Local author Byron Smail poses with his three sons, Nathaniel, 4, Levi, 8, and Lucas, 9, as they hold copies of “The Iron Furnaces of the Cove!” and “Blair County Iron.” Courtesy photo

When visiting the Eliza Furnace Historic Site in Indiana County, local author Byron Smail became enamored with the furnace’s history, questioning how it functioned during the Industrial Revolution.

His interest quickly snowballed into an in-depth research project, entailing three self-published books about Blair County’s impact on the iron industry during the 19th century.

Rather than relying on a college education, Smail learned about the area’s rich history through community members, knocking on doors and recording stories passed down from generations.

This year, Smail, 44, will release his final book in the series, “The Iron Ore and Clay Mining around Morrison’s Cove,” to focus on his family and landscaping business.

The book series “means the world to me,” he said, adding that he feels like a student once again.

History buff

Self-described as a “blue collar historian,” Smail said he didn’t pay attention to lessons while attending Hollidaysburg Area School District during the 1990s.

He did, however, enjoy visiting state parks and museums across the region with his brother, Jason, and sister, Laura.

“We grew up doing that, and we had a lot of fun,” Smail said.

Graduating from vocational technical school for masonry and television video in 2001, Smail eventually began his own self-named landscaping business while growing a family of his own in Roaring Spring.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that Smail reignited his interest in history, taking his three sons, Lucas, 9, Levi, 8, and Nathaniel, 4, along to see area sites and museums, such as the Eliza Furnace Historic Site.

Smail became curious about the area’s iron furnaces, as he has “respect for the men and women who built America.” He started jotting down notes about acquired information.

In 2023, Smail gained motivation from Kevin Stiver, a local teenager and author of “Glen White, Pa.,” a book about the forgotten town in the Allegheny Mountains.

Writing a book sounded like a good idea to Smail because he was writing information down, but he was unsure what to do with it at the time.

Smail said he “owes a lot of inspiration” to Stiver.

Before publication, Blair County Historical Society President Jim Lowe remembers watching Smail present his research on iron furnaces around Morrisons Cove.

Lowe said he enjoyed “seeing someone so passionate about preserving local history,” which eventually sparked a friendship between the two historians.

Revealing the past

In November 2023, Smail released his first book, “The Iron Furnaces of the Cove!,” which is shy of 100 pages and filled with many pictures plus four illustrations completed by his cousin’s daughter, Emma Zacherl.

The collection includes background information on the nine iron furnaces in the Morrisons Cove area, while telling the “story of hard work, determination, and the American dream in the Cove in the early years,” Smail stated in a Facebook post.

“The ore rock found in the Cove was some of the best in the nation at the time,” he wrote. “The iron industry boomed in the Cove.”

Aside from using online sources, a large portion of the book’s information stemmed from 19th-century genealogical society books compiled by Blair County Genealogical Society President Jim Snyder Jr.

Snyder collected newspaper clippings and history books, while he said Smail “did the legwork” by knocking on doors around the Morrisons Cove area, conversing with property owners about a previous iron ore mine existing in their backyards.

Sometimes, there are property owners who know a lot about its history, and “there are a lot who had no idea,” Smail said.

“There is so much history around here that isn’t written down where people can find it,” Snyder said.

Smail considered his first book to be filled with minimal writing, which improved in his next book, “Blair County Iron,” after receiving editorial help from former Northern Bedford School District Principal Sam Dean.

While Smail “does the footwork” like writing and researching, Dean organized information, changed language and tinkered with the flow.

Being a local history fan himself, Dean enjoys Smail’s subject matter, and he likes helping “document that history for future generations.”

As a follow-up, Smail wrote about the remaining iron furnaces in Blair County, such as Sarah Furnace in Claysburg and Chimney Rocks Furnace in Hollidaysburg, spanning over 200 pages and featuring 100 pictures.

Then, he placed another byline under “Blair County Limestone and Ganister,” a 200-page book uncovering the limestone and ganister industry that helped build skyscrapers, ships and planes.

Finishing his four-book series with the 2026 release of “The Iron Ore and Clay Mining around Morrison’s Cove!,” Smail said he’s looking forward to marketing his work while continuing to give local presentations.

“I’d love to preserve this history over the next 40 years,” he said. “That’d be an honor.”

Area accomplishments

Since Smail’s first publication in 2023, he’s garnered a massive amount of community support.

Throughout the years, his self-published books have been sold at many local businesses in Morrisons Cove, and copies remain available at the Historical Society and the Genealogical Society buildings.

They are also available online at https://www.lulu.com/searchsortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=Byron+Smail&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00.

This extensive research project has done “a lot of good things for my mind,” he said, mentioning that he feels personally fulfilled by his accomplishments.

Outside of writing, Smail frequently presents his research at various places, including the Genealogical Society, the Williamsburg Historical Society and the Blair County Historical Society for their “History Speaks” lecture series.

In 2024, Smail also received the Historical Society’s Heritage Hall of Fame award for “The Iron Furnaces of the Cove!”

Smail deserves more than one award for his work, Lowe said, as Smail continues researching the region’s impact on the 19th-century iron industry.

“I think it goes back to the passion he has for his subject,” Lowe said. “He’s posting pictures of historic sites on the internet, he’s climbing on the side of a mountain to take pictures of something that may have been an iron furnace in this area.”

Social media is no stranger to Smail, as he frequently uploads Facebook posts and YouTube videos about area history and current geological findings on his personal profiles.

Some places that Smail explores “haven’t been seen for years,” he said. So, he tries to bring history “back to life” by making posts and videos while “showing people what I’m fascinated with.”

Under one of his recent YouTube videos titled, “iron mining on tussey mtn,” @RichBice commented, “Thank you, Byron. Another great job documenting the area’s iron ore history.”

Smail described himself as a quiet person, so this book series not only gave him a feeling of accomplishment but a renewed sense of curiosity.

“As an adult, I feel like a student again,” he said, adding that this “special project will always be near and dear to my heart.”

While remaining proud of his family and personal landscaping business, he learned that he’s interested in a couple of topics.

“You can have a couple of things you enjoy and put your heart in,” he said. “And I’m proud of it.”

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.