Normandale is a small community on the North shore of Lake Erie, east of Turkey Point and west of Port Dover. Made up of mostly summertime cottagers and sun seeking tourists it is hard to believe that at one time, this sleepy little hamlet was once Upper Canada's first major manufacturing centre.
A plaque at Normandale reads:
Normandale Blast Furnace
One of Canada's most important industrial enterprises, the Normandale ironworks and its blast furnace played a significant role in the early economic development of the province. Built in 1816-1817 by John Mason, and enlarged in 1821-1822 by Joseph Van Norman, Hiram Capron, and George Tilson, it produced the famous Van Norman cooking stove, as well as iron kettles, pots and pans, and agricultural implements. Up to 200 men were employed prior to the closure of the blast furnace in 1847, following the exhaustion of the local bog deposits.
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