Photograph as originally submitted to this page in the Historical Marker Database www.HMdb.org. Click on photo to resize in browser. Scroll down to see metadata.

Photographer: Syd Whittle
Taken: April 24, 2009
Caption: Blacksmith Shop
Additional Description: The essential features of a blacksmith shop include forge, bellows, anvil, quenching tub, metal-forming tools and a workbench with a vise. Tools that a blacksmith would have required are hammers to shape the metal without heat; chisels and cleavers for cutting; punches and hand drills to make different types of holes; soldering irons to unite two pieces of metal without heating the whole metal; and files to smooth the edges. Different types of simple tongs would be used to hold the hot metal as kit was worked. The blacksmith was frequently the local jack-of-all-trades working with metal fittings and equipment pertaining to trains, farming, gun making, and in later years, automobiles. Blacksmiths could also be skilled in woodworking and were frequently the wagon makers in their community. Here in Colma each monument company had its own blacksmith shop. The making of chisels and keeping them sharp was a never-ending job related to carving the lettering on monument.
Submitted: April 28, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
Database Locator Identification Number: p61114
File Size: 3.289 Megabytes

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