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Richland Furnace State Forest Notes
Richland Furnace State Forest is a reflection of days-gone-by. Located in the wooded hills of northern Jackson and southern Vinton counties, is evidence of two past eras in the history of Ohio. The oldest is the existence of flint outcrops that were used by the Native Americans prior to the Europeans arrival to the area. If you explore and look close, one can find these outcrops. The more recent reflection of the past is the evidence of the industrial revolution of the mid-1800s. During the 19th century, the Hanging Rock Iron Region was the second largest producer of iron for our young nation.

The stone remnant of the old Richland iron furnace still stands on private property just north of Richland Furnace State Forest and is adjacent to Vinton Township Road 6. The town of Richland, which is still listed on most maps, is gone but a keen eye can detect where many of the homes once stood. Furnaces of this era usually employed up to 100 people and most lived in the small crossroads "company" towns such as Richland. These furnaces were operated on the resources from the surrounding area. The required iron ore was mined by oxen from the underlying sandstone and limestone. The trees were cut and burned to produce charcoal to fire the furnace. The old ore pits are still quite noticeable near the ridges throughout the state forest.

With the development of the ore fields in Missouri and the Lake Superior region at the end of the 19th century, the Hanging Rock iron industry quickly faded away. Even though the furnaces are gone, their impact on the resources of the area will remain for many years to come.

The Division of Forestry manages the Richland Furnace State Forest under a multiple-use concept. This means the forest is being managed for wildlife habitat improvement, recreation, watershed protection, forest products, and aesthetics. Richland Furnace State Forest is open to public hunting and contains one of the four All-Purpose Vehicle (APV) areas operated by the Division of Forestry. Note: The AVP area is open from April 1 through November 30.