Knoxville Iron Company

Knoxville Iron Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Iron manufacturing, Coal mining
Founded	February 1, 1868 (1868-02-01) in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Founder	Hiram Chamberlain, S.T. Atkins
Defunct	1987
Fate	Acquired by Florida Steel Corporation; operations continue under Commercial Metals Company
Headquarters	Knoxville , United States
Area served	Knoxville, Tennessee and Anderson County, Tennessee
Key people	Hiram Chamberlain, S.T. Atkins, Willis P. Davis
Products	Iron products (bar iron, railroad spikes, channel iron, rails), coal, steel rebar (later)
Number of employees	Approximately 250 (as of 2005 under successor ownership)
Parent	Commercial Metals Company (current owner)

The Knoxville Iron Company was a leading enterprise in iron manufacturing and coal extraction located in Knoxville, Tennessee, operating from the late 1800s through the 20th century. As Knoxville's pioneering significant industrial venture following the Civil War, it played a crucial role in advancing heavy industry and railroad development throughout the area. The firm was a trailblazer in large-scale coal mining within western Anderson County and contributed significantly to the creation of Knoxville's Mechanicsville district during the late 1860s.

During the 1890s and early 20th century, Knoxville Iron Company was at the heart of major labor conflicts in Tennessee. Its coal mining operations in Anderson County became a focal point during the 1891 miners’ strike known as the Coal Creek War. Subsequently, the company contested state laws requiring cash payment of wages, culminating in the influential Supreme Court decision Knoxville Iron Company v. Harbison (1901), which affirmed states' authority to ban payment through scrip.

Although its original operations ceased in 1987, the mill continues functioning today under Commercial Metals Company, specializing in steel rebar production via recycling processes.

Origins

During the Civil War, Confederate troops moved a modest iron foundry from Loudon to Knoxville; however, due to insufficient expertise, iron production did not commence. After Union forces took control of Knoxville in 1863, Union officer Hiram Chamberlain (1835–1916) along with local industrialist S.T. Atkins revived the foundry’s operations. Following the war, Chamberlain and Atkins maintained management of the facility.

Identifying rich local iron ore resources, Chamberlain sought to develop a large-scale iron manufacturing plant. He enlisted Welsh-born ironmasters Joseph, David, and William Richards, who brought experienced Welsh craftsmen with them. Chamberlain raised $150,000 in startup funds—primarily contributed by Anderson County farmer J. S. Ross—and officially founded the Knoxville Iron Company on February 1, 1868.

Growth from 1870 to 1900

To support its ironworks, Knoxville Iron initiated coal mining activities in the Coal Creek Valley soon after railroad access was established in 1866. The company expanded its Knoxville facility throughout the 1870s, including adding a nail factory by 1875. By 1895, annual iron output exceeded 15,000 tons with a workforce surpassing 200 employees. The product range included bar iron, railroad spikes, channel iron, and rails used for mining tracks. Additionally, Knoxville Iron became a significant coal producer through its Coal Creek mining operations.

The labor force consisted largely of Welsh immigrants alongside numerous African American workers. To house its employees, the company enlarged McGhee's Addition near the mill site; this area later became known as "Mechanicsville," reflecting its skilled workforce demographic. Knoxville Iron also established Harriman Rolling Mills in Harriman, Tennessee, which emerged as that city’s largest employer by the turn of the century.

The Coal Creek War

Initially dependent on free labor at its Anderson County coal mine, Knoxville Iron encountered repeated strikes and labor unrest that led to employing convict labor starting in 1878. The conflict known as the 1891 Coal Creek War ignited over convict labor usage; although Knoxville Iron’s mine was not originally targeted, it became involved after convict workers were freed and company facilities suffered damage. Despite ongoing turmoil, Knoxville Iron continued utilizing convict labor until Tennessee abolished convict leasing in 1896.

Knoxville Iron Company v. Harbison

In 1899, Tennessee prohibited compensating workers with scrip. Although Knoxville Iron disbursed wages in cash, it permitted employees to take advances that could be redeemed as store or coal credits. Samuel Harbison, a securities trader, purchased these credits at a reduced rate and sought to convert them into cash, but Knoxville Iron declined. After lower courts sided with Harbison, Knoxville Iron contested the statute, arguing it violated contractual freedoms.

The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the decision, and in 1901, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld this ruling by a 7-2 vote, acknowledging the state's power to impose regulations for maintaining public welfare despite contractual restrictions. Edward Terry Sanford, who later became a Supreme Court justice, acted as Knoxville Iron’s counsel in this influential case.

20th century

In 1903, Knoxville Iron established a larger mill in Lonsdale, a community developed for millworkers on the outskirts of Knoxville. The company gradually transitioned its operations toward steel manufacturing. During the 1960s, the Lonsdale facility underwent modernization to produce rebar using recycled scrap steel. The mill was acquired by Florida Steel Corporation in 1987. Currently owned by Commercial Metals Company, the plant employs approximately 250 workers and had an annual production of 509,000 tons of rebar as of 2005.

Legacy

Knoxville Iron’s prosperity attracted other heavy industries and railroad maintenance operations to the Knoxville area. By 1886, the city hosted several significant manufacturers such as foundries, textile mills, and railcar companies. Nonetheless, the iron sector experienced decline during the 1890s and early 20th century due to steelmakers and railroads demanding higher-grade ore than what East Tennessee typically provided.

In the 1920s, Willis P. Davis, general manager of Knoxville Iron, along with his wife Ann, proposed what eventually became Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The nail factory built by Knoxville Iron in the 1870s—its last surviving original structure in the Second Creek Valley complex—was restored as an event venue for the 1982 World's Fair. Now called The Foundry, this building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

• Brookside Mills

External links

• Gerdau Ameristeel – Knoxville