Gaby’s Blacksmith Shop

Gaby’s Blacksmith Shop. Replica. , “Under the spreading chestnut tree, the village smithy stands…” , The Village Blacksmith by Henry Wildsworth Longfellow, This poem was memorized by American school children into the 1950’s and reminds us that rural villages throughout the country depended on the skills of a local blacksmith. When Frisco was founded in 1902, it was a rural farming community that needed wheel rims, plows and many other things necessary for farm life. , A.J. Gunstream was one blacksmith in the area before the establishment of Frisco. Gunstream set up a shop at his farm in Erudia, about a mile north of present day Frisco, to serve his personal needs and those of neighboring farmers. When Gunstream moved to Frisco around 1914, he set up a forge at his home and eventually a blacksmith shop at the corner of Third and Main Streets. , Gunstream retired in 1932 and J.T. Gaby bought the business with his brother, Tom. They changed the name to Gaby’s Blacksmith Shop. In 1918, J.T.’s son, Mack, bought out his Uncle Tom’s interest. Harry, another son of J.T., joined the family business when he returned from world war two military service in 1945. Harry and Mack continued to operate the business after the death of their father. The shop had a reputation of being able to fix anything made of metal and could build almost anything local farmers might need. , Gaby’s closed in 1985. The contents were sold at auction, many to those who had depended on Gaby’s through the years. This replica of Gaby’s Blacksmith Shop has a similar layout to the original. , Heritage Stories , When the Frisco Heritage Center began to take shape, Bob Griffin knew that a collection of historic buildings representing Frisco’s past would not be complete without Gaby’s. Griffin began to acquire donations from those who had a history with the shop or were passionate about preserving a different way of life. Items that had been purchased at auction when Gaby’s closed in 1985 began to return to the replica shop. The forge was fired up, the anvil was put in place and even the “Men’s Room” facility was recreated. , Volunteer blacksmith groups came to practice their skills and provide demonstrations. Without Bob Griffin’s dedication and efforts, this Gaby’s replica would not have been built and the history of the craft would not be preserved for future generations. , Bob Griffin | photo by Donna Anderson