Oregon Iron Company Furnace, George Rogers Park (bobcat)

• Hikes to this destination:
  • George Rogers Park Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 45.4111, -122.6606
• Elevation: 40 feet

Description

This blast furnace was constructed in 1866 and is Oregon's oldest remaining industrial structure. Initially, investors were so excited about the discovery of high quality iron ore that Oregon City was predicted to become the "Pittsburgh of the West." The original Oregon Iron Company was purchased by the Oswego Iron Company, which went into debt and became the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. Inexperience, lack of resources, and a changing economic front resulted in the closure of the furnace in 1894.

Restoration of the furnace was completed in 2010. Interpretive signs in George Rogers Park detail the workings of the smelter and Oregon City's iron mining history.

More Links

• A Brief History of the Oregon Iron Industry (Oregon Heritage Council)
• Oregon Iron Company (Wikipedia)
• Oregon Iron & Steel Company (The Oregon Encyclopedia)
• Oregon's First Iron Smelter (Mindat.org)
• A Brief History of Our City (Lake Oswego Public Library)
• "Lake Oswego pathway recalls foundry past" (Statesman Journal)
• "Lake Oswego's historic iron furnace receives expensive renovation" (OregonLive)

Contributors

• bobcat (creator)