1891 Engineering and Mining Journal ad for an air compressor used in Aspen. Willoughby Collection
There was an exchange between the pounds of metal mineral extracted and exported from beneath Aspen’s mountains and the metal objects brought to Aspen to make that happen. This was the era of an explosion of foundry production especially for cast iron.
Manufacturing of thick and heavy objects began escalating simultaneous with steam power. Very quickly steam boilers were transformed into railroad engines. By the time Aspen began, foundries were producing bigger and bigger items. Hydraulic lifting enabled that, and trains could carry the products across the country.