Luke March Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Well, I took a trip to Greenfield village last weekend, with the planned highlight being a visit to the blacksmith shop. You can imagine my dismay when I found out they no longer have a blacksmith. They have glassblowers, a tinsmith, and potters, but no practicing blacksmith. It was a real shame to see that nice shop, with two forges, two 400 lb anvils, and all those tools, just sitting there, with nothing but a recording to explain them. I remember going there when I was younger, as the blacksmith explained all about how many nails had been hand-forged for the different houses which had been moved there. Greenfield village just doesn't seem complete anymore without that sort of experience. If you want to see all the pictures I took (I took a lot) you can click on this link: http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u228/Luke_SkyMarcher/Greenfield%20Blacksmith/?start=0 Luke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myloh67 Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 What a beautifully equipped space, those tools are real choice, especially like the bellows mounted up on high. Magic. Theres got to be somebody local to make this space productive again, when you think of all of those other creative energies galssblowers ect on tap and all around you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Gilmore Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Nice to see the photos and sorry to hear no one works they now. In the late 1970's we had horseshoe making contests there during their fall festival. I worked in the shop a little when I was there. The building was brought over from England or Scotland I believe. Thanks for the photos. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Creek Blacksmith Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 The sad thing is there will not be a blacksmith working there again, unless the auto workers union folds. FAT chance there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Sorry to see another historical shop go. I used to volunteer at the "Old City Park", a living history museum, now known as "The Heritage Village" in Dallas,TX The new management started charging a $20 "anvil" fee + materials used and all proceeds of sales $17.50 and under went to the museum and 1/2 of any sales over that. They had EVERYTHING donated to them; coal, steel, anvils, forge, bellows, mandrel, handtools, everything and still wanted you to donate your time AND PAY them to man the forge. Shoot, even the land was donated to the city...back in 1876 to be a city park forever. To my knowledge the forge has been cold for 3-4 years. such a shame too. They don't even have a recording discribing anything. New management, huph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 The sad thing is there will not be a blacksmith working there again, unless the auto workers union folds. FAT chance there. Why is this? Do they really compete with the auto workers!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 My folks were from Detroit, and Warren, so when we visited Michigan back in 1979 it was mandatory to see Greenfield Village. The one thing that I remember the most was a pretty black haired gal who had the bluest bright blue eyes I have ever seen. Hey I was 14 and very impressionable at the time This sounds like an opportunity for a local smithing group. Rotate members through so the forge can be shown off, and not have any one member bear the brunt of the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 This is a sad thing. Thanks for sharing your photos. They bring fond memories back for me. I have been there many times as a child, taking school field trips and with my father. I have spent lots of time watching the smiths work there. I can remember my dad having to pull me out of there to look at other things. They use to make horse shoe nail rings and they had a box and handed them out to all the kids. Now after thinking about it this was my first exposure to blacksmithing and probably set the seed for where I am today. Maybe someone from the MABA will chime in and tell us what has happen there? Hopefully it is just a budget problem, or not being able to find a smith to run it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Nice to see the photos and sorry to hear no one works they now. In the late 1970's we had horseshoe making contests there during their fall festival. I worked in the shop a little when I was there. The building was brought over from England or Scotland I believe. Thanks for the photos. Glenn If you are not using it, can you send it back then please, I am sure Ian would find a good home for it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke March Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 If you are not using it, can you send it back then please, I am sure Ian would find a good home for it ! I believe they said the building originally came from Gloucestershire. It was reportedly used by several generations of smiths over a period of a few hundred years. I heard that too, about the UAW. I'm not sure exactly what the deal was, but it seems stupid that they should have anything to do with it at all. It would be nice to find out what's up, maybe we can find a way to help remove the obstacles that would keep an experienced smith from working there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Creek Blacksmith Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Why is this? Do they really compete with the auto workers!? They don't compete with them but Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum is owned by Ford. Some how the UAW got their hands into it and decided the blacksmiths would be union workers and would get UAW wages. Greenfield Village said I don't think so and let the blacksmiths go. The only way they would ever get blacksmiths back if the UAW decided to reverse their decision. This information I heard from some blacksmiths from Ohio that has worked there at one time or another. I'm only repeating what I have been told if I am wrong feel free to correct me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWHII Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 They don't compete with them but Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford museum is owned by Ford. Some how the UAW got their hands into it and decided the blacksmiths would be union workers and would get UAW wages. Greenfield Village said I don't think so and let the blacksmiths go. The only way they would ever get blacksmiths back if the UAW decided to reverse their decision. This information I heard from some blacksmiths from Ohio that has worked there at one time or another. I'm only repeating what I have been told if I am wrong feel free to correct me. WOW!! Thanks for that info. It just makes you wonder doesn't it? :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 It could be true or not but if it is the union is doing a disservice to future of the children of USA. I not anti-union but sometimes they go a bit far. A volunteer group should be allowed to take it over and continue to show how things were done. The union should support this endeavor not hinder it. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 I have no idea if the comments regarding UAW involvement at the village are correct or not. However I do know from personal experience that the auto manufactures did have blacksmiths on staff fairly recently. When I interened with GM in defiance Ohio in 2000, they still had a blacksmith in the maintainace department. He had a 50 lb little giant made in 1976 with the OSHA gaurd provided by LG in place. His name was Jim Auer and he was president of the Northern Ohio Blacksmiths group for a time. I saw him once or twice after my intership was done, but I found out that he died in 2003. He told me that once he retired, GM was not going to fill the blacksmith position in that shop again. So it makes sense to me that the UAW could have taken an interest in the wages of the blacksith at the village. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Creek Blacksmith Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 I heard this from some guys that work in the Ludwig Mill in Grand Rapids, Ohio. Us blacksmiths should band together and write or speak to the UAW to get them to lift their union status on the shop. If you are interested PM me and I'll try to get an address for you. We have plenty of auto workers around here with the Jeep plant in Toledo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mage Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I have worked in that forge, back in the late 80's. Gawd, I can't express what it felt like to play and learn in there. I was technically and interpreter for the museum. I was also training as a blacksmith. I had to be an interpreted to get to train as a smith. Now I live out in SO.Cal so have not been up on recent events, but when I worked there it was a private company with no affilation with the Ford Motor Company. Therefore, I don't think that the museum removed the blacksmith because of the union. They where closing doors and replacing the human interpreters with plexiglas and voice recording when I was there. Mike Machnick (sp?) was the Master Blacksmith, he had told me on more than occasion about his fear of being "Shut Down" as he put it. He made it sound like the museum was gunning for him. Safety issues to visitors and cost is the most likely the reason the museum closed it. The real shame is the blacksmith is the only one who cares and knows how to take care of that precious equipment. Maintainence in a "moist" state like Michigan in a never ending battle. P. Burke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mage Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Oh, that forge was originally from the Cotswald area of England. The forge was actually attached to the side on the village blacksmith's house. When Ford, saw the stone House/Forge on vacation he bought it and had it dissembled and shipped to Dearborn. Using this material to create the Cotswalds section of the village which includes a 2 story House, Dovecoat, and Forge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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