The Blacksmith Shop

By David L. Bristow, Editor

 

The blacksmith shop was always one of the first businesses established in any frontier community. It was hard to imagine a world without the clang of a hammer on an anvil. Blacksmithing is an ancient trade, dating back millennia to the time when bronze tools began to replace stone. Before the Industrial Revolution, every iron tool was custom-forged by a blacksmith. Such tools were expensive. You didn’t replace one if you could help it. You had it repaired.

The heart of the blacksmith shop was the forge, where the metal was heated so it could be more easily worked. A forge had a bellows to make the fire hotter and regulate the heat. Near the forge stood an anvil of hardened steel. Here the blacksmith shaped metal with a hammer and other tools. Curved objects were shaped around the anvil’s horn. The anvil’s “pritchel hole” was used when the blacksmith punched holes in a piece of metal. Special tools for cutting and shaping metal were attached to the anvil’s square “hardy hole.”

Mass-produced metal items eventually reduced demand for a blacksmith’s custom-made products, but many shops adapted to changing technology. As farming became mechanized, and as newfangled automobiles required frequent repairs, some blacksmith shops evolved into mechanical shops. Others specialized as farriers—shoeing horses and mules—a trade that continues to this day.

 

Top photo: Photo by John Nelson, Ericson, NE, circa 1910. Jensen is probably the man standing in the doorway wearing a dirty leather apron and holding a hammer and punch. History Nebraska RG3906-10-35

Charlie Graves, Charles Beecher, Henry Beecher, and an unidentified man in front of the Beecher Wagonmaking and Blacksmith Shop, Fairmont, Nebraska, 1884. History Nebraska RG3360-2-7

 

Written on the back of this photo: “Photo from C.A. Duffield” and “Mr. C. W. Watson, Mr. O.S. Watson. In directory, 1890-91.” History Nebraska RG3906-10-35

 

Polk County, Nebraska, circa 1910. History Nebraska RG2407-02-12

 

The Leuck & McManigal Blacksmith Shop in PIlger, Nebraska, looks more like a mechanical shop in this undated photo. History Nebraska RG2587-1-11

 

A blacksmith shop at 21st and L streets in Lincoln, 1941. In addition to the traditional forge and anvil this shop has a gas welding outfit. History Nebraska RG6097-20-954

 

Blacksmith shop at Fort Robinson State Historical Park, 2013. Supplies and equipment were left in place when the army abandoned the fort in 1948. History Nebraska: author photo.

 

Barrels of mule shoes in the Fort Robinson blacksmith shop, 2013. As the army’s remount depot, Fort Robinson always kept plenty of shoes on hand. History Nebraska: author photo.

 

(Posted 5/24/2021)


Additional Source:

“Blacksmithing,” Kansapedia, Kansas Historical Society, 1993, https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/blacksmithing/17872

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

How Eliza Grayson escaped Nebraska slavery

How Eliza Grayson escaped Nebraska slavery

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Omaha’s Shocking Nineteenth-Century Art

Omaha’s Shocking Nineteenth-Century Art

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.