The prominent iron industry of Salisbury was contributing to the darkest times in United States History in many ways. Through our research, we were able to find different people who traveled south to create a cotton gin factory, where they would mass produce cotton gins. The iron that was put into the construction of these gins came from Salisbury iron. A Litchfield County native, who migrated to the south for this business, used his knowledge of the strong, dependable iron, and began to purchase and use it. His name was Samuel Griswold and the influence of his iron selection rubbed off on another man named Daniel Pratt. This man also built cotton gins and after making a large profit, these men purchased a large stock in the Alabama and Tennessee Railroad Company. This railroad would help ship the iron easier but enslaved people would be working on the railroad as the Alabama and Tennessee Railroad Company was one of the harshest companies on their enslaved workers.
