The Blacksmith Shop

The Blacksmith Shop

The blacksmith shop, constructed in 1926, was essential to both logging and milling operations. The shape and size of the building has never changed, except for the addition of the dirt floor and the lean-to at the read of the building, which occurred sometime in the 1930s. The forge was built into a wooden box filled with gravel. The box itself was divided in half, with the forge pot and blower at the front and the coal storage at the back. The wooden workbench and drill sat at the back and a rack with metal supports at the south end was used to hang buckling and filling saws when they were being sharpened.

The blacksmith shop was "headquarters" for Phil McLean. He spent a great deal of time using the forge and anvil, making chockers for the logging outfit. Phil also worked here with the millwright on repair jobs for the mill. Others using the shop were Boom Man, Zenjoo Shigematsu, and mechanic, Jerry Gangne.

Restoration:

The blacksmith shop was found in poor condition, with the one corner in imminent danger of collapse. Stabilization efforts have been taken to deal with rotten floorboards, floor supports, and rotten bases of columns as well as mold growing on the surface.