Hopewell Miners

 

Miners digging an iron ore pit.

NPS Illustration

Life of a Miner

Miners were a group of skilled laborers who supplied Hopewell Furnace with the iron ore it needed to make its many products. They were mostly men and young boys. However, there are records that show that women may have worked at the mines as well. The miners played a key role making sure that the furnace was supplied with enough ore on a daily basis.

There was little time in a miner's life for ease and relaxation. They began their day early and usually did not quit until late in the day. So long as the furnace was in blast, the miners had to work to supply it with the iron ore it needed to stay in production. It was hard, dirty work that was also sometimes dangerous. As mining technology improved throughout the 19th century, the miners life got a little easier. For example, with the introduction of the steam engine into mining, the miner no longer had to manually haul the ore to the surface for removal.

Miner's used a variety of tools when they were working at the mines. Each tool had a specific use and purpose. The blacksmith at Hopewell crafted and repaired the tools which were supplied by the furnace at very little or no cost to the miner. Tools included pick, shovel, mallet, wedge, sledge, hand drill and tamping bar. The pick was used to chip away at rock and ore. The mallet and sledge were used for driving the wedge and hand drill into the earth. Baskets were used to haul the iron ore out of the mine. Wheelbarrows and rakes were also included in the array of tools. These were made of wood and iron and were of heavy duty construction.

Miners were paid by the amount of iron ore they extracted from the earth. Typical earnings during the blast years of 1825 - 27 ranged from $11.33 - $ 21.00 per month. This amount was very competitive compared to that of other furnace tradesmen such as a blacksmith or teamster.

A Short Walk to Work

The miners lived near the mines, usually renting rooms or houses that were in short walking distance to their work. A miner's family would live with him. Their children were educated at nearby schools, some located at the mine site, such as those at the Warwick Mine and Jones Good Luck Mine.

Three mines, located on three different ore veins just a few miles from Hopewell Furnace, supplied iron ore for the business to run.

Old Hopewell Mine or Birdtown Mine is located in Warwick Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The mine is located in a geologic area known as the Stockton Formation that was formed during the Triassic Era, 248 million years ago. Today the mine and surrounding lands are owned by the Pennsylvania State Game Commission. Hopewell Mine is several hundred feet long and 75-100 feet deep. There were a total of five buildings, most likely tenant houses, located near the mine. This mine was opened in 1770 under the direction of Mark Bird. Throughout the time the mine was in operation it took from three to seven men to operate it. This handful of men was all that was needed to supply Hopewell Furnace with all the ore it needed to run.

In 1773 Mark Bird bought 40 acres of land known as the Jones Good Luck Mine tract in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Jones Good Luck Mine along with Hopewell Mine were the two most important mines for the furnace. They supplied the furnace with the ore it needed to run. The mine is 400 feet wide and about 200 feet deep. Today the mine is located on private property and filled with water. The miners working at Jones Good Luck Mine lived near the mine in houses rented by the furnace for them. Jones Good Luck Mine was in operation for more than 100 years until it was shut down in the early 1900s.

The Warwick Mine is located in Warwick Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was the last major mine to be acquired by the owners of Hopewell Furnace. The mine is now located on State Game Lands #43. This mine started as an open pit and as time went on, eventually became a shaft mine. There were a total of three to four shafts at Warwick Mine ranging in size from over 20 feet in diameter to 60 feet deep. The grey magnetic and brown hematite rock located within the mine yielded about 45% to 50% iron. Warwick Mine was in operation for over 120 years during which time it supplied iron to Hopewell and other local furnaces.

In the beginning all of the mines were open pit processes. As mining technology advanced some of the mines developed shaft operations. Without the mines and the miners to supply good quality iron ore, Hopewell Furnace would not have survived. Some of Hopewell's mines contained ore that was 40% to 50% iron, though the grade of iron ore often decreased as mining progressed over the years.