Set in the Deep South, the state of Alabama cultured an ever growing ironworks industry that manufactured items spanning from farming tools to railroad tracks.
https://www.bartleby.com/essay/American-History-The-Developm...

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In Frécot's progress report of the FrouardMetz waterway in 1870, traffic statistics for the Frouard to PontàMousson section in May and June of that year reflect both the importance of the ironworks industry to the local economy in that it accounted for a large share of the total traffic, and the relatively small size of the plants..
https://books.google.com/books?id=Vv3lDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT60&lpg=P...