Henry Spang and "Soap Fat"

This is part one of many for the history of Point View. This week focusing on one of its main attractions in its hay-day and one of the sixteen iron furnaces in Blair County.

It can be said that Henry Spang was one of the masters when it came to operating and updating iron furnaces to meet the changing needs of the land and surrounding environment, a visionary, if you will.

Spang found immense success as an iron master, especially with the Mt. Etna Furnace, which ran from 1820-1849. Spang was a third-generation member of an affluent Pennsylvania family.

Under his leadership, Mount Etna became...