If you could travel back in time to the early 19th century and choose an occupation in your small town, what would it be? Would you espouse to be a farmer, pastor, grocer, teacher, barber, tailor, or perhaps a cobbler? I think I would follow the path of my 2nd great-grandfather, William Sidney Spaulding, and give blacksmithing a go. I am woefully inadequate to tackle the blacksmith profession (been driving a desk too long) but the thought of hammering molten iron into horseshoes and axe heads is quite exhilarating.
The Smithy
The local blacksmith was fondly referred to as “Smithy” – an old-fashioned word for an old-fashioned profession.1 The local smithy spent long, hot days by the forge heating iron and hammering it into axles, plows, pots, shovels, sledges, hinges, and nails. The smithy was an invaluable member of the community on the western frontier. The farmer-blacksmith team were instrumental in establishing a thriving mid-western community in the 19th century.
And like today’s barber, the town’s blacksmith was oftentimes a rural philosopher with his shop serving as a warm gathering place in the winter to discuss social and political topics of the day.2
The Shop
The blacksmith was a remarkable craftsman. Smithy could take basic raw materials of iron (or gold, silver, cooper, and bronze) and create a wide range of products. The blacksmith was indeed the artisan of the western frontier.
The tools the blacksmith used to perfect his trade included the hearth, anvil, vise, hammer, and tongs. The hearth or forge was a basin used to heat metals to sufficient temperature where they could be worked/shaped on the anvil. The anvil was a smooth working surface of wrought iron with a conical beak (or horn) at one end used to curve pieces of metal. A large vise was used to hold the object in place while withstanding the powerful hammer blows of the blacksmith. Smithy used a variety of tongs to keep a tight grip on the product as it was being shaped.
The Story
William Sidney Spaulding (1832-1909)
William Sidney Spaulding (my 2nd great-grandfather) was born July 28, 1832 in Cavendish, Vermont. He was the first to bring my direct Spaulding line name west after over 200 years in New England. William arrived in Rock Island, Illinois in 1853 at the age of 21. According to H.F. Kett in The Past and Present of Rock Island County, IL, published in 1877, “W.S. Spaulding was a blacksmith and a republican from Massachusetts.”
Upon his arrival in Rock Island, William roomed at a boarding house owned by Elizabeth (Cormack) Renfro, a widow. He married Elizabeth Renfro’s daughter, Mary Esther Renfro, on March 7, 1859. William and Mary Spaulding had six children—all boys.
An Illinois Civil War Draft Registration record, dated in June 1863, lists William Sidney Spaulding as a 27 year old blacksmith from Rock Island. There are no records indicating William Sidney served on active duty; however, it’s likely his blacksmith skills were leveraged for the Union Army’s war effort. Numerous blacksmiths were contracted by the Union Army during the Civil War to cast and drill out cannon barrels. The typical blacksmith in the North was paid three dollars per day for his services, which greatly exceeded the 13 dollars per month (43 cents per day) of a Union Army private.3
During the post-war Reconstruction Era, the 1870 United States Federal Census continued to list William Sidney Spaulding’s occupation as a blacksmith. William and his family lived in the second ward of Rock Island, Illinois. The value of their home was listed in the 1870 census at 600 dollars.
In his retirement years, William Sidney Spaulding enjoyed his walks on downtown Rock Island’s 38th Street. As he grew older, the asthma from his years of working as a blacksmith got the best of him, and he had to take frequent rests as he leaned against the streetlamps. William Sidney passed away at age 76 on February 25, 1909. He was buried in family plot 1477 at Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island.
The Poem
An 1840 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow titled The Village Blacksmith provides a glimpse into the life of American blacksmiths like William Sidney Spaulding. The local blacksmith was often a role model for the community, balancing hard work with family and faith. Take a few extra moments to slowly read the elegant and rhythmical words of Longfellow as he describes the life of the 19th century blacksmith.
The Village Blacksmith Under a spreading chestnut tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.
His hair is crisp, and black, and long, His face is like the tan; His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate’er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man.
Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low.
And children coming home from school Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing floor.
He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys; He hears the parson pray and preach, He hears his daughter’s voice, Singing in the village choir, And it makes his heart rejoice.
It sounds to him like her mother’s voice, Singing in Paradise! He needs must think of her once more, How in the grave she lies; And with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear out of his eyes.
Toiling, rejoicing, sorrowing, Onward through life he goes; Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night’s repose.
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought.4
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet (1840)
Reflections
William Sidney Spaulding’s 1909 obituary stated that, “He was well-known and had a large circle of close friends who admired him for his quiet and retiring disposition.” Longfellow’s poem enhances these words giving us a multifaceted picture of the American blacksmith.
When I read and reflect on Longfellow’s words, I gain a deeper sense of awe and respect for my 2nd great-grandfather, William Sidney Spaulding. When I close my eyes, I see my great-grandfather, Arthur Addison Spaulding, one of William’s six sons, scurrying to the blacksmith shop to see his father when Longfellow pens:
“And children coming home from school, Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar.”
I think of William faithfully attending Rock Island’s baptist church each Sunday with his six sons when Longfellow writes:
“He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys.”
Ooh, if I could travel back in time 180 years, I would cherish the opportunity to personally thank Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for helping me gain a deeper appreciation for the life of my 2nd great-grandfather—the life of an American Blacksmith.
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Retired U.S. Naval Officer, family historian, and author of Fortitude book.
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2 thoughts on “An American Blacksmith”
This one got me thinking of my Grandpa Parker who used to work for the Rock Island Railroad. It seems likely to me that since the RR was incorporated in Illinois that it likely received its name from Rock Island, IL. I never thought of it being a place. And I love the poem. Thanks for sharing your family history Dale.
That’s fascinating Pat. My 2nd great-grandfather, William Sidney Spaulding, who I highlighted in this post, worked as a blacksmith for the “Rock
Island Road,” a railroad operating between Rock Island and Chicago in his later years before his retirement.
Fortitude 
This one got me thinking of my Grandpa Parker who used to work for the Rock Island Railroad. It seems likely to me that since the RR was incorporated in Illinois that it likely received its name from Rock Island, IL. I never thought of it being a place. And I love the poem. Thanks for sharing your family history Dale.
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That’s fascinating Pat. My 2nd great-grandfather, William Sidney Spaulding, who I highlighted in this post, worked as a blacksmith for the “Rock
Island Road,” a railroad operating between Rock Island and Chicago in his later years before his retirement.
LikeLike