"The History of a Berks County, Pennsylvania, Charcoal Iron Furnace"

Joanna Furnace, built in 1791, is more than a remnant of America's 19th-century industrial power in Berks Co., Pa. Details about African-Americans, women, immigrants, how the common people lived and survived, as well as the ironmasters and their families—all who contributed to the furnace's story. Details of the 19th-century iron making—long secret—are revealed in an excellent introductory chapter. (375pp. illus. index. hardcover with dust jacket. Hay Creek Valley Hist. Assoc., 1999.)