Fun fact, the workers in that era would live in the ovens that weren't in use because some couldn't afford renting a house. The hooks were often for a removable door. I've also thought they'd make a great camp rental. A guy in my area has a blog on West PA Industrial remnants. He's nicknamed Coke Oven Mike.

Coke was primarily used in industry, which then ran on steam power. Also railroads ran on steam power, and used both coal and coke to fuel the boilers which produced the steam. A by product of the burnt coke were the ashes which were known as cinders. Cinders were used as a fill material and used for road building and as a base under concrete. Ultimately the idea of using cinders mixed with portland cement and poured into molds created a product called cinder blocks, which became a very popular for building masonry walls and used for building houses. Today, since there is no longer any cinders being produced, finely crushed stone is used for making what are now called concrete block.

I think your right Cliff about it being cleaned up and rented out as camp sites. They remind me of an Igloo - They could have different themed sites. Some looking like an igloo, some as monkish beehives and others looking like Hobbit homes. It wouldn't take an enormous amount of capital to make it happen and it would be an unique destination site.

when we were kids in the 60s, we played @ rush run & red ash coke ovens, now protected in the new river gorge national park wv

Looks like the shire! Where are all the Hobbits!?😂

Thanks for telling us about coke. I had heard of coke, but I didn't know it was made. You aren't a nerd as much as you are a teacher.

Coke is to coal, like charcoal is to wood. Coke was used in early steel making and was highly prized for that.

@tammydobson3174

3 ай бұрын

That is really impressive!

They are definitely beautiful ovens. I'm glad that they're not all vandalized and destroyed. The oven at 11:35 looks like it was just made. How old are they? I missed that if it was said specifically. It reminds me of a massive pizza oven. I don't eat meat or cheese but I make a great veggie pizza that is so thick so delicious exclamation point no fake cheeses or any of that. Just whole foods. That would be incredible to make one that's big enough to fill up that space minus the wood burning of course. I haven't eaten can you tell? LOL

Now we know where Big Foot Lives

@gomezaddams6470

3 ай бұрын

NAH. Maybe visits but two out in the open that was the real reason to protect the spotted owl. Bigfoot habitat!

Cool never heard of that kind of Coke before.Nice find.

Just to be clear, based on some comments…. Coke is still used in making steel. It is often used in modern manufacturing as both a fuel and also as a part of the actual process of converting iron ore to steel (I.e. it has some nonfuel functions). Coke is now processed at a much larger scale than these bee hive ovens. On a related note, the term “met coal” refers to metallurgical coal used for coke and steel making (as opposed to thermal coal used for power generation). Also, some blacksmiths like to use coke as a fuel source for their forge. Thanks for your great videos, Cliff! Always something interesting! Loved looking at these beautiful beehive ovens 😃

Great topic people don’t know about…thanks for posting!

@gomezaddams6470

3 ай бұрын

It is a cool subject. Sad to see it deteriorate when it could be a high school project to go in and with some professionals guiding them. They could uncover the tracks if there's anything left. Or mimic them if not. But make it into what looks like a working cook area. Having it so abandoned just brings in the idiot vandals.

Great video love the area very cool ty Steve On To The Next YES 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

It made me chuckle when you said about someone could live in there lol. Growing up, my dad would always call the coke ovens in our area "the hobo hotel" cuz the hobos would camp in them waiting to catch the next train.

Irish Monks lived in beehive shelters centuries bk

Great video . Coke has a dual role in the steelmaking process. First, it provides the heat needed to melt the ore, and second, when it is burnt, it has the effect of 'stealing' the oxygen from the iron ore, leaving only the pure iron behind. Coke was used in manufacturing steel. Electric furnaces were used after coke furnaces. Stay well and be safe.

That is about 10 minutes from the family cabin. I suppose I know what I'll be doing next time I'm out there. BTW, the railroad was the Huntingdon & Broad Top Mtn. Shoups Run Branch. ( The crews HATED that branch.)

Thanks Cliff!

I think these ovens are in better shape than the Glen White ovens. I live near them. I love your videos. Thank you!

where i live in western pa there are several old coke ovens that are still in pretty good shape ..making coke for iron furnaces had to be a huge thing back in the day if you need any more coke i could send you a truck load ...lol enjoyed the video

Fantastic video thanks Cliff. Love learning new things. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care

Very interesting! Thank You!

Thanks Cliff.

The ovens would make good hobbit holes

Thats funny...I was thinking the same thing..clean it up and make campsites from the ovens. I tnink tbete may be some out tbis way in Western Pa but not sure. Raystown lake is huge and beautiful. Several campgrounds too.

Bunch of old coke ovens in my area

They remind me of big pizza ovens. Very cool looking!

That line about Coke in Billy Joel’s “Allentown” makes sense now

Very interesting. I never knew this was there. Thanks for sharing!

In south western pa there it’s town called cokeburg and they have these ovens around

The brick work is so impressive. I could live in one myself,to sute.Can also make a great steam room also! Just saying

Wow what an amazing location! Thank you for the science lesson. Nothing nerdy about it. Would you or anybody else happen to know what railroad serviced this area? Perhaps the stone wall was a dam.

@jayforkner2692

3 ай бұрын

Shoups Run Branch of the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad.

@kevinsalsbury2118

3 ай бұрын

​@@jayforkner2692Thank you.

I have some anthracite coal .I found on my kitchen counter.

Ur getting close to my area.I live in Frackville Pennsylvania.

@thewanderingwoodsman7227

3 ай бұрын

This is a different minersville.

@Yog99504

3 ай бұрын

I too, was raised in Frackville, PA. North Schuylkill class of 1982.

Interesting information. A different vibe.

This is the first time I heard of coke ovens. I wonder if there is still a small smell from the burning that took place

the state would never clear that area out and make it educational, they would rather see it fall down and disappear, esp. on state game lands kind of sad but reality

I remember the coke works for Bethlehem Steel . Smelled like eggs

@nancymann5351

3 ай бұрын

Rotten eggs. I grew up with it. And the steel mill letting out the "ore dust".

I'd bet many a black bear has made use of them over the years.

@nancymann5351

3 ай бұрын

I wondered the same

There must have been a track or cart way over the ovens to load the coal from the top. Perhaps the stone wall was part of that system. I believe that the steel industry consumed nearly all of the coke produced. Many farmers had coke ovens to give them an alternate income source. There were many thousands of such ovens across the state.

I wonder where the bricks were made for them?

Were there trees there when the ovens were in use? Can you describe what that area looked like back then? A best guess is good enough unless you can find out more.

Cliff , would there still be rail left on those beds ? Or were they pulled for scrap or other uses ?

@thewanderingwoodsman7227

3 ай бұрын

The rails are long gone.

How did they seal the opening while cooking?

You can't do anything with it because of our sue happy environment. If someone slept in there and it caved it...

How did they make those ovens?

@munroboice1542

3 ай бұрын

build a frame, brick over it, remove frame

bituminous coal self heats and can spontaneously combust.

@gomezaddams6470

3 ай бұрын

So no piling it up in the basement😂

@tidemover

3 ай бұрын

@@gomezaddams6470 Lets just say you can do that only once LOL.

@gomezaddams6470

3 ай бұрын

​@tidemover do you know what that particular call was designed for? Or was that something natural found. I wasn't listening well. And I have never studied Cole to be honest I studied medicine and human behavior

@gomezaddams6470

3 ай бұрын

Coal* not call?

@jayforkner2692

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for posting. Was always told that they put the coal in the ovens. The coal "caught on fire" and in 3 to 4 days they opened the furnace up. So kinda confused me when Cliff said they lit it on fire at 7:00.