The Grapevine Blacksmith Shop

The Grapevine Blacksmith Shop. . , Dedicated to all of the blacksmiths of the Grape Vine Prairie, especially Bill Millican and "Mr. Charlie", In 1909, Charles Marion Millican "Mr. Charlie" opened his smithy on the north side of present day Texas Street in Grapevine. The property on which the smithy stood was located on the southeast corner of what is now the intersection of Texas and Main Streets., The original structure was remodeled in 1911 to face west onto Main Street. In 1929, the building was reconstructed a few feet to the south so Texas Street could be extended to intersect with Main Street. Mr. Millican remained in business at this location until 1959 when he and his son, Bill, sold the property and the building was torn down., Mr. Charlie was born on May 6, 1883, on a farm that was located on what is today the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. A skilled metal smith, Mr. Charlie repaired all kinds of equipment from broken plows to steam engine machinery. He also shod horses, and the shop was the site the veterinarian would use to examine horses when he was in town. It is said that Charlie Millican could identify a particular type of metal that was to be worked on by the color of the sparks thrown off when the metal was heated and hammered on the anvil., The inside door of the Millican Blacksmith Shop was crowded with the markings of the many branding irons belonging to area ranchers. Over the years, the door was used as a test surface to examine the markings of new branding irons as well as to check repairs to old irons. Brands included that of Stephen F. Austin, which was later used by Dr. Frank H. Austin at his dude ranch., The blacksmith's shop served as a gathering place for men in the community. Men would spin yarns and whittle pieces of wood while they waited for their repairs to be completed. In the winter, a group would gather around the wood stove and in the summer they gathered under a row of elm trees that stood across the back alley from the smithy. This group of men came to be known as the "spit and whittle" club., When cars became a part of life in Grapevine, Mr. Charlie and his partner, Mr. Shaw, dug a pit in the floor in order to get under cars to make the necessary repairs. When needed, they fashioned tools and replacement car parts by hand., Even later, the Millican Blacksmith Shop became a place where airplane pilots gathered. Once, when an Canadian bi-plane broke a strut by hitting a corner post near Grapevine High School, Mr. Charlie was called in to make the repairs. With no previous experience in airplane repairs, he selected a good piece of pine from which he whittled a replacement strut that he installed on the bi-plane., After World War II, Mr. Charlie was producing what was reputed to be the best hay hook in the area and selling them through Southern Implements in Dallas. A Sears and Roebuck representative took an interest in the unique hay hook when making a call on Southern Implements. Impressed with the hay hook, he brought Mr. Charlie and Bill to Chicago by train to discuss selling Mr. Charlie's hay hooks through Sears and Roebuck nationwide. While to his son Bill it appeared that they had "made it big," Mr. Charlie decided not to sign a contract with Sears and Roebuck due to his concern about a shortage of materials after the war., Over the years, the Millican Blacksmith Shop was also a source for countless hand-crafted basketball goal hoops and croquet mallets. Up to the time that the shop was closed in 1959, people brought their lawn mowers, garden equipment and saw blades to be sharpened by Mr. Charlie., The reconstruction of the Millican Blacksmith Shop was made possible by the vision of the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, the volunteer labor of the City of Grapevine Public Works employees, and the fundraising efforts of Jerry Hodge, Director of Public Works for the City of Grapevine. , The Grapevine Heritage Foundation extends its appreciation and sincere thanks to the following donors whose contributions made possible the com-pletion of the reconstruction: , Cecilia C. Box, in memory of Joe N. Box . Freese and Nichols, Inc. . Grapevine Independent Order of Odd Fellows, #402 . Hunt/Azoulay Joint Venture . Robert L. Nichols . Omni American Federal Credit Union . Texas Bank of Grapevine, In addition, without the efforts of the following volunteers who gave freely of their time and skills, the reconstruction of the Grapevine Blacksmith Shop could not have been completed:, Public Works Volunteers: , Gerald Adams . Warren Albrecht . Kevin Aslin . Edward Baba . Jean Bartley . Curtis A Bergthold . Kirk Howard . Francis Formoso . Dwayne Dishroon . Ricky Foster . Larry L. Frassinelli . Michael Gibson . Jerry L. Hodge . Ed T. Kellie . Randy Lindell . Chris Moberly . Danny Porter . Greg Reed . Michael Reese . Khris Seaver . Kylan Seaver . Matt Singleton . Will Singleton, The Grapevine Heritage Foundation Board of Directors: , Paul W. McCallum, Chairman . Marion Brekken, Vice-Chair . Ted Willhoite, Secretary . Jess Daniel, Treasurer . Linda Johnson . Bryan Klein . Mark Maness . David Shrum . Melva Stanfield . James Swinney . Sharron Spencer, City Council Liaison . Tommy Hardy, Ex-Officio . Jerry Hodge, Ex-Officio . Ron Emrich, former Director of the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, who helped in the conception and planning of this project, This building was dedicated on May 20, 1995, by the Honorable William D. Tate, Mayor, in the presence of the Millican family., Captions: , The Millican Blacksmith Shop - March 1958 , Charles Marion "Mr. Charlie" Millican