JAKE JACKSON MUSEUM & HISTORY CENTER

One of the goals of the Museum’s 1975 Long Range Plan was the creation of a working old time blacksmith shop. In the early years in Weaverville there were 6 to 8 blacksmith shops in town. As the population declined and metal work became available from factory sources, the number of shops decreased.

The Pioneer Blacksmith Shop was the principle blacksmith shop and originally stood on Main Street just opposite the existing old Weaverville Volunteer Fire Company’s firehouse. Benton and Armentrout first owned it in the 1870’s. They built a new shop in 1885 and it eventually passed to David Davis in 1888. That building was rebuilt in 1905 following the great fire that destroyed it and most of Chinatown.

David Davis’ younger brother, Griffith Davis, came from Illinois to work at the Pioneer Blacksmith shop when David Davis died in 1908. Griff worked at the shop and became owner in 1913. He took in Johnny Hagelman as his partner, but Hagelman left in 1919. Griff carried on as smithy until he died in 1936. In 1937 the building was dismantled.

The museum site was perfect for the duplication of the old Davis shop uptown. The building was completed in 1988, equipped and fully operational by 1989.

The interior of blacksmith side of the shop is set up from an old Gene Goodyear photo. The tools are not original Davis tools, but come from other pioneer shops - the old Harmon Schlomer shop in Helena (North Fork) and the Van Matre Ranch shop in Minersville, now covered by Trinity Lake. Two permanent forges are set up - one blower type and the other using bellows. Every attempt is made to retain its 1920's flavor.

Local blacksmiths use the replicated shop to produce items for sale in the Museum’s Gift Shop and for live demonstrations for school tours, bus tours and on holiday weekends. Blacksmithing classes are taught under the sponsorship of the California Blacksmith Association.