Silent reminders: geologic wonders of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

The iron industry played a vital role in the industrialization of the United States and in the development of the U.S. economy and society. Much of the early history of the iron industry took place in Virginia. The remains of 11 iron furnaces and nearby mines in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia and West Virginia are silent reminders of a time when iron mines and furnaces operated along a belt that extended through the Appalachian Mountains from New York State to Alabama.