The Lawrence County Genealogical Society is hoping to bring a bit of the county’s past back to life.

The society hopes to do this by restoring the Mt. Olive Furnace. John Campbell, the founder of Ironton, owned the furnace, which has major historical significance, says Nicole Ratcliff, a member of the society and co-owner of what currently remains of the Olive furnace.

“It was one of the longest running furnaces in the county,” Ratcliff said. “A lot of the employees at this furnace were freed slaves that Campbell had helped escape into Ohio through the Underground Railroad.”

On Saturday the genealogical society in conjunction with the Lawrence County Historical Society will host a picnic at the site of the Olive furnace to discuss further plans for the restoration.

The connection to the abolitionist movement of the antebellum era is not the only reason the Olive furnace holds importance. The furnace is also one of the more unique furnaces that existed in Lawrence County. Unlike the other iron furnaces in the area, the Olive furnace featured two Roman arches that supported the weight of the boilers, smoke stacks and charging house.

“This furnace has very distinctive architecture,” Ratcliff said. “A lot of it is still standing. It is just a very interesting place.”

There was a time in the county’s history that it was littered with iron furnaces. The furnaces made rural Lawrence County a pumping artery fueling the body of the nation’s economy. As one of America’s foremost producers of iron ore, Lawrence County attracted workers and industry alike.

“The iron furnaces were the life blood of the county,” Ratcliff said. “At the peak of the iron industry about 90 of these furnaces were in operation, providing jobs for thousands of workers.”

But, as the 19th Century gave way to the 20th, the nation made a move away from iron to steel and the furnaces began to flounder. As the furnaces closed so did other businesses in the area and when two floods hit in a 20-year (1917 and 1937) span, along with the Great Depression, it all added up to a decline.

“The furnaces are such a big part of our history,” Ratcliff said. “We want to share what it used to be like around here and bring that history to life.”

The society started cleaning up the area of the Olive furnace to prepare for the restoration project last year.

“There has been so much plant growth up there that just clearing it off was a big job,” Ratcliff said. “It’s coming along though and we are in the process of trying to secure some grants for the project.”