The Village Blacksmith
1Long ago, most American villages had a blacksmith. Before factories made most metal goods, people needed someone nearby who could shape iron by hand. The blacksmith's shop was often one of the busiest places in town. By heating, hammering, and shaping iron, a blacksmith made and fixed many of the things a village needed every day.
2The center of every blacksmith shop was the forge. A forge is a kind of fireplace where coal or charcoal burns very hot. To make the fire even hotter, the blacksmith pumped a large bellows, which pushed air into the flames. When iron was heated until it glowed orange, it became soft enough to bend. Many shops were kept dim inside so the blacksmith could judge how hot the iron was by its color.
3Next, the blacksmith had to work quickly. Using long tongs, the blacksmith pulled the glowing iron from the fire and set it on an anvil, a heavy iron block with a flat top. Then the blacksmith struck the metal again and again with a hammer. Each blow pushed the iron into a new shape. When the metal cooled and grew stiff, it went back into the fire.
4Blacksmiths made a long list of useful things. Farmers needed hoes, plow blades, and chains. Families needed nails, hinges for doors, and hooks for hanging pots over the fireplace. Many blacksmiths also made horseshoes to protect the hooves of horses that pulled wagons and plows. Some blacksmiths even made the iron rims that fit around wooden wagon wheels.
5Fixing things was just as important as making them. When a tool broke or a wagon part cracked, people did not usually throw it away. Instead, they carried it to the blacksmith. The blacksmith heated the broken pieces, joined them, or hammered them back into shape so the family could use them again. Because of this, a family could keep the same tools for many years.