Memories of older residents who resided here during the days when Lawrence and Greenup county (KY) furnaces were in their heyday, will be stirred by the following obituary of Samuel C. Wurts, furnace man of past years. Mr. Wurts has two daughters living at present, Lucy Wurts Walker of Raceland and William Wurts of Riverton, and two grandchildren, Seymour Chinn of West Russell and Wurts Chinn of Wurtland.

Friday last another of our older iron men, one of the very pioneers of the Hanging Rock Iron Region, and one time one of our more successful furnace managers, Mr. Samuel C. Wurts departed this life, aged 60.
(Remember this obituary was published at the time of his death not 1930 - this is just a reprint - smk).

A native of Connellville, Fayette County, Pa., the deceased was deputy sheriff of that county in 1828-29. In 1830 he engaged in the pig iron business as manager of Aetna Furnace in his native county, but after a year's stay he removed to the city of Erie, to take a position in a bank till 1831, when he once more returned to Aetna Furnace. In 1832 he married Miss Mary McMannis, by whom he had one daughter. From Aetna furnace he moved to Hecla furnace, Lawrence county, Ohio, and it was here in 1835 that his wife died.

He managed this furnace till 1838 when he and his brothers George and William rented and operated her for the succeeding five years, making pig iron and castings. Here he became acquainted with Miss Martha Cartwright and married her in 1849. Two sons, George and William, and five daughters sprung from this wedlock, only one of whom, George died in 1863. All the daughters are married and reside in this county.

The Hecla furnace lease expiring in 1842, he and his brother came over to our State (KY) and county, purchased the old Argillite furnace tract and other lands, built Pennsylvania Furnace in 1844 and rant it for one year. In 1845 he sold out his interest and moved to Caroline furnace, purchasing an interest in her. In 1849 he and his brothers built Laurel Furnace. He continued in the management of Caroline furnace till 1851, when he purchased a fine river bottom farm, five miles from town, built a fine residence on it and remained there till 1870, when he moved to an adjacent farm. As a partner of Wurts, Swap & Co. he also rebuilt the old Steam furnace.

He was a man of unusual endowments, and while in the iron business, his judgment and ability as to the management of iron furnaces was second to none.

By his death his family and friends have lost a kind hearted, faithful friend, whose memory will long dwell with them.