Deseret Iron Works

The Deseret Iron Works is located at 400 North 100 East in Cedar City, Utah. This site hosts a Pokemon Gym, which is located at the marker, and stands on a grassy area set aside as a Utah Historic Site.










The marker is a large piece of an iron ore body, and bears two plaques. The largest plaque describes the Deseret Iron Works, while the smaller of the two tells about the blast furnace that was located here.











The large plaque reads:
"DESERET IRON WORKS
This monument marks the spot where on September 30, 1852 the first iron was manufactured west of the Mississippi River by the Mormon Iron Missionaries sent here by Brigham Young.
This 5 1/2 ton ore body was obtained from the Iron deposits about seven miles west of Cedar City in the Three Peaks area; it is about 61% Fe. The smaller specimens are some that were actually hauled by horse-drawn vehicles to this site and were found during excavations. The Blast Furnace, Foundry, Pattern Shop, Coke and Charcoal Ovens, Waterwheel and Offices of the early Pioneer Iron Works were located North, South and East of this monument.
The technology of using coke was brought by these early iron workers directly from England where the use of charcoal had been out-lawed and which was a relatively new idea, especially in American iron manufacturing. In spite of floods, which inundated the Iron Works, the undependable water source, and other natural and man-made difficulties, considerable iron was produced here until 1858, making the iron industry one of the leading factors in the economy of the Utah territory.

Dedicated November 11, 1978 (Cedar City's 127th Birthday)"

The smaller plaque declares the site a Utah Historic Site. It reads:
"PIONEER IRON WORKS BLAST FURNACE
To satisfy an urgent need for manufactured iron products, a small group of English, Welsh, Scotch, Irish and American pioneers answered a call from Brigham Young to become 'Iron Missionaries' to settle Iron County and make iron. They arrived in Parowan on January 13, 1851 and produced the first iron west of the Mississippi on September 30, 1852 on this site. Due to economic, social, environmental and technical problems, the Iron Works was closed down in October 1858."

According to the history of the Deseret Iron Works, during the years of 1851 and 1852 survey work began, to be sure that the necessary components were present in the region to begin the iron making process. In 1852, after successfully creating iron in the area, work began on the blast furnace. Their Iron Mission was put on hold, however, after one of many of Utah's Indian Wars broke out. Their efforts were focused on fort building during The Walker War, rather than producing iron. Once a peace treaty was struck with Chief Walkara, iron production resumed. Their success was to be short-lived, as by 1858 the fickle nature of Coal Creek, the main source of power for the iron works, finally drove the operation to shut down.

Here is a sketch of the iron works, which is depicted on the larger plaque.

Here is a map of the iron works.