A River of Iron: A History of Mining, Smelting and Transporting Iron in the Virginia Counties of Alleghany, Augusta, Botetourt and Rockbridge Paperback – November 12, 2015

I read "Shenandoah Iron" first (the Henrietta Forge is in my town). "River of Iron" details the role of slaves in the Iron business in Virginia. In many cases slaves ran the entire operation. Only the Supervisor and Pay Master were white. This was a way for en-slaved people to buy their freedom. Something I had never considered."River of Iron" details mining activities in greater detail than "Shenandoah Iron." After the Civil War iron mining in Shenandoah County nearly dried up. Further to the South the iron mines flourished almost to the 1920s.

This is a well-researched and thorough history of iron mining in the area of Botetourt and surrounding counties where I live. I count myself something of a local historian and am very grateful for this volume and the huge amount of work done to compile it. Many thanks to the author!

In addition to the details of the Virginia Iron industry, it documents the growth of the infrastructure of the area, the development of the cities and towns. I now understand why so many of my ancestors were listed as blacksmiths.

I have learned things about the area where I was born. Can still remember the old "coke ovens" in Low Moor. Other historical facts were quite a surprise. This book is well researched and well written. A very enjoyable, informative read.

This is a detailed history of the iron industry in western Virginia in the the 19th and early 20th Century . This book describes 45 cold-blast furnaces, 8 hot-blast furnaces and 130 iron ore mines. (Maps are provided for each county to show the location of each mine and furnace.) There are also stories about the big industrial plants, and their respective company towns. Yet this is mostly a story about making pig iron, but not the finished products. There was also a chapter about the local canals, roads and railroads that were essential in getting the pig iron to market. The majority of the story takes place from the 1870s to the 1920s. The final chapter says that their is still lots of high grade iron ore available, yet it became unprofitable to continue the industry when northern investors were unwilling to upgrade the industrial plants.This book is also a good introduction to a very technical industry. There are lots of photographs and maps to guide reader. However, this is a serious study that would be a bit difficult for high school students. There is no index.Readers who would like an easier to understand introduction to the iron industry may enjoy "Traces of the Past, a Field Guide to Industrial Archaeology" by David Weitzman, c. 1980.

Hard to find information. Very well researched !!

Great book and wonderful pictures! The author has really ramped up the knowledge base on this little studied facet of the mining and processing industry.

I really enjoyed reading the book and was very informative