Barree: mills, forges and the iron trade

From the county histories, on Barree township. The passage below is printed exactly as it appears in 1883, including the spelling of the day and the errors the scanner made. It has not been rewritten, summarised or added to.

The township contains several fine school buildings, aud all the old houses are being gradually displaced by a better class of buildings, which are equal to those in other parts of the county. General Industries and fastu the present township of Barree there is but little water-power, and but few manufacturing interests consequently are carried on, agriculture being the chief occupation of the people. The most important manufacturing interest ever carried on in Barree was Monroe Smelting Furnace, in the northwestern corner of the township. It was built on Shaver's Creek by Gen. James Irwin about 1845, and was successfully operated by him several years. Following him as an operator was George W. Johnston, who did considerable casting in connection, waking stoves of the Philadelphia pattern. The metal produced by the furnace was grayish, and was esteemed superior for castirig purposes. The furnace was of the quarter pattern, and had a good capacity, but was unfavorably located for an extensive business. It has not been in blast for the last twelve years, and the property connected therewith is somewhat dilapidated. It belongs to the Logan Iron and Steel Company. Not far from this locality John Rudy began distilling whiskey in May, 1878, the distillery being of small capacity and persed only about five months in a year, The Rudy family also carries on a small saw-mill, and Reuben and Martin have manufactured brick the past four years.J. Simpson Africa, History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1883) · character 1,404,319 of the scanned text

Quoted from the county histories

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