Since everyone loved the historical reminisces of Vernon’s uncle that I published for a while… I thought maybe you’d enjoy some historical photographs as well. I’ll give a name or location if I have one and I’ll try to choose some interesting ones. Please chime in with things you notice or corrections if I label them wrong or questions.
This first one is listed as “Cousin Elmer Hoback, 1909”. I know at one time a Hoback had a blacksmith shop on the main street of Ten Sleep. I don’t know if this is the interior.
Below this was another photo of him…
“Machine gunner – World War”
Find me here!
Thanks for these photos so much history And what a life he had!
The pic is definitely from inside his (a) smithy Carol. His forge is right behind him (smoke hood is visible), the round wheel hanging on the post is a measuring tool and it looks like he was working on an order of shackles or pin connectors (pile on the ground). There’s also all the stuff behind and to the left that is either finished work or stuff to be fixed… Doesn’t look that much different than my own smithy, tool & clutter-wise…
It was said the Blacksmith was the most valuable tradesman in town because he made & repaired all the tools for ALL the other trades & professions.
Elmer might have ended up a machine gunner because he had good depth perception, was good with his hands and mechanical stuff… All necessary to be a good blacksmith.
And my Grandfather’s name was Elmer, but he was a carpenter. Began apprenticing at 5 and was a journeyman at 12… I was probably almost 50 before I started ‘Heatin & Beatin’ metal…
Great insight! Thanks so much for this comment!
Is there any way to know which picture came first? Perhaps he became a blacksmith after the war. And I would think that blacksmith was a useful trade in the army at that time.
Very interesting pictures. I vote for more.
The blacksmith photo was labeled 1909. So it’s first.
I second what Marilyn said! I find it very arresting that Elmer went from blacksmithing in the tiny town of Ten Sleep to manning a machine gun in a war. What a change of life for that young man.
More historic photos – sounds like a great idea! Hope to see more.