WANTED
(1836)
Wood has always been a valuable resource, with countless applications spanning for centuries. During this period of industrialization, wood or more specifically “timber”, was used as a means of mass fuel. According to Howell Work’s records, about 15,000 acres of timber was accessible to fuel the furnace; However, about 20,000 acres were needed in order to maximize efficiency, completely furnishing wood into charcoal. As a result, the woodlands surrounding what is now Allaire Village were a necessity.
So how valuable was timber?
A way to determine how precious this resource was is through an advertisement that James P. Allaire signed himself. Criminals were wanted at the request of Allaire for intentionally setting ablaze cut timber and 500 acres of woodlands.
Any information revealing those responsible would be rewarded
with $200. To put that into comparison, $200 in 1836 is estimated to be about $6,000 today. This reward was the average pay for a worker at the furnace …for 40 weeks. The criminals were
unfortunately never caught and overall, this negatively impacted the entire village. The woodland area remained crucial to the operation of Howell Works until the very end. Despite everything the forest remains, surrounding the Historic Village at Allaire to this day and inviting many to trail through this historical landscape.