The Peter Tarr Furnace was the first iron furnace west of the Alleghenies. The furnace was built in the 1790s by a man named Grant on property owned by American pioneer James Campbell along near modern Weirton, West Virginia in Hancock County. Peter Tarr purchased the business shortly after its construction, as Grant was no longer able to maintain it. Along with a partner, Peter Tarr then established the firm of Connell, Tarr, & Company. A forerunner to the modern steel mill, the furnace was fueled using local timber and produced about 2 tons of metal daily.