Forges de Syam - History of The Site

History of The Site

A tilt hammer is mentioned here in 1757 and 1788 and had been present 'from time immemorial'. According to the record of a law case of 1763, it had been working in 1690. It is reasonable to imagine it as having been part of the big expansion in the metal-working industry of the region in the 16th century, after the establishment of the first smelting furnaces in the Saône valley.

The basic business was in making scythes which had a good reputation all through the region and the making of them was a finely honed skill. In the 18th century, only a few forges had mastered the technique of using a mechanical hammer for the job. So much was this a problem that French producers were unable to keep up with the demand for this essential tool. They were imported, particularly from Styria, in the south-east of modern Austria, beyond the Tyrol. It was possible to develop this very skilled craft here, in the Jura owing to the expertise of immigrant workers from the Tyrol (just beyond the far end of Switzerland)

In conjunction with this skill, there was the presence of very extensive woodland on the Jura mountains around the town. This produced the vital ingredient of charcoal, a form of carbon which is free of sulphur and other impurities which make most coal unsuitable for use in iron working. Extensive woodland was an asset as it takes a lot of trees to make a relatively small amount of iron goods. In 1763, the owners, the Péry family, produced more than 15,000 scythes and more than 60,000 iron tyres for the wheels of vehicles.