KY:Historical Society - Historical Marker Database

KYHistorical Society

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Eddyville Furnace
(Marker Number: 1326)

County: Lyon
Location: 1 mi. E. of Kuttawa, KY 295

Description: Also called Jim and I. A brick blast furnace for smelting iron, burning charcoal fuel, built 1832 by John and Samuel Stacker and Thomas Tennessee Watson. Later owned by members of Cobb family, then by William Kelly, inventor of the so-called Bessemer process for making steel. Much of its iron was forged at Kuttawa. Last blast about 1850. See other side.

(Reverse) Iron Made in Kentucky - A major producer since 1791, Ky. ranked 3rd in US in 1830s, 11th in 1965. Charcoal timber, native ore, limestone supplied material for numerous furnaces making pig iron, utensils, munitions in the Hanging Rock, Red River, Between Rivers, Rolling Fork, Green River Regions. Old charcoal furnace era ended by depletion of ore and timber and by the growth of railroads. See over.

(Subjects: Bessemer Process | Iron Industry)

Kelly Furnace
(Marker Number: 61)

County: Lyon
Location: Kuttawa, just behind furnace, US 62 & 641

Description: Here William Kelly (1811-1888) discovered a steel making method, later known as the Bessemer Process, which made it possible for civilization to pass from the Iron Age to the Steel Age.

(Subjects: Bessemer Process | Steel)

Kelly Kettle
(Marker Number: 946)

County: Lyon
Location: Kuttawa, US 62

Description: One of many kettles made in this area by William Kelly, used for making sugar down South. In 1851, Kelly discovered process, known as Bessemer, for manufacture of steel. An Englishman, Bessemer, obtained patents on same process in England 1855 and in U.S. 1856. Kelly filed priority claim, 1857. U.S. awarded patent to Kelly and later refused renewal to Bessemer.

(Subjects: Bessemer Process | Steel)

New Union Forge
(Marker Number: 1332)

County: Lyon
Location: Kuttawa, KY 295

Description: Stood 1/4 mile SE. Built 1846-47 on site of older facilities by Wm. Kelly to process pig iron from nearby blast furnaces. Kettles to refine sugar, boiler-plate iron among products. Here Kelly began to develop the so-called Bessemer steel-making process, for which he received the patent. Closed in 1857. Chas. Anderson laid out the town of Kuttawa here in 1870.

(Reverse) Iron Made in Kentucky - A major producer since 1791, Ky. ranked 3rd in US in 1830s, 11th in 1965. Charcoal timber, native ore, limestone supplied material for numerous furnaces making pig iron, utensils, munitions in the Hanging Rock, Red River, Between Rivers, Rolling Fork, Green River Regions. Old charcoal furnace era ended by depletion of ore and timber and the growth of railroads. See over.

(Subjects: Bessemer Process | Iron Industry)

Suwanee Furnace
(Marker Number: 1327)

County: Lyon
Location: 11/2 mi. W. of Kuttawa, US 62, 641, at Jct. with Suwanee Road

Description: Was built by 1851, 200 yds. NW, by William Kelly, whose experiments there perfected his invention of the so-called Bessemer method of making steel, for which Kelly was granted the patent. The blast furnace was a brick stack 35 ft. high, 10 ft. maximum inner width, steam-powered, charcoal fueled. Made 1700 tons of iron in 1857, its last year. See other side.

(Reverse) Iron Made in Kentucky - A major producer since 1791, Ky. ranked 3rd in US in 1830s, 11th in 1965. Charcoal timber, native ore, limestone supplied material for numerous furnaces making pig iron, utensils, munitions in the Hanging Rock, Red River, Between Rivers, Rolling Fork, Green River Regions. Old charcoal furnace era ended by depletion of ore and timber and the growth of railroads. See over.

(Subjects: Bessemer Process | Iron Industry)