THE RODMAN GUN

In the 1860's, Lieutenant Thomas Jefferson Rodman, from Salem, Indiana, worked with the superior qualities of Ore Hill area iron ore to cast large gun barrels for the northern heavy artillery.  The ore was famed for its ductility, toughness and resistance to rust.  Most guns were eight (8") and ten (10") inch bores with a famed “Rodman Gun” of fifteen (15") inch bore.  The Rodman Gun fired a 320 lb. shell a maximum distance of 5,730 yards.  The gun weighed 49,100 lbs. and measured fifteen feet (15') and ten inches (10") in length.  The “Rodman Area” of Taylor was named in honor of Lieutenant Rodman and also produced pig iron for the war effort.