Wrought in Iron:
The Village Blacksmith
It's 1830, your mule has thrown his shoe.
Now what do you do?
You come into the next village and look for a village blacksmith
who can re-shoe your mule.
They are the unsung heroes of keeping the canal going.
There were many critical roles that kept the canal working.
Without the locktender, no one could go east or west on the canal.
Without the canal boat captain, goods would not be transported.
Without the drivers, the mules would not pull the boats.
With out the drydock carpenters, boats would not be built or fixed.
(Blacksmith at the Genesee Country Village and Museum)
But the unsung cog in the gears that kept the boats moving was the blacksmith.
(Blacksmith Shop, Genesee Country Village and Museum)
Not only did he fashion the metal bits for the boats and
create the hinges for the locks,
he also kept the mules on sure footing for the trip.
The first question you might ask
is quickly followed by a second, more obvious one:
What is a blacksmith?
Is there a whitesmith?
A blacksmith worked iron into whatever was needed
"With fire and Anvil, the blacksmith forged
the ironwork essential to any settlement.
He made everyday essentials such as handwrought nails;
he repaired the tools of the shop and farm and hearth,
including gridirons and shovels." (Craftsman in America, p19)
the blacksmith made or repaired it for you.
The iron was shipped to the blacksmith from the ironmonger at the forge.
Smelting iron required a forge.
The forges required and lots of wood to melt the iron out of the rocks
The forger required charcoal
Initially, the charcoal came from wood.
This came at a cost, however
"The fuel of all the furnaces was charcoal,
and it was the cutting of wood to make it,
far more than agriculture,
denuded the Eastern seaboard
of its forests." (Colonial Living, p113)
It could take upwards of four acres of land to get a forge going,
and more than that to keep it going. Woodlots were essential.
Luckily the newly cleared land for the canal had lots of downed trees
and acres of forested land that surrounded it.
Why was this so important?
The blacksmith needed fuel, too.
The need cleared forests at a faster rate than farming alone.
once the land was cleared, you were good to farm.
But trees and wood were needed in a constant supply to keep the smith going.
A side note, was there a whitesmith?
Yes, a whitesmith was also known as a tinsmith.
They worked tin into everyday items that
did not need to be made of iron.
Usually they worked with metals that did not require
Usually they worked with metals that did not require
heating the metal first to work it.
more about tinsmiths here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsmith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinsmith
While whitesmiths rarely needed to heat their metal;
however, it is essential for blacksmiths to do so.
Woodlots were needed to keep the blacksmith's forge
fueled to heat and shape the iron.
Every town, especially a canal town, needed a blacksmith or two.
There were tools to be made for tradesmen,
equipment to be made and fixed for farmers,
nails fashioned for builders,
the chains that boat captains needed to moor,
the chains that boat captains needed to moor,
and animals like horses, mules, and oxen
that needed shoes from a farrier.
Jordan was no different.
Not only did were dedicated blacksmiths needed,
Not only did were dedicated blacksmiths needed,
but many of the manufacturers such a coopers, wagon makers,
and wheelwrights needed blacksmithing skills
to finish their goods.
Here is a list of just some of the manufacturers in Jordan in 1874
A blacksmith's work scope was more than farriering.
But farriers were necessary as each shoe
had to be custom made for each animal.
And every animal needed shoes
created specifically for each hoof.
It would be as if cars today needed a
different tire on each wheel hub today.
And if your mule threw a shoe on the towpath,
And if your mule threw a shoe on the towpath,
you'd need a farrier to continue on your journey.
Below are two shoes found within the Village of Jordan.
The larger shoe is a plow horse's shoe.
This one was found in Skaneateles Creek
by where the old Otis Farm once stood.
The shoe in the middle is a mule shoe.
It was found buried in the towpath
along the Enlarged Erie just west of N Hamilton St.
Mules were used on the canal because they
were small enough to fit on a packet boat,
they ate half the feed of a horse,
and knew when to stop for the day...
...about 15 miles on the Erie Canal.
While all blacksmiths could shoe a horse or mule,
most did so much more.
Blacksmiths that specialized in shoeing were often employed
by livery stables as a one-stop shop for horse and mule maintenance.
There were several dedicated blacksmith shops in Jordan.
in 1874, there were at least three in the village center.
(Sweet Map, 1874)
One would eventually become Jenner's Blacksmith Shop.
It was located next to Skaneateles Creek along the corner of S Main St and Elbridge (misspelled Eldridge on this map).
This drawing shows the Jenner Blacksmith Shop
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But as time went on, the mule and driver gave way to the car,
This is a blacksmith shop in Cambridge, VT.
(drawing by Albert Arnold)
Here is a picture of the building c1896
Christopher Jenner is the one with his hand on his son's shoulder.
His son was Donald Jenner, Sr.
Note the wheels outside ready to repaired by the shop.
Note the wheels outside ready to repaired by the shop.
Inside a blacksmith's shop,
they made and repaired everything and anything made of iron.
Have a wheel that needs to be made?
or a hoop or six for a barrel?
or a hoop or six for a barrel?
The blacksmith was your man.
Need a handle for a door...or a dozen for a hotel?
The blacksmith could make them to order.
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But as time went on, the mule and driver gave way to the car,
and
blacksmiths were no longer need to shoe horses.
Blacksmiths had to adapt,
but at least the new-fangled cars were made from metal...
...something they knew!
Many converted to repairing cars, tractors
and farming equipment.
This is a blacksmith shop in Cambridge, VT.
(Library of Congress)
"The earliest autos were built with familiar features like iron-rimmed wooden wheels,
and had simple engines that were amenable to
---in fact often required---
on-the-spot, jury-rigged repair work." (Brownstone, p149)
And while they no longer had to fashion shoes for individual hooves,
they now could "shod" a car with for identical tires...a luxury.
Jenner's Blacksmith Shop became a service station.
Jenner's Blacksmith Shop became a service station.
This photograph from 1943 shows Jenner's Blacksmith Shop now as
Brown's Service Station.
(Sprague Collection)
Eventually, time caught up with a building which
was built for a profession that was no longer as vital as it once was.
The building fell into ruin and the foundation was falling apart.
It was demolished in May of 1996.
The land was turned into Kenneth Bush, Sr Park.
(A Stroll in Jordan, New York, p30)
So next time you see a horseshoe,
Take a moment and ponder the tangible
connection today to the craftsman
who helped keep things moving from horses to cars,
created items from handles to spikes,
and repaired everything from farm equipment
to cooking cauldrons.
The village was literally held together
with the nails he made
until industrialization made it cheaper to produce
machine made nails...
...and made him, in turn, a piece of the past he helped to create.
Resources:
Anderson, Clay, et al. The Craftsman in America. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Society, 1975.
Brownstone, Douglass. A Field Guide to America's History. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1984.
Anderson, Clay, et al. The Craftsman in America. Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Society, 1975.
Brownstone, Douglass. A Field Guide to America's History. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1984.
Horner, John. A Stroll in Jordan, New York. Auburn, NY: The Jacob's Press, 2004
Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Living. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1957.
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