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A short time
after Annandale's incorporation in 1886, John Powers
moved his blacksmith shop there from Rockford. Many
of the tools here came from that business, which was in
operation until 1970. The Crown Iron Works in
Minneapolis provided other tools.
The
blacksmith was of great importance to a pioneer community
because he made everything from gun springs to plows.
The walls and workbench are covered with tools and
implements made by the blacksmith. He repaired all
kinds of machinery, and made parts for sleds and buggies.
He shoed the horses, with regular shoes in the fair
weather and pronged, non-slip shoes for the winter.
Shown in the rear of the shop are dozens of
different horseshoes.
13)
Blacksmith
The forge
was constantly blazing, stoked with hard woods like oak
and ash, and fed with oxygen from the bellows for hotter
burning. The blacksmith wore a heavy apron to
protect himself from the heat and sparks. The anvil
was the center of the shop. It was there that the
red-hot iron bars were formed and pounded with the
hammer, which usually weighed 9 pounds. It is no
wonder that the village blacksmith usually won an arm
wrestling competition!
