A large stone blast furnace is the only remnant of the 1830s town of Etowah and the Etowah Mining and Manufacturing Company Mark Anthony Cooper’s iron empire. Cooper sold the iron works which supplied Munitions to the Confederacy to the confederate government in 1863. Union Calvary destroyed the factory and the surrounding town on May 21, 1864.
When traveling to Cooper’s Iron Works on US 41, note the Five Stone pillars in the Etowah River, approximately three miles south of Cartersville. After retreating from Cassville on May 20, 1864, Confederate troops destroyed the railroad bridge these pillars supported. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers immediately begin restoring the vital rail line, rebuilding the bridge in just four days. The Federal earthworks constructed to defend the railroad are visible on the hill immediately to the north. The Confederates made no further attempts to destroy the bridge, which gave the Federal garrison idle time to swim, hunt, and play baseball. The Cooper’s Iron Works offers visitors a scenic picnic area on the river, hiking trails, and a playground, all maintained by the Corps of Engineers.