Isaac Tyson
Encyclopedia
Isaac Tyson, Jr. was a Quaker businessman from Baltimore, Maryland, who held a virtual monopoly on world supplies of chromium
minerals during the mid-19th century.
The son of Baltimore flour merchant Jesse Tyson and his wife Margaret, Tyson studied geology, mineralogy, and chemistry in France, skills which he would use to great advantages during his industrial career.
He first began mining chromite
on his farm at Bare Hills some time after 1808. The sight of a piece of chromite being used to prop a barrel at a Bel Air market led him to investigate its source. Tyson was among the first to make the connection between the occurrence of chromite and serpentine barrens, areas of sparse vegetation on metal-rich and inhospitable serpentine deposits. One of these was Soldiers Delight
, near Owings Mills
. Tyson began mining chromite here in 1827. He commenced buying up serpentine barrens wherever he could find them. The primary belt extended from Maryland into the southern counties of Pennsylvania, including the Nottingham
serpentine barrens and the Wood Farm in Lancaster County
, which would become the world's largest single chromite mining site during his ownership. Having bought up all the significant chromite sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, Tyson found himself with a world monopoly on chromite as the original chromium sources in Siberia petered out.
Not content to confine his efforts to chromium ores, he also prospected for copper
, and investigated the South Strafford copper mines in 1828. He was involved in the Ely Mine, and by 1830, had become a partner with the local Binney family in working copper deposits on Copperas Hill, near South Strafford. He personally supervised the construction and operation of six small furnaces nearby in 1833 and 1834, hoping to introduce hot blast
techniques, using anthracite coal, to refining copper from the refractory pyrrhotite
ores of the deposit. This was a very novel venture for the time, as hot blast was only just being considered for iron
smelting. The furnaces were shut down in 1835 or 1837 due to financial difficulties (though not any particular deficiency of his smelting methods), but he retained a half-share in mineral rights at the site, which was worked sporadically for the remainder of his life.
While prospecting for copper in Vermont
, he also discovered iron ore in the valley of the Black River
in 1835. He set up Tyson Furnace near Plymouth
to smelt it, and the furnace operated until his retirement in 1855.
In 1845, he established the Baltimore Chrome Works
at Fells Point to refine the chromite into pigments, the primary use of the mineral at the time. Until then, this work had largely been done abroad, in Liverpool
and elsewhere, and he continued to export chromite to manufacturers there. The expansion into pigment production helped cushion the shock when chromite deposits were discovered in Asia Minor
in 1848 and began to supplant U.S. chromium ores. He continued iron and copper explorations, opening the Springfield Mine for those two metals in Sykesville
in 1849.
Tyson married Hannah A. Wood, by whom he had at least four children:
In the 1850s, he bought Elba Furnace in Maryland for James to operate, and both James and Jesse followed him into the metallurgical profession.
Tyson was posthumously inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame 1996.
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
minerals during the mid-19th century.
The son of Baltimore flour merchant Jesse Tyson and his wife Margaret, Tyson studied geology, mineralogy, and chemistry in France, skills which he would use to great advantages during his industrial career.
He first began mining chromite
Chromite
Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite ; substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite .-Occurrence:Chromite is found in...
on his farm at Bare Hills some time after 1808. The sight of a piece of chromite being used to prop a barrel at a Bel Air market led him to investigate its source. Tyson was among the first to make the connection between the occurrence of chromite and serpentine barrens, areas of sparse vegetation on metal-rich and inhospitable serpentine deposits. One of these was Soldiers Delight
Soldiers Delight
Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area is a nature reserve near Owings Mills in western Baltimore County, Maryland, USA. The site is designated both a Maryland Wildland and a Natural Environment Area and is part of the Maryland Wildlands Preservation System...
, near Owings Mills
Owings Mills, Maryland
Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 20,193 at the 2000 census. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus for the Baltimore Metro Subway and to Owings Mills Mall....
. Tyson began mining chromite here in 1827. He commenced buying up serpentine barrens wherever he could find them. The primary belt extended from Maryland into the southern counties of Pennsylvania, including the Nottingham
Nottingham, Pennsylvania
Nottingham is an unincorporated community located in West Nottingham Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The community is located at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Pennsylvania Route 272 near the border with East Nottingham Township a short distance north of the Maryland border. It is home to...
serpentine barrens and the Wood Farm in Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, which would become the world's largest single chromite mining site during his ownership. Having bought up all the significant chromite sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, Tyson found himself with a world monopoly on chromite as the original chromium sources in Siberia petered out.
Not content to confine his efforts to chromium ores, he also prospected for copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, and investigated the South Strafford copper mines in 1828. He was involved in the Ely Mine, and by 1830, had become a partner with the local Binney family in working copper deposits on Copperas Hill, near South Strafford. He personally supervised the construction and operation of six small furnaces nearby in 1833 and 1834, hoping to introduce hot blast
Hot blast
Hot blast refers to the preheating of air blown into a blast furnace or other metallurgical process. This has the result of considerably reducing the fuel consumed in the process...
techniques, using anthracite coal, to refining copper from the refractory pyrrhotite
Pyrrhotite
Pyrrhotite is an unusual iron sulfide mineral with a variable iron content: FeS . The FeS endmember is known as troilite. Pyrrhotite is also called magnetic pyrite because the color is similar to pyrite and it is weakly magnetic...
ores of the deposit. This was a very novel venture for the time, as hot blast was only just being considered for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
smelting. The furnaces were shut down in 1835 or 1837 due to financial difficulties (though not any particular deficiency of his smelting methods), but he retained a half-share in mineral rights at the site, which was worked sporadically for the remainder of his life.
While prospecting for copper in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, he also discovered iron ore in the valley of the Black River
Black River (Connecticut River)
The Black River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont, and a tributary of the Connecticut River. The watershed, or drainage basin, consists of some in southeastern Vermont, almost all of which lies in Windsor County.-Course:...
in 1835. He set up Tyson Furnace near Plymouth
Plymouth, Vermont
Plymouth is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 555 at the 2000 census. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, was born in and is buried in Plymouth...
to smelt it, and the furnace operated until his retirement in 1855.
In 1845, he established the Baltimore Chrome Works
Baltimore Chrome Works
Baltimore Chrome Works was a chromium ore refinery with the headquarter and main factory located at Fells Point, Baltimore. Isaac Tyson started mining chromite in the area around Baltimore in 1813 and built the Baltimore Chrome Works at Fells Point in 1845. The Baltimore Chrome Works became part of...
at Fells Point to refine the chromite into pigments, the primary use of the mineral at the time. Until then, this work had largely been done abroad, in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and elsewhere, and he continued to export chromite to manufacturers there. The expansion into pigment production helped cushion the shock when chromite deposits were discovered in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
in 1848 and began to supplant U.S. chromium ores. He continued iron and copper explorations, opening the Springfield Mine for those two metals in Sykesville
Sykesville, Maryland
Sykesville is a town in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,197 at the 2000 census.-History:The land on which Sykesville sits started out as part of a Springfield Estate, owned by wealthy Baltimore shipbuilder William Patterson...
in 1849.
Tyson married Hannah A. Wood, by whom he had at least four children:
- Rachel Tyson (1807?–1883), married John Jackson and established the Sharon Female Academy in SharonSharon, PennsylvaniaSharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
- Richard W. Tyson
- Jesse Tyson (1826–1906)
- James Wood Tyson (1828–1900)
In the 1850s, he bought Elba Furnace in Maryland for James to operate, and both James and Jesse followed him into the metallurgical profession.
Tyson was posthumously inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame 1996.