Hopewell Furnace, constructed by Daniel and James Eaton in 1802 and begun in operation in 1803, was a blast furnace that was the first in Ohio and one of the first west of the Allegheny Mountains, marking the beginning of the iron and steel industry in the Mahoning Valley. The Eaton brothers operated it until 1808, producing approximately two tons of iron per day. Archaeological and metallurgical investigations suggest it is the earliest furnace in North America known to have used a combination of bituminous coal and charcoal for fuel in iron making.
