JOHN HENRY DAVIS BLACKSMITH SHOP
The blacksmith, or “smithy”, was one of the most important and respected members of the community as pioneers and miners settled the West. Many of the authentic tools and blacksmith equipment on display came from old blacksmith shops in Modoc and Lake counties. The John Henry Davis Blacksmith Shop is named after Cheryl’s grandfather, who was a blacksmith.
A “smith” was a person who made things, and a blacksmith was a person who made things out of “black” metal, iron. One of the smallest but most valuable products the blacksmith produced was the nail. It is said that some abandoned homes were burned just to salvage these precious metal nails that had been used in the construction.
The blacksmith made the tools for almost every trade. Mill workers, ship builders, butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers all needed tools made of iron.
