The storm had come out of nowhere. One minute George had been standing there, keeping an eye on the furnace, and the next he was trying not to fall off the platform that he was on. Holding up his lantern in one hand, he squinted, struggling to see the way to the stairs that would bring him down to the ground.
He walked slowly, fighting against the wind. Rain came down in sheets, soaking his clothes and stinging his eyes.
As George made a step forward, a bright flash of lighting suddenly lit the sky, blinding him. He felt the wind knock him off balance, and then he felt himself falling.
In that split second, George realized that he had fallen into the furnace. He could feel the heat against his skin as he got closer to the flames, and then, in an instant, he was engulfed by the molten iron below.
What you’ve just heard is one of Ohio’s most famous urban legends: The Night Watchman of Lake Hope Furnace.
Throughout most of the 1800’s, southern Ohio was known as being one of the largest producers of iron for the entire United States. It was in high demand, and shipped all over the country to factories that turned it into everything from household goods to agricultural implements to weapons.
Once the iron ore had been mined, the impurities had to be burned away to leave only the iron itself. This was done in massive stone furnaces.
A fire was started in the bottom of the furnace using charcoal. Wooden platforms were erected so that the workers could drop the ore into the top of the furnace. The fire was superheated using large bellows that blew air into the flames, feeding them. The impurities would melt away, eventually leaving the iron exposed.
It was the night watchman’s job to make sure that the furnace stayed lit overnight. It took time to burn away the impurities from the ore, and if the fire went out, that would mean a halt in production. That meant a loss in profits.
And so, to keep things humming along, George found himself on a wooden platform in a thunderstorm.
To be honest, we don’t know if his name was really George or not. It could have been Bill, or Thomas. Maybe even a really cool 19th century name like Mordekai. Personally, I like George.
It doesn’t matter. No one really knows who the Night Watchman of Lake Hope is supposed to be. Like so many urban legends, he doesn’t have a name. You can call him what you want, describe him how you want, and you’ll never be wrong. He’s always just the Night Watchman, like a horror movie villain or a comic book character.
There isn’t even one definitive version of the story.
For example, in another version, George just loses his balance and falls into the furnace.
Another one, and perhaps the most well-known one, has George on the platform again, minding the fire. The storm rages about him. He is buffeted by the wind and soaked by the rain, and he’s worried that the rain will put out the furnace. He refuses to leave, steadfastly standing by and minding the fire.
He screams inside his head: “This is my job! My duty! The fire must not go out!”
Then, in a flash, a bolt of lightning streaks out of the sky, striking George. He dies standing at his post, his body going slack against the edge of the furnace. The momentum carries him over the edge and into the raging fire below.
Personally, I like that one. The way I see it, if you’re going to tell an urban legend, go big or go home.
But there is one thing that all the different versions share.
They say that, on nights where the storms rage and the winds howl, a shadowy figure can be seen walking along the top of the remains of the Lake Hope Furnace. They make their way around the edge, holding one arm up, like they’re holding an old-fashioned lantern.
Then, as the next flash of lighting ignites the sky, the figure vanishes, like they were never there.
By the late 1800’s, the iron business in southern Ohio had died down considerably, eventually playing out completely by the early 1900’s. Virtually the only thing remaining to remind people of the regions iron heyday are the remnants of the stone furnaces.
If you’re ever in southern Ohio, consider stopping by Lake Hope State Park. It’s a national park that showcases the natural beauty of the Buckeye State. Nestled within it’s borders is the remains of the Lake Hope Furnace, lovingly preserved and maintained.
And, if it happens to storm while you’re out there, maybe – just maybe – you’ll be able to just make out a lone figure tending to a fire that went cold over a century ago.
Sources
Lake Hope Furnace. The Ghosts of Ohio, ghostsofohio.org.
Hope Furnace Ruins. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, ohiodnr.gov.
The Furnace Legacy. The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org.
Iron Furnaces in he Wayne National Forest Area. Fs.usda.gov