Making Iron on the Bald Eagle

"In 1810, Irish immigrant Roland Curtin launched a charcoal ironmaking operation in Central Pennsylvania that continued for 110 years. Through this account of Curtin and his iron plantation, Gerald Eggert provides an important chapter in the history of the iron industry in America."--BOOK JACKET. "Eggert analyzes the workforce and describes life in the workers' village. The relationships, lifestyles, and housing of the Curtins, in contrast to those of their employees, offer insights into the social history of the period. Eggert also provides an excellent summary of the ironmaking process - from the cutting of wood and making of charcoal to the mining of ore and smelting of the iron - and the challenges of transporting iron products out of the frontier to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia."--BOOK JACKET.