Iron Mining in Portland
Did you know iron was once mined in the Portland metro area?
Oregon boasted several foundries in the 19th century, including Portland Foundry, Oregon Iron Works, the Oregon Iron Company in Lake Oswego, Willamette Iron Works and Smith Brothers Iron Works. These foundries helped produce cast-iron, which became increasingly popular for architectural purposes in the late 1800s. In fact it became so popular in Portland that 90% of commercial buildings used the material in their construction between 1854 and 1889. Today Portland is home to the second largest collection of cast-iron architecture in the United States, just behind New York City's historic SoHo District.
R.S. Davis continues Portland's iron-producing tradition by recycling tons of scrap iron each year!
Interested in recycling your scrap iron? Visit one of our three scrap recycling centers today!