Gideon Hughes constructed this iron furnace in 1807. Rebecca was one of the first iron furnaces in Ohio. Hughes decided to name it after his wife Rebecca. Hughes operated it from 1808-1830. A forge was added to the property around 1810. The forge was used to form the iron on site, instead of sending it off to a foundry.

In 1822, Gideon Hughes and Joshua Malin built a roller mill along Middle Fork. They eventually added a nail machine to the mill. Back then, nails were hard to obtain. Many people would burn down their houses before moving to collect the nails. The mill was destroyed by a flood in 1832.

The ground breaking ceremony of the Sandy & Beaver Canal took place nearby in 1837. The canal passed through this area, which is known as Furnace Hollow. Hughes constructed a large stone house on the property. William McKinley Sr. purchased the house in the 1830's. McKinley became the manager and part owner of the iron furnace and mill. The stone house became known as the McKinley Homestead. Yes, I'm talking about President William McKinley's father.