It was one of the first hot summer days of 2019 in Ohio, and I was headed to see the Cherry Valley Coke Ovens – a place I had meant to visit for some time, but had yet to make the trip.

Not far south of Youngstown sits the small town of Leetonia, Ohio – a small town of just under 2,000 residents. In 2017 the census was 1,862. The town’s first structures were built in 1864, and the town was established in 1866. What had eventually become Leetonia was first discovered by Irish Businessman William Lee. Lee found numerous rich deposits of coal, ore and lime under the soil in the area, which had led to his decision to establish the town, and begin mining the land. Lee bought up sections of land throughout the entire area, and had established a company under the name of “The Leetonia Coal & Iron Company.” The company consisted of a coal mine, coke ovens, and a blast furnace. With heavy industry growing rapidly, and the iron and coal industry booming, the company was entering into it all at the perfect time. The Leetonia Coal & Iron Company would soon help grow the area into a thriving company town. The area housed only three families in 1864, and would come to grow to a population of over 1,800 by 1869, when the town was incorporated.

So what exactly is coke? This is a question I had often asked myself when hearing about it, and a question that I’m still asked by others whenever I mention it. Coke is a grey, hard, and porous fuel with a high carbon content and few impurities, made by heating coal or oil in the absence of air. There are a few types of coke, such as oven coke, foundry coke and breeze coke among others. In this case, we’re referring to oven coke (about 1 and a half to 4 inches in size.) This type of coke is used throughout the world in blast furnaces to make iron. The term “coke” usually refers to the byproduct from burning low-ash and low-sulfur bituminous coal by a process called coking.

The Cherry Valley Coke Ovens consisted of over 200 coke ovens built by the company in 1866. The function these ovens served was to purify the coal and turn it into coke via the process previously mentioned. The coke was then later burned in furnaces that produced iron and steel.

Coke production was the main operation of the Leetonia Coal & Iron Company. The company mined surrounding areas for coal, and would then cart it to the ovens by the tons. The coal was brought in on a rail track, which ran above the ovens. Workers then shoveled the coal into the tops of the ovens to cook, as was described earlier in the coking process. Once the coke was produced, it would be shipped off to iron mills to be used in smelting iron. The reason coke was preferred in this process is due to it having a much higher temperature point than regular coal.

The ovens are built with a hole in the top for charging the coal or other kindling from the top, and a hole is provided in the front for discharging. Usually within a coke oven battery, a number of ovens are built in rows with common walls between each oven. A battery normally consisted of many ovens, in some cases, such as this one, hundreds of ovens were built. Ovens are about 12 feet in diameter, and range from 6 to 7 feet in height. Each oven can hold two to three tons of coal. The Leetonia Coal & Iron Company would process 250 tons of coal into coke per day.

In 1873, the company was purchased and renamed “The Cherry Valley Iron and Coal Company.” This company would come to expand operations and built more ovens and blast furnaces in order to process greater amounts than before. During the Great Depressions, financial trouble struck the company hard, and the ovens were closed permanently. Fast forward to today, and we’re left with rows of old crumbling ovens on either side of a creek, which passes through the center. These ovens become overgrown throughout summer months and provide an interesting view of a historic landmark of heavy industry in America.

The site was donated to the village of Leetonia for a park in 1982, and by 1986 the area had been transformed into a park. These ovens were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. In 1999 a historical marker was added. This site represents one of the largest remaining sites of intact beehive coke ovens in North America.

The ovens are open to the public for visiting, and if you find yourself close during travels, it’s definitely worth a visit.

OHIO’S FORGOTTEN HISTORY PART 1:

My 6th book, and first in a series of abandoned Ohio was released this year. This first book will be the start to a 3-part series of books showcasing Ohio’s abandoned and forgotten history. Orders are currently open, and you can find more info about the book HERE.