Blacksmith Shop

Blacksmiths in the pioneer days provided shoes for horses, wagon wheel rims, chains, and plows to thier communities, as well as items for the household, like latches, hinges, and wrought iron gates. Blacksmiths were valued members of their communities for the work they provided.

This shop is the original blacksmith shop from Tower City, North Dakota and includes all its original furnishings. It was brought to Bonanzaville in 1970. The anvil was donated in memory of Clarence Evenson from Kindred, North Dakota, who used it from 1935 to 1965. It weighs 266 pounds and the center of the face has been worn down to just 1/16th of an inch from its years of heavy use.