The Forges du Saint-Maurice ("St. Maurice Ironworks") was the first successful ironworking industry in New France. At the time of the initial formation of the forges in 1730, the Saint Maurice region near Trois-Rivières had long been known for its iron resources. Although the forges went through multiple managements, they were unable to turn a profit on their own and owners had to deal with heavy debts. The French colonial state finally took direct control of the forges after the second private company went bankrupt, and managed it until the British arrival in the 1760s. In 1973 the forges were converted into a national historical site. The plant produced such staple items as pots, pans and stoves. Foundation of industry First Compagnie des Forges François Poulin de Francheville was the Seigneur of Saint-Maurice, involved in the fur trade, and rather successful as an entrepreneur, when he attempted to expand to heavy industry, and to develop ironworks in his seigneury. In 1729, Francheville requested a 20-year monopoly on the mining of the iron deposits in his Seigneury of Saint Maurice. The King granted this monopoly in a generous fashion, along with an exemption from indemnities or tithes. He also permitted Francheville to make use of the surrounding lands which he did not own, assuming the Seigneur would reimburse the owners for the seizure of cultivated lands. Before starting the enterprise, Francheville also requested and received a 10,000 livre cash advance from the King with which to build the industry. As the Seigneur realized the cost such an industry could have on one man, he formed a company with three partners, while still retaining majority control of the new "Compagnie des Forges du Saint-Maurice." Those partners included his brother, another merchant, the secretary of the intendant, and a member of the Conseil Supérieur, which was the sovereign council of New France. In early 1733, the company hired Christophe Janson to go to New England to study the ironworks that were in operation there. While Francheville did construct a few roads, he tried to bypass the lack of infrastructure by conducting the smelting in the middle of winter, so that he could transport tonnes of ore from the mines to the forge over the smooth snow using sleds. The Compagnie des Forges attempted to use a method called direct ore reduction to turn ore to iron with a high yield. Unfortunately, Francheville and