PRODUCTS OF LOCAL IRON WORKS

PRODUCTS Of LOCAL IRON WORKS

The bulk of known remaining products from local Iron Works exists today largely as coffin-shaped slabs on assorted graves around the Bristol area, usually upon graves of prominent people or of people associated with the iron works itself. Many of these can be seen at Walnut Grove Cemetery on Lee Hwy. The next cemetery containing several of these "iron coffins" is the Ordway cemetery on Volunteer Pkwy. Paperville Cemetery off Old Jonesboro Road has two smaller "iron coffins" that have end supports attached, making them look like small benches. Weavers Cemetery on Peoples Rd off Weaver Pike contains two large "coffins" and two smaller ones.

Weavers also contains the gravesite of John Burnett , noted by a cast iron rectangular plate with a rounded top edge. A smaller plate marks the foot of his grave. Burnett , you may recall ,was born at King's Iron Works in 1810 and was one of the soldiers escorting the Cherokee Indians on the forced march that came to be known as "the Trail of Tears." A few other cemeteries also have the cast iron grave markers ( plates) similar to those at Burnett's grave.

The General Evan Shelby "coffin" at East Hill - 1794, and John Preston's at Weaver - 1796 are the oldest of this type.

It would appear that King's Iron Works , which was bought by George Bushong in 1833 , made the bulk of the "coffin-shape" markers for this area. Bushong also operated another iron works in the Paperville area of Bristol (see previous page), and may have made some of them there, before invading Union troops destroyed his furnace and forge.The Bristol Iron & Steel Company, organised about 1890, may be the Bristol Foundry noted on one marker plate. It was located in the Furnace Bottom section of Bristol,Va. near the present day Food City on Euclid Ave.

The markers on the Richardson graves at Round Hill cemetery in Marion, Va. may have been made in Bristol or at yet another foundry.

** pix are thumbnails. Click to enlarge.

East Hill Cemetery

General Evan Shelby *d1794 age 74

Paperville Cemetery

Bushong - Sells Plot

Paperville Cemetery

Victoria Bard *d1838

Paperville Cemetery

Bristol Foundry (reverse of M.V. Poore mkr.)

Paperville Cemetery

David Bushong *d1825

Paperville Cemetery

MV Poore *b1798-d1886

Paperville Cemetery

MV Poore foot marker dated 1889

Paperville Cemetery

David B Sells *d1823

Clear Branch Church Cemetery

Elizabeth Canter *1820-1871

Clear Branch Church Cemetery

Wrought iron marker

Sharrett Cemetery

Marie E Mumpower *1892 - 1892

Sharrett Cemetery

Samuel P Mumpower *1885-1918

Round Hill cemetery Marion,VA

Jonathan Richardson

Round Hill Cemetery Marion,VA

- - - - Richardson

Round Hill Cemetery Marion,VA

- - - - - Richardson

Ordway Cemetery

John Goodson *d1824 aged 38

Ordway Cemetery

Sarah Goodson *d1816 age 76

Ordway Cemetery

M. Hempton *d1817 aged 84

Ordway Cemetery

M. Hempton *d1828 aged 88

Ordway Cemetery

Col. James King *d1825 aged 72

Ordway Cemetery

S. King *d1806 age 41

Weaver Cemetery

A. Anderson *d1878 aged 33

Weaver Cemetery

JGB Burnett *b1810 - d1898

Weaver Cemetery

JGB Burnett foot marker

Weaver Cemetery

Col. Thomas McCrory *d1818

Weaver Cemetery

John Preston *d1796 age 70 & Elenor Preston *d1820

Weaver Cemetery

Joseph Wickham *d1805 aged 34

Green Springs Church Cemetery

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Preston Family Plot

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Jane Preston *d1863 aged 82

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Colonel John Preston *b1781 - d1864

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Margaret Preston *d1822 aged 65

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Margaret B Preston *d1843 aged 59

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Martha E Preston *d1854 aged 45

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Robert Preston *d1833 aged 83

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Robert Preston,Jr. *d1858

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Samuel Preston *d1857

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Charlie Milton Vail *1876-1881

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Preston Family

Walnut Grove Church Cemetery

Preston Family

NEXT PAGE >>>

Sources - Bibliography

i)      Library of King College, Bristol,Tenn. - Newspaper Microfilms

ii)     Bristol,TN-VA Public Library - Newspaper Microfilms &  City Directories

iii)     1904 Bristol Herald Industrial Supplement

iv)     Bristol-Goodson Industry & Resources in 1885 -W.F.Henry/Reporter

v)    Witness To An Epoch - Chas.J. Harkrader

vi)     Double Destiny   - Robert Loving

vii)    Historic Sites of Sullivan County - Muriel Spoden

viii)   Bristol Tennessee-Virginia : A History - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

ix)     Spirits & Medicinal Bottles of Bristol, Tenn.-Va.   - Charlie Barnette

x)       The Passing Years   - Bristol Historical Association

xi)      City of Bristol @ 1915

xii)     A Pictorial History - Bristol Historical Association

xiii)    Whiskey, An American Pictorial History - Oscar Getz

xiv)    Prohibition, 13 Years That Changed America - Edward Behr

xv)     The Shadow Of The Bottle - Review & Herald Publishing Co.

xvi)    Historic Sullivan - Oliver Taylor

xvii)   One Year At A Time - Bristol - 1907 - Lonnie & Kim Blevins

xviii)   Honoring Our Heritage: Faces & Places From The Past -

                       Lonnie & Kim Blevins and Roy & Carolyn Williams

xvix)   Between the States: Bristol Tennessee - Virginia During the Civil War - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

xx)      Pioneers in Paradise - Bristol, Tenn-Va. - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

xxi)     A Good Place to Live - Bristol, Tenn-Va. - V.N. "Bud" Phillips

*** NOTE:

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