Maramec Iron Works was completed in 1829 on former Shawnee tribal land and began operations that year under founder Thomas James. Fueled by charcoal from the surrounding forest and powered by nearby Maramec Spring, it became by the middle of the century one of Phelps County's principal settlements. Until 1878, it produced cast iron implements and household goods that contributed greatly to the civilization and industrialization of the western frontier. Following the death of Lucy Wortham James in 1938, the James Foundation was created to carry out her hope that Maramec's beauty would remain unmarred and open to the enjoyment of the people. Maramec Iron Works has also been designated a historical landmark by ASM International.
