Historic Forge

[4est Trekker]

Howdy, all.  For the last ten years I've volunteered at Fort Atkinson State Historical Park in Fort Calhoun, NE.  The reconstructed fort interprets the original garrison from 1819/1820.  For the last year I've been serving as an apprentice in the blacksmiths' shop.  The walls of this forge are built on the exact footprint of one of the six original forging structures (which included ferriers, blacksmiths, armorers, etc.).  In fact, the forge and two anvils sit on the exact spots they did in the 1820's.  We continue to manufacture all of the hardware, implements, etc. use at the site. I snapped a few bad cell phone pictures of one of our recent weekends.  I've also posted a pic of a roughed out friction folder I forged during that weekend (see "Friction Folder Pair Buildalong"). 


The blacksmithing/tinsmithing building:

 

 


Ignore the black stove pipe!

 

 

 

 

 

[4est Trekker]

The south wall of the garrison:

 


My quarters:

 

 


Breakfast!

 

[Adam]

Way cool! I'll have to come check that out if I'm ever in the area.

[GregB]

Sounds like a great time! I would enjoy time in that forge myself.

[4est Trekker]

Here's a couple more pictures I dug up.  I'm the goon in the red cap and funny clothes!  Also, ignore the non-period implements.  We've got a little cleaning to do.

[Parnell]

Those are awesome pictures, very interesting.  That last picture with you in the red hat doesn't even look like a photo.  It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.

Super.