Blacksmiths Keep Historic Art Alive By Sharing Knowledge
By Ryan Schlehuber

As Tonya Grupp of St. Louis, Michigan, applies water to cool down the heated area of the iron picket, and Steve Manning of Ossineke holds it in place in the vice, Steve Neumann of Saginaw (right) carefully twists the picket to give it a design. The picket is one of 80, along with 10 posts, that were made during the 16th annual Blacksmith Convention held on Mackinac Island Saturday, August 5.

Like many before them, Pam and Steve Manning of Ossineke just kind of fell into the hobby of blacksmithing. And like many before them, they continued the tradition of sharing the knowledge of blacksmithing with others at Mackinac Island's 16th Annual Blacksmith Convention at Benjamin's Blacksmith Shop Saturday, August 5.

The art of manipulating the strength of iron by heating it and then twisting, bending, and reshaping is a skill the Mannings have mastered. Having picked up the hobby four years ago during the annual Black Iron Days at Hartwick Pines Logging Museum in Grayling, the Mannings have gone beyond learning the craft; they have learned more about Manning family history.

"We found that Steve's grandfather was a blacksmith," said Mrs. Manning, as she cranked the blower that circulates air underneath coals in the forge, which can heat iron well over 2,000 degrees. "We found his forge and, since then, we've been collecting blacksmith tools. It's been like a treasure hunt for us."

Pam Manning of Ossineke cranks the blower while her husband, Steve, works the forge. The crank-blower makes the coals hotter and replaces the more labor-intensive bellows blower.

The Mannings have created dozens of wrought iron trinkets, such as key chains, belt buckles, hooks, snakes, and blacksmith tools. Mr. Manning, who works in a sawmill, is particularly proud of a dragon design he made from a farrier's file, a tool used to trim horse hooves.

This was the Mannings' second visit to the Mackinac Island blacksmith convention, but their first as participants, said Mrs. Manning, who is an employee at a computer parts manufacturing company.

The convention was held at the Benjamin Blacksmith Shop on Market Street. The shop has a long history on the Island. Robert H. Benjamin and a partner bought the Star Blacksmith Shop on Mackinac Island in 1885. The shop remained in the Benjamin family and in operation until about 1965. The Benjamin family donated the shop to Mackinac State Historic Parks in 1968, and it is now part of the Historic Downtown attractions.

Stewart Smith of Bridgeport displays a newly finished cross handle, which will be part of an entrance gate at the veterans memorial. Above him is an old-fashioned bellows blower.

"The people here are great," Mrs. Manning said about the convention. "They are very knowledgeable and honest. We learn from each other. It's a great way to keep blacksmithing alive. That is our main goal here."

Each year, the group takes on a different project and spends a

day working on it. Finished projects from past conventions can be seen around the Island, from wrought iron fences along the sidewalks at Fort Mackinac and in front of the blacksmith shop to the fish-shaped weathervane atop one of the fort's buildings, which can be seen from Main Street.

This year, the group made 80 pickets and 10 posts that will eventually become part of a wrought iron fence to encircle the veterans memorial in the city park on Market Street. Next year, the group will make stringers and loops for the fence.

Island resident and blacksmith hobbyist Dennis Bradley, who has been involved with the convention since its inception, said the group's goal is to create a fence that will enhance the memorial but with only subtle design.

"We don't want to take anything away from the memorial," he said, "so we've kept the design simple."

The top edges of each post, said Mr. Bradley, are at the same angle as the top edges on the memorial's main stone piece. Each picket has a simple twist design in the middle.

The most extravagant details are to be found in the crosses that will serve as handles to the fence gates, which Brent Cole of St. Louis and Stewart Smith of Bridgeport created at the convention.

Mr. Bradley said once all of the pieces to the fence are finished, they will be sand-blasted, primed, painted, and then assembled. He hopes the fence will be in place by fall 2007.