Abraham Darby (1677-1717) developed the coke burning blast furnace that made it possible to produce commercial grade iron cost-effectively. His work helped launch the Industrial Revolution and contributed to the development of the iron and steel industries.

Abraham Darby was born near Dudley, Worcestershire, England in 1677. The young Darby, son of a tenant farmer, was apprenticed to a malt-mill maker in Birmingham. After his apprenticeship was completed, Darby ran a malt-mill operation beginning in 1698.

Darby took a trip to Holland in 1704. Based on his observations of the iron industry in that country, he became intrigued with the idea of using cast iron instead of brass in the manufacture of items such as pots and other wares. In the later 1600s, the process of producing iron faced challenges that nobody had yet been able to overcome. Manufacturers were unable to produce the constant high heat needed for successful smelting...