I just looked it up on Google and this is what I found. A bloomery is a furnace in which iron ore is smelted and from which metallic iron is produced. There are a set of complex chemical processes that take place within the furnace which separate the metal from the other materials in the ore. I will omit a technical explanation of the chemical processes, but attempt to describe in detail what a bloomery is and what goes on within the furnace. What follows is a summation of the smelting process, so please keep in mind that I will not refer to specific evidence for processes or raw materials until later. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Travis, John" Date: Thursday, October 5, 2006 12:58 pm Subject: Re: [NYHIST-L] 19th century bloomery To: [log in to unmask] > What's a BLOOMERY? > > -----Original Message----- > From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State > history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of George > McNultySent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 7:08 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [NYHIST-L] 19th century bloomery > > > I am attempting to map a site in Westport, Essex County, > containing a > mid 19th century water powered bloomery. A deed of 1890 (ten > years after > the bloomery ceased operation) makes a reference to a property > corner as > being at “the bulkhead of W. P. and P. D. Merriam’s forge”. Can > someone > explain the relationship of a bulkhead to a forge for me? >