Thomas A Edison Iron Ore Briquette - 1898

This is an iron ore briquette manufactured by Thomas A. Edison at Sparta, N.J. (later Edison, NJ) ca. 1898 at the “New Jersey-Pennsylvania Concentrating Co.” To facilitate transportation of iron ore to the smelter Edison invented electrically powered machinery which ground low-grade ore into a powder, magnetically separated the iron, mixed it with oil, and baked it into these briquettes, roughly 2 ¾” in diameter and 1 ¼” thick and weighing just over one pound. Just at the time that his factory started operation better ore was found in Minnesota which could be processed more economically and the venture failed.

PS: Did you know that Henry Ford invented the charcoal briquette? Not one to waste anything, even left-over wood scraps from the manufacture of his automobiles, he invented a way to char the wood and compact it into “briquettes” to be marketed as an easy fire source to the folks who were just then discovering the “freedom of the road” that his cars afforded. They could go camping or on picnics and easily make a cooking fire without having to chop wood. Hence, “Kings – Ford” charcoal briquettes!