The first stop on the adventure was at an iron ore hole (quarry) that is now filled up with water. Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ore hole was probably estabished between 1764 and 1877 in support of the efforts at the nearby Pine Grove Iron Works. Small guage rail cars would transport the ore to a full scale raliroad that was located just a quater-mile down hill along Mountain Creek. The Pine Grove Iron Works produced colonial cast iron products such as wagon wheel iron, fireplace backs, iron kettles and ten plate stoves. It may have also produced ammunitions during the revlutionary war.