iron Works
How the Iron Works Started
The Shelby Iron Works began on December 29, 1842. A man named Horace Ware bought land south of Columbiana, AL. This land is now the town of Shelby, Alabama. Horace Ware also bought forests and land rich in hematite ore. Hematite is a type of rock that contains iron.
With these materials, Horace Ware started to build an iron furnace. This furnace used a "cold blast" method to make iron. This means cold air was blown into the furnace to help the iron-making process.
Early Iron Production
The Shelby Iron Works started small. Its first furnace was made of brick and stone and stood 30 feet tall. It could only make about 5 tons of iron each day. This was not a lot compared to bigger factories.
Shelby Iron Works During the Civil War
The Shelby Iron Works became very important during the American Civil War. The iron it produced was used to make strong metal plates. These plates covered warships called ironclads, like the CSS Tennessee, CSS Huntsville, and CSS Tuscaloosa. Iron from Shelby was also used to make cannons and cannon shells. These weapons were made by Churchill and Sons in Columbiana.
To move the iron, the company built the Shelby Iron Company Railroad. This railroad connected the ironworks to Columbiana. From there, it linked to the Alabama and Tennessee River Railroad. This made it easier to transport the iron where it was needed.
The End of an Era
Towards the end of the Civil War, on March 31, 1865, soldiers from General Emory Upton's division attacked the ironworks. They were part of Wilson's Raid. The soldiers damaged the factory, stopping its production. Even after this damage, the company rebuilt and continued to make iron for many more years. It finally stopped operating in the early 20th century.
Images for kids
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The remaining smoke stack from the machine shop.
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A large, brick-lined cistern.
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Brick foundations of the blast furnaces.
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A large brick retaining wall behind the site of the blast furnaces.
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Concrete skeleton of the building operated by the Shelby Chemical Company to make wood alcohol from charcoal during World War I.
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Chemical plant structure
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Interior of the remnants of the chemical plant.
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Shelby Hotel
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Iron Master's House
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Blue Hole Lake (former brown iron ore mining pit)
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Memorial honoring Confederate soldiers and workers.
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Reverse of memorial listing Confederate units that included soldiers from Shelby County, Alabama
See also
- Birmingham District
- Brierfield Furnace
- Tannehill Ironworks
