The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower: From Mine to Musket

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Driving north on Interstate 77 near Wytheville, VA, just before where the highway crosses the New River, stands a tower made from field stone: The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower.

For more than 30 years, until 1839, the Tower manufactured lead shot. It played a key role in transforming raw lead into musket shot, moving it through a carefully designed production process and distributing it along the New River to serve settlers, hunters, and militias.

Here’s how melted lead dropped from the high Tower “magically” became musket shot.

Lead from Austinville

The story begins in Austinville, VA, just a few miles from the Tower. Here, the region’s lead deposits established it as a key player in American mining. Moses Austin, a prominent figure in lead mining, managed these mines and helped supply the raw material for the shot tower. The mines provided a steady stream of lead, extracted by local workers and loaded onto carts bound for Jackson Ferry.

The demand for lead was growing. Tensions with Britain had led to America’s Embargo Act of 1807. No British lead or shot was being imported into the U.S. Most believed another war with England was coming. We had to arm ourselves. Ammunition was essential. The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower would supply much of the needed shot.

Turning Ore into Ammunition

At the Tower, the lead from Austinville underwent a carefully orchestrated transformation. Workers melted the lead in a furnace, skimming impurities to ensure quality. Once molten, the lead was poured through a sizing sieve at the top of the 75-foot Tower. The droplets fell through the air, cooling and forming into spheres as they descended.

Gravity and surface tension did most of the work. By the time the lead hit the water in the subterranean shaft 150 feet below, it had solidified into round shot. The water cooled and cushioned the lead, preventing it from deforming on impact. Workers retrieved the finished shot, inspected it for quality, and sorted it into sizes for various firearms.

This process was efficient and straightforward, precisely what made it so successful. The Tower didn’t rely on complex machinery—just physics, precision, and skilled labor.

From the Tower to the River

Once the shot was made, it was carried through a 150-foot underground tunnel to the banks of the New River. This tunnel was a practical solution for moving heavy goods without the need to haul them above ground. At the riverbank, workers loaded the shot onto flatboats and small barges.

The New River was a natural transportation route, flowing north and connecting the region to towns and markets farther away. Towns like Radford, Virginia, and Fayetteville, West Virginia, became key distribution points. From there, the shot made its way to hunters, settlers, and militias throughout the Appalachian region.

The river’s role in this process was critical. Before railroads, waterways were the fastest and most reliable way to move goods. The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower’s location on the New River made it an ideal hub for production and distribution.

Ammunition for a Growing Nation

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower was part of a larger effort to meet the demands of a growing nation. Domestic ammunition production became especially important during the War of 1812 with Britain. British blockades limited imports from other European countries, forcing American industries to step up. The shot tower supplied local militias with the ammunition they needed to defend the region and maintain security.

Even beyond wartime, the Tower’s output was essential. Ammunition was necessary on the frontier for hunting game and protecting homesteads. The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower helped fill that need, producing shot quickly and efficiently as the nation expanded west.

The River’s Decline and the Tower’s Legacy

As railroads expanded across the country in the mid-19th century, the role of rivers in transportation began to fade. Rail transport was faster, more reliable, and not subject to the whims of the weather. The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower eventually ceased operation, but its impact on the region lingered.

Today, the Tower stands as a state park and historical site. It’s a straightforward structure—functional and unadorned—but its significance lies in what it represents. It’s a testament to the ingenuity and resourcefulness that defined early America, a time when necessity drove innovation and local industries kept communities running.

Looking Back, Thinking Forward

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower isn’t a romanticized relic. It’s a practical bit of history highlighting the importance of local industry and clever engineering. The journey of lead shot—from the mines of Austinville to the Tower, through the New River, and into the hands of those who needed it—illustrates the interconnectedness of early American life. It’s a story of work, invention, and resilience that resonates today.

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower may be a quiet landmark, but its history speaks volumes about the resourcefulness that helped build a nation.

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