N&W in 1909--Big Stony

[NW Mailing List]

I lived in Bluefield, VA (as Graham became known, of course....) growing up 
 but never heard of an iron furnace.  Where was it located?
 
Thanks,
 
Dave Phelps
 
 
In a message dated 4/14/2009 9:13:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
July 22,  1909
 
THE GRAHAM DAILY NEWS
------
Iron Furnace May Resume
    The article in yesterday's Telegraph to the  effect that the Big Stony 
Railroad was nearing completion, was read with  considerable interest by the 
people of Graham, for it is believed that the  penetrating of the Potts 
Creek ore beds means the putting into blast of the  Graham iron furnace just as 
soon as the ore from that region is  available.  The furnace property is 
owned by the Virginia Iron, Coal and  Coke Company, and it is known that the 
owners have refused to consider offers  to lease or sell the property during 
the past year, which is taken to mean  that they expect to operate it 
themselves as soon as the Potts Creek ore can  be gotten.  In years past, while 
the furnace was in blast, the ore came  from the Toledo Lakes and it is said 
the freight rates were so high from that  point to Graham that it was found 
impossible to run the furnace at a profit,  hence its operation was 
abandoned.  The Graham furnace when in full blast  employs close to 200 men and its 
operation means a good deal to the town in an  industrial way.
 
[The previous posting on "Big Stony" should have mentioned  that additional 
information on the interesting Potts Valley branch line can be  found in 
John Joseph's article in the July/August 2002 issue of The  Arrow.]
-----
 
Crowd Will Go to Roanoke
    Quite a crowd from Graham will take  advantage of the low rate offered 
by the Norfolk and Western and go to Roanoke  today to see the baseball game 
and other good things to be seen there.
------
Gordon  Hamilton


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