Return to Businesses 7
The quest to learn where the Darrtown blacksmith shops were located led to the discovery of the 1933 newspaper item that appears below.
In turn, the newspaper article triggered additional research that is exhibited in the emails and images that appear beneath the news item.
After finding the above news item, webmaster Fred Lindley shared it with several individuals known to possess knowledge of Darrtown's past. Two of those people (Charles Teckman and Marvin Russell) responded with information (displayed below) about the blacksmith shop on the Stork property.
The email messages from Charles and Marvin are replicated below (in chronological order) to document how the location of the Stork property blacksmith shop was determined.
From: "Teckman, Charles
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 8:47 AM
To: Fred Lindley
Subject: Calling all Darrtown detectives
Fred,
The blacksmith shop was located the second building south of our house, just between the houses of George Kolb and Howard Cox. The Cox family later used it as a garage. The blacksmith was gone about 1940, when the Cox family moved into a new house on the south side of the brick shop.
I remember visiting the smithie to watch him shoe horses when I was about three years old. Jake Schmidt lived in a one room house across the street. South of the blacksmith and Cox house lived the Zimmermans, Dr. Wilkie and Fred Schmidt family.
Dr. Wilkie delivered me May 28, 1929. Dr. Wilkie had an office in the house, and wife and daughter Belle Wilkie Miller lived there, with him. Belle was the wife of Ernie Miller and daughter-in-law of L. A. Miller.
Bill Miller, son of Ernie and Belle spent five years in the army in World War II.
Charles Teckman
From: Marvin Russell
Date: Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 1:04 PM
To: Fred Lindley
Subject: Re: Calling all Darrtown detectives
Fred, Edna Mee Stork owned lots 13 and part 14, from 8-9-1928 to 2-23-1938. Upon her death it was transferred to Mary Mee Bell and then she sold lot 13 to Howard Cox on March, 17 1938.
Charles got is right. I wasn't sure if this was the property that was in question last night when I was looking up property owned by Edna Stork, but Charles confirmed this.
Marvin
From: "Teckman, Charles"
Date: Friday, March 19, 2021 at 8:08 AM
To: Fred Lindley
Subject: Re: Getting closer...
The blacksmith shop stood in the northwest corner of lot 13 but it was torn down to make room for the Cox house and garage. Charles Teckman
Using the information provided by Charles Teckman and Marvin Russell, the webmaster created the diagram at the right, which shows the location of Lot No. 13, where the blacksmith shop was situated.
Darrtown had several blacksmiths through the years, as evidenced by the names listed on this website's blacksmith page,
BELOW: This image (from May, 2018) shows a garage that sits on Lot No. 13, which is the second lot south of North Street, on the east side of Main Street.
We do not possess an image of the former blacksmith shop that was located on lot 13.
To see all the lots in Darrtown, as platted by Conrad Darr in 1814, visit: History/maps
N
However... we do have our imagination...
BUSINESSES 6. The Milford House and the Darr Gas and Oil Company
Return to Businesses 7