Oliver Hamelin (1902-1984)

Oliver Hamelin was born in St. Raphael’s in 1902. He had learned the skills of blacksmithing from his father who was also a blacksmith on the 9^th concession in Lancaster, Ontario, just east of the Glen Nevis side road. Hamelin and his wife moved to the village of Apple Hill around 1912 where he purchased his first ever blacksmith shop. 

Oliver Hamelin shod horses, built and repaired sleighs and wagons and installed steel tires on wagons and steel runners on sleighs. He also made handles for various types of farm tools and kitchen tools for the home. In his later and more experienced years, he made fireplace tool sets. Although Hamelin and his wife never had children, he loved children and they were always welcomed in his shop. His shop also became the social gathering place for the elderly men and women of the village. Oliver Hamelin was known to be an avid storyteller and was a favourite interview source for historians.  

Hamelin was the last operating blacksmith shop in the Glengarry County and among the last blacksmith shop in Canada. Hamelin was active in the same shop for 53 years. He passed away in the last week of June in 1984 at the age of 82. His shop is now located here in the village of Dunvegan at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum, where his shop continues to tell the story of the life of a blacksmith.   

James T. Munro, MD

                                                     James T. Munro, MD

                One of Maxville’s first doctors was Dr. James T. Munro, a man known for exceptional medical and surgical skill, who, at one point served the five counties of Eastern Ontario.

                Dr. Munro was born in Nairn, Scotland on July 5^th, 1843. At the age of ten he accompanied his father, a Mission preacher with the Church of Scotland to Canada. Soon after, his mother and four sisters followed and the family settled in Moose Creek, Roxbourgh Township. As a youth, he attended Hawkesbury Grammar School. Once he finished that he taught at a school between Vankleek Hill and Hawkesbury. Though a long and treacherous thirty mile hike back home to Moose Creek, it was not uncommon for Munro to make the journey on weekends in order to see his family.

After deciding that education was perhaps not for him, Munro enrolled into McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. In 1872, he graduated in Medicine and returned back home to Glengarry. His first practice was located in Dominionville until 1888, when he moved his already successful office north to the larger town of Maxville, where it thrived. Dr. Munro was soon serving the five counties of Eastern Ontario, an extremely large area for only one man. During his time, Dr. Munro served countless residents of Maxville and the surrounding communities, soon being recognized as a gifted physician with a charismatic and sympathetic bedside manner. Dr. Munro retired from medicine in 1910.

As well as being a physician and surgeon, Dr. Munro was a Fenian raid veteran from his younger days. He was interested in the Pacific coast, making no less then twenty-eight trips to California and other Western states. At one point, in California he owned a large orange grove. Dr. Munro was also a deeply religious man and an original member of the United Church of Maxville.

On December 9^th, 1928 Dr. Munro passed away, leaving his Maxville practice to his son, Dr. J. Howard Munro. On July 23^rd, 1934, his wife of fifty-four years, Christina Robertson followed. Munro was known as a kind and just doctor, a pioneer in rural Glengarry medicine. He was one of the first doctors to begin practicing in the area and stayed in the village of Maxville for his entire life. As Maxville wraps up their 125^th birthday celebrations, the villagers can only express gratitude for these early people who helped to build Maxville into what it is today.

Photo from GPM collection, artifact 2013-005-001

Reverend Charles W. Gordon

Reverend Charles W. Gordon

                Reverend Charles W. Gordon can be considered one of Maxville’s greatest legends for his role as a founding father of early literature in Canada. Under the pen name of “Ralph Connor”, Gordon wrote more than forty books throughout his lifetime.

                Charles W. Gordon was born September 13^th, 1860 to Rev. Daniel Gordon and his wife Mary Robertson in St. Elmo Ontario (North of Maxville). Rev. Daniel Gordon was a missionary with the Free Church of Scotland and was responsible for the creation of the current brick ‘Gordon Free Church’. Charles Gordon resided in Glengarry County until the age of ten when his family moved to Harrington in Oxford County, Ontario where his father took up residence within another parish. Gordon then went on to study at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario and graduated Knox College with distinction in 1886. He followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an ordained Presbyterian minister in 1890.

                After graduation, he moved to Alberta and served many communities around the area of Calgary. He then continued on to a parish in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he remained for the next forty years. In 1915, at the beginning of the Second World War, Gordon became Chaplin of the Cameron Highlanders Battalion. In 1916 he was made a senior Chaplin in the Canadian Forces. Afterwards he became a strong advocate of the union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational Churches in Canada and a moderator in 1921 Presbyterian General Assembly.

                Though devoted to his faith, Charles Gordon was also an extremely gifted writer. Unfortunately, in the 1890s it was improper for a Presbyterian Minister to pen fiction, thus he decided to publish his works under a pseudonym. At first, he signed his name ‘Cannor’ which was derived from the first syllables of ‘Canadian’ and ‘NorthWest’. A telegraph operator misspelled the name to ‘Connor’ and his editor added Ralph. Thus, Ralph Connor was born. Under this alias, the reverend wrote 43 books, including Black Rock (1898), The Prospectorand The Sky Pilot (1899), which sold over a million copies. Gordon also wrote extensively about his childhood in Glengarry, an incredible feat considering his limited time spent in the county. The Man from Glengarry (1901), The Girl from Glengarry (1933), Glengarry School Days (1902) and Torches through the Bush (1934) are all set in Glengarry and based on its people and culture.

                Gordon’s final book, his personal autobiography was written in his last year, 1937 and was published posthumously after his death October 31^st 1937. When Gordon passed away, Canada’s literary world had lost a great icon—he was the first Canadian to become a millionaire through writing and helped to carve out Canada’s early literary landscape. Though Reverend Charles Gordon had left St. Elmo, Glengarry County at a young age, his story proves that no matter where you go, a little piece of Glengarry will always remain with you.

               

Reverend Charles W. Gordon

                

The O'Hamelin Blacksmith Shop

Our Blacksmith Shop is believed to be our oldest building on site, dating from around 1800. It was operated by Hamelin in the nearby village of Apple Hill from about 1930 until approximately 1982. The ancient shop is a fascinating place, but you almost need Oliver Hamelin to show you around and demonstrate the way they used to use the various tools and pieces of equipment. This particular blacksmith shop shoed horses, made tools, repaired farm implements, sleighs and carriages, and often served as a veterinarian as well.

The Historical Move 

A decision was made by the Glengarry Historical Society to have the blacksmith shop moved to the village of Dunvegan. The Oliver Hamelin Blacksmith Shop was then relocated to the museum in 2000 from Apple Hill and has seen more visitors than it ever had when located in its original location. According to Douglas A. Fales, “Oliver Hamelin would never have envisioned his shop becoming a tourist attraction and on museum grounds.” Chiseled on the side of the Blacksmith Shop are numerals on each log so that the task of dismantling, relocating and reassembling the building was easier for Peter Steiche, Kent MacSweyn, Blair Williams and many other helpful volunteers. According to the volunteers, most of the cedar logs were still solid; however some logs were rotten and decayed. The original roof also collapsed during the relocation of the shop from Apple Hill to Dunvegan and was replaced with a new one.

The Anatomy of his Shop

“What seems a state of disorder in busy work areas can be misleading. Disorganization is one thing, but an “organized jumble” is quite another!”  - Oliver Hamelin 

The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born February 27^th, 1807 in Portland, Maine, U.S and died at the age of 75 on March 24^th, 1882 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.  He was known for being an American poet and educator. In 1841, he wrote this poem called “The Village Blacksmith”

Under a spreading chestnut-tree

The village smithy stands;

The smith, a mighty man is he,

With large and sinewy hands,

And the muscles of his brawny arms

Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long;

His face is like the tan;

His brow is wet with honest sweat,

He earns whate'er he can,

And looks the whole world in the face,

For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;

You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,

With measured beat and slow,        

Like a sexton ringing the village bell,

When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;

They love to see the flaming forge,

And hear the bellows roar,

And catch the burning sparks that fly

Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,

And sits among his boys;

He hears the parson pray and preach,

He hears his daughter's voice

Singing in the village choir,

And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice,

Singing in Paradise!

He needs must think of her once more,

How in the grave she lies;

And with his hard, rough hand he wipes

A tear out of his eyes.

Toiling,—rejoicing,—sorrowing,

Onward through life he goes;

Each morning sees some task begin,

Each evening sees it close;

Something attempted, something done,

Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,

For the lesson thou hast taught!

Thus at the flaming forge of life

Our fortunes must be wrought;

Thus on its sounding anvil shaped

Each burning deed and thought.

The History of the Maxville Fire Department

Maxville's current volunteer fire department has grown exponentially from when it began in 1903.  The town's now sophisticated force had modest beginnings using primitive fire-fighting techniques. Fearing large scale fires, which would have had the ability to cripple the relatively new village, town council approved the purchase of forty eight pails and three fire axes. In 1917, a Fire Marshall, Lorne McLean, was chosen and a fire brigade of volunteers was formed in Maxville, headed by Chief Duncan Kippen. These volunteers would have been responsible for fighting one of the largest fires to ever threaten Maxville, on May 8^th 1921. In the end, the fire had destroyed two general stores, the hydro-electric station, the King George Hotel, the Maxville public hall, a restaurant and many personal residences. The damage exceeded $500,000 (which is approximately 6 millionin today’s dollars!) In 1925, after this mammoth inferno, the volunteers were given permission to rent their first fire hall for $25 dollars a year. At the same time, other fire-fighting equipment was purchased, including two axles and four wheels to carry a pump, a thirty-two foot ladder and a second pump which was stored offsite. At this time, it was decide that Maxville would have two fire brigades—one on either side of the railway tracks. Once again, on April 25^th 1935, Maxville fire volunteers were needed when another large scale blaze broke out in the storage area of the Smillie and McDirmand general store, which rapidly spread to several residences and caused extensive damage to the Presbyterian Church. In 1940, for a third time, Maxville volunteers were called to another large scale fire which destroyed several buildings. In 1948 town council approved $8000 over ten years to be used on purchasing newer fire-fighting equipment and compensating volunteers. Until 1963 when a phone system was adopted, firefighters were alerted by a large siren which was set up in the center of the village and loud enough for all volunteers to hear whenever they were needed. This communication was updated to pagers in 1986, a system that is still in use today. Over the years, the Maxville Volunteer Fire Department has purchased many pieces firefighting machinery in order to better fight fires in Maxville and the surrounding area. As well, in May of 1958 the department was moved to their current location. Today the Maxville Fire Department is still reliant on volunteers who not only fight fires and respond to local emergencies but are also extremely active in the community. We thank our all of our Maxville Fire Department volunteers!

A view of Maxville after the 1921 fire. Borrowed from the webpage of the Township of North Glengarry. 

Blacksmith Girl Power

In the 19^th Century, people would expect to see women cooking, cleaning, and raising their children, and would be puzzled by a female swinging a hammer or working at the forge. During the 19^th century, some trades, like blacksmithing, were seen as only “men’s work.” Although today many talented blacksmiths are female, almost all blacksmiths in the 19th century were male. However, there is recorded evidence of at least a couple of females in the trade.  The first two short biographies are about female blacksmiths in the 19th century and the third biography is about a female blacksmith today.

Unknown woman blacksmith
in the 19th century

1880: Female blacksmith Rachel Yent, of Baltimore, Maryland, learnt the blacksmith trade from her father as a young girl. She refused to marry in order to support her family with the trade when her father was no longer able to work in the shop. 

1882: During a town meeting in Sudbury, Ontario, the question up for debate was whether or not “women who are citizens should have the right to vote on town affairs on the same basis as male citizens.” Sudbury’s first woman blacksmith, Mrs. Hattie Graham, proposed to do business in a shop owned by another woman Miss Mary Heard on Concord Road in Sudbury, which was soon to be a problem. On opening day in 1895, many cheering women showed up, and stunned and curious men, to observe Graham’s skills. Angry protests made by people, especially men, about Hattie Graham’s registration were soon withdrawn after they witnessed her skills. Years following, her work was seen as outstanding work-“women” – ship from both men and women.

Product made by Armstrong
and Carter Iron Works 

Megan Carter 

2016: Female Blacksmiths today are just as talented as men, which was seen at this year’s Blacksmith Festival at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. Megan Carter displayed her outstanding skills. Megan was born in Kingsville, Ontario in 1991. In 2010, she began her metalworking studies at Haliburton School of The Arts followed by a year of Arts Studies at the same college. After her studies, both her and her partner Mike Armstrong combined their skills to become what is known as Armstrong and Carter Ironworks. Although she works mostly in mild steel and copper, she has moved towards making furniture and functional pieces containing reclaimed objects. She is now located in Georgetown, Ontario, where she and Mike Armstrong opened their own shop in 2012.  Megan notes that a large part of the life of a blacksmith is "doing drawings, design, quotes, and conversing with clients," which all needs to be done before she can even get into the shop to create a custom piece.  

Blacksmith Implements at the Highland Games

 The Heavy Weight Events have been contested at the Highland Games for centuries and are continuing to be a crowed favourite. Implements that were used were those found around the blacksmith’s shop that became tools for building strength for battle. The first tool is the blacksmith’s hammer which would have been used for driving fence posts but became the hammer thrown in the hammer event. The competitor forcefully rotates the hammer to gain momentum, and releases it into the air. The throw is then measured for distance to where the hammer hits the ground. The next implement that would have been found in the blacksmith’s shop is the blacksmith’s weights. The weight events at the Glengarry Highland Games include the Weight for Distance and the Weight for Height. The Weight for Distance event includes two events which includes throwing a heavier weight in the first competition and a lighter weight thrown in the second. Amateurs will throw a 56 lb weight then a 28 lb weight; however, a master will throw as 42 lb weight then a 28 lb weight. In this type of event, the competitor will spin to gain momentum on the weight, and throws it as far as they possibly can while maintaining control of the trig. Similarly to the hammer event, the measurement is to where the weight hits the ground. The other type of weight event is known as the Weight for Height. In this event, the competitor uses only one hand to attempt to throw the weight up and over a horizontal bar. Amateurs throw a 56 lb weight whereas masters will throw a 42 lb weight. As long as the weight goes over the bar, the throw is good. You must succeed at one of three attempts to move onto the next height, however if the competitor fails in all three attempts at a height the competitor is eliminated. The winner of the event is the highest tosser unless there is a tie in which the competitor with the fewest misses is the victor.

How to Shoe a Horse

Farriers were in charge of making iron shoes for animals such as horses and oxen. These animals regularly walked on hard surfaces which wore down their hoofs. Therefore, the farrier would shoe these animals by nailing the iron shoes onto the hoofs to protect and cover them from harsh surfaces, just as the shoes you wear protect your feet. Like the way humans switch the type of shoe they wear in the winter, animals do as well. The farrier would shoe animals with shoes that had studs on the bottom of them which gave the animals a better grip while pulling sleighs in the winter. It would have taken a lot of time and patience for farriers to shoe a horse. The steps to shoeing a horse include the following;

      

      Relax the animal: horses often became nervous, therefore the farrier’s first job would have been to relax the horse before he/she could lift its leg and cradle its hoof in his/her lap.

 Pulling off the shoe: in order to pull off the old shoe to replace it with a new one, the farrier loosened and removed the nails and pulled it off with a set of tongs. Once it was removed he/she could start to clean the excess mud and stones out of it.

Cut away the dead ends: like clipping a humans fingernail, the farrier would clip away the dead ends of the horses hoofs.

Cut, heat and bend! The Farrier would then cut an iron rod into 4 different pieces and heat each piece in the forge in order to hammer it on the anvil to be able to bend it into a wide curve.

 Cat’s ear: The farrier forged what was known as a cat’s ear at the front of each shoe to keep it from slipping. The farrier would then heat two heels of the she and turned them downwards.

 Holding it in place: In order to hold the nails in place, the farrier would punch 8 different holes in each horseshoe.

 Molding: While the shoes were still hot, the farrier would place the shoe on the horse’s hoofs which would mold to fit the hoofs perfectly. Once the shoes were molded to the hoofs, the blacksmith would hang them to cool them down.

Hammering: special short nails were used to hammer shoe shoes onto the horse’s hoofs.

Final product: when the horse was shod, you could see where the nails were put in on the upper   roof of the horse’s hoof. 

The History of the Glengarry Highland Games

              

                                            The History of the Glengarry Highland Games

              The tiny village of Maxville is internationally known for holding one of the largest Highland Games festivals in the world, as well as being home to the North American Pipe Band Championships. On the August long weekend of each year, some 50,000 people flock to this town to experience a massive celebration of Scottish culture

.

                But…do they know about the humble beginnings of the Glengarry Highland Games?

                In 1948, a group of local Maxville businessman wanted to ensure that the bright and unique traditions of their beloved Celtic heritage would not be forgotten. They had reason to worry: in 1877, the New Caledonian Highland Games situated in Williamstown, Ontario had been cancelled and never resumed due to a tragic hammer toss accident which resulted in the death of a four year old girl. Since that incident, the township banned Highland sports and less and less people from both counties of North and South Glengarry took part in traditional Scottish sport and music. These Maxville businessmen wanted to know that the future generations would have the same attachment to their Scottish heritage as they did and decided to revive the culture with the creation of Maxville’s very own Highland Games.

 On the August long weekend of 1948, the town of Maxville hosted the first ever Glengarry Highland Games. In attendance were seven pipe bands and nearly 10,000 visitors, vastly exceeding anyone’s expectations. With such a positive initial response, the games quickly became a yearly fixture in the community. Throughout the years, the games have grown exponentially, now hosting the North American Pipe Band Championships, as well as displays of Highland dancing, traditional Highland sports, fiddling and a gathering of the clans. Each year, more events are added and the games grow larger and larger. However, it was due to the determination of the local businessmen that we have the Highland Games today. 

Happy Highland Games!

A 'Clan Map' currently displayed in the Star Inn at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. This map shows where each clan is from in Scotland. 

Maxville Mondays:  James Ferguson and the Ferguson Thresher Company

            The Ferguson Thresher is perhaps one of the most iconic pieces of late pioneer agricultural machinery. From 1881 to 1954, Ferguson threshers have been all over Canada from Newfoundland to Nunavut. James Ferguson of St. Elmo not only founded the Ferguson Thresher Company but reinvented how threshing machines were designed and built. Ferguson was the son of Donald Ferguson and Margaret Macgregor, who was born on the family’s farm on the Seventh Concession. After his education was finished, he farmed in the summer and operated a threshing mill during the winter. This is what led Ferguson to rethink how an early wood framed threshing machine worked and how it was built. He built his first threshing machine in 1874 while still living on the family’s farm and in 1881 moved to Maxville and set up a shop. In 1884 he submitted his changes to Henry Grist & Company, who then granted him his first patent. In 1910, with the evolution of the steam powered engine, Ferguson received another patent and began building a new variety of threshers. As the popularity of his threshing machine grew, a new factory was built in 1928. Ferguson was joined by his son Donald and died in 1933. Even after his death the technology of threshing machines continued to change; improvements were made, rubber tires were added to newer machines. The transition from wood machines to all steel frames began in 1944 and continued for the next ten years, until the combine became the popular method of harvesting crops and the manufacture of threshers was discontinued. James Ferguson is remembered as being an active member of the community, extremely intelligent and by many accounts a ‘walking encyclopedia’. For the entire town of Maxville, James Ferguson contributed in many different ways but most of all, with the creation of the Ferguson Thresher Company.

Photo Credit of the Canadian Agricultural and Food Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Obtained in 1981, currently in storage.

James Ferguson and the Ferguson Thresher Company

Maxville Mondays:  James Ferguson and the Ferguson Thresher Company

The Ferguson Thresher is perhaps one of the most iconic pieces of late pioneer agricultural machinery. From 1881 to 1954, Ferguson threshers have been all over Canada from Newfoundland to Nunavut. James Ferguson of St. Elmo not only founded the Ferguson Thresher Company but reinvented how threshing machines were designed and built. Ferguson was the son of Donald Ferguson and Margaret Macgregor, who was born on the family’s farm on the Seventh Concession. After his education was finished, he farmed in the summer and operated a threshing mill during the winter. This is what led Ferguson to rethink how an early wood framed threshing machine worked and how it was built. He built his first threshing machine in 1874 while still living on the family’s farm and in 1881 moved to Maxville and set up a shop. In 1884 he submitted his changes to Henry Grist & Company, who then granted him his first patent. In 1910, with the evolution of the steam powered engine, Ferguson received another patent and began building a new variety of threshers. As the popularity of his threshing machine grew, a new factory was built in 1928. Ferguson was joined by his son Donald and died in 1933. Even after his death the technology of threshing machines continued to change; improvements were made, rubber tires were added to newer machines. The transition from wood machines to all steel frames began in 1944 and continued for the next ten years, until the combine became the popular method of harvesting crops and the manufacture of threshers was discontinued. James Ferguson is remembered as being an active member of the community, extremely intelligent and by many accounts a ‘walking encyclopedia’. For the entire town of Maxville, James Ferguson contributed in many different ways but most of all, with the creation of the Ferguson Thresher Company. 

Ferguson's "the Marvel Grain Thrower" Thresher, manufactured 1941-1954. Photo Credit of the Canadian Agricultural and Food Museum, Ottawa, Canada. 

Blacksmith Tools

There are many handy tools the blacksmith uses to work metal into various shapes. 

A blacksmiths daily routine includes organizing the tools that he will need on his workbench to prevent wasting time while working. The blacksmith uses various types of hammers, tongs and vises. The blacksmith can own up to 12 different types of hammers. The reason for the various types is because it allows for the blacksmith to do different things. For example, the flatter is used to pound iron flat and because of its smooth face, it doesn’t dent the iron when it’s pounded. On the other hand, a ball peen hammer is used to shape curved objects such as pots, ladles and cups by using the peen of the ball peen hammer. Other types of hammers include a chisel used to cut iron and a set hammer to also cut or make a bend in a piece of iron.

 The blacksmith also uses several types of tongs used for a specific purpose, such as holding square, round or flat objects.

A vise is used to hold an object in order to file it smooth. It has two adjustable jaws that hold a piece of hot iron securely in place for the blacksmith to work on.

THE ANVIL

This Saturday's featured artifact is the anvil! The anvil was known as the blacksmith’s work surface. Forging included heating and pounding iron, therefore the blacksmith needed a strong surface on which he could pound the iron to form various objects. The anvil was a heavy iron block, weighing up to 300 pounds and sat on a tree stump which sank into a deep hole in the ground so it would not wobble while the blacksmith worked on it. The blacksmith would cut the stump in order to be the right height, which could be neither too high nor too low. Most of the blacksmith’s work was done on the face of the anvil. The face had a coating of steel on it to prevent denting the anvil while the blacksmith would pound on it. The blacksmith would use the chipping block to make a bend in a piece of iron. The end of the anvil was known as the heel. The horn on the other end of the anvil, also known as the beak, was used to shape iron into curved or round objects.  

THE FORGE

This week’s featured artifact from our Blacksmith Shop is the Forge. The Forge was the most important part of the Blacksmith Shop. The Forge was made of bricks and had an open hearth or fireplace that was raised off the floor. The forge and its heat allowed for a blacksmith to heat iron which made the iron malleable or easier to shape. A blacksmith had to know how to control the size and temperature of the fire that was created in the Forge. He would judge the temperature by the change in colour and would adjust its heat to suit each of his tasks. The blacksmith would heat the iron until it was red, orange, yellow, or white. A dull red fire was used to smooth iron without changing its shape, whereas a white-hot fire made iron the most flexible. If the blacksmith needed the fire to be hotter, he would have added more coals and blew air on the flames. If he needed the fire to be cooler, he would have flicked cold water onto the coals. Once the iron was heated, the blacksmith was able to pound it with a hammer and craft things such as pots, pans, horseshoes, farming tools etc. Our Forge in the Olivier Hamelin Blacksmith Shop was rebuilt in 2014 in order to keep it up and running for blacksmith demonstrations at our special events.

    

      

What is a Blacksmith you may ask?

The village smithy, or blacksmith shop, was often located at the corner of two main roads so that it was easy to find. A blacksmith was a place where various types of tools and other objects were made out of metal.  It wasn’t unusual to see several people waiting at the shop for their objects due to the fact that the smithy was a popular meeting place in the 1800’s.

The role of a blacksmith was very diverse, not only was he the local toolmaker and “engineer,” he was sometimes called upon to act as a dentist, doctor, vet etc. The blacksmith was at the heart of every country village. The blacksmith often crafted the tools farmers needed such as metal parts for plows, hoes and rakes. He would have sharpened and repaired these items as well. Most people in the 1800’s owned iron objects such as pots and pans for cooking over an open fire in which the blacksmith would have made. He would also make useful objects like candle holders and lanterns for lighting the rooms in home and barns. Larger towns often had many blacksmiths who would become experts at forging one type of object; such as a locksmith who made locks and keys.

Welcome to 'Smithing Saturdays

This summer we are proud to present the Blacksmith Festival, Smith-In, on June 25^th and 26^th 2016. Every ‘Smithing Saturday, a blog post will be available about our Blacksmith Shop here at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum including fun facts and information about some of the artifacts and history behind it. Join me this Saturday,  June 4th,  for some fun facts on what a blacksmith is!