Lilgendahl's Boy Blacksmith
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photo credit: Charles W. Lilgendahl Family collection
This little boy, about 6 years old, worked with the Lilgendahl blacksmith business. He was good enough to be treated as a professional blacksmith. He not only worked at the Lilgendahl busniess site, but he traveled to different barns to do blacksmith work. In such a day in age where horses were such an important part of life, shoeing was taken very seriously. Blacksmithing is not only a profession, But an art form. Blacksmithing holds mechanical thought, methods and ideas. Good blacksmiths have such insight on horses, and the way they move, that they can predict the horses’ movement by the angle they trim the horses’ hoof. Geometry is a big part of Blacksmithing. Knowing geometric angles are critical in shoeing. When considering what all goes into blacksmithing, it’s amazing to see this little boy being so involved in the business and around the community. This boy also apears on the Lilgendahls Wagon,Carriage, and practical Blacksmith billing invoice.