When I was a kid, I enjoyed going to the blacksmith shop to watch the blacksmith work. It was rather fascinating.

Back in those days, every town had a blacksmith, but somewhere along the evolution, they went out of existence.

It was a unique aroma in the blacksmith shop, with the coals burning and the vapors from the hot metal. Now I recall the pounding that took place in the shop, this was from the sharpening of plow sheers.

These days the plow is usually not used any more. Instead farmers are tilling their land in other ways, including using big disks or by doing minimum tillage. Even then the plowshares are not sharpened any more and haven't been for several years.

We are living in a throw away society. Instead of sharpening them, new ones are purchased.

Since blacksmiths are a thing of the past, many readers may not realize what a blacksmith is. This is a person who forges and sharpens metal with an anvil and a hammer. For many the only acquaintances with the blacksmith profession is seeing them in movies.

Two of the most famous blacksmiths include John Deere and Thomas Newcomen. At one time they made all of the horseshoes and did horseshoeing. Now the horseshoes are bought manufactured.

The forging took place over an open hearth. Air was forced by big bellows or a blower fan. They could do many things in the forge, or they could take the metal out and beat it.

Among the things that occurred was welding two pieces together.

When I was in high school, I had some experience forging and making things in vocational agriculture shop. What I remember most is making two hay hooks. I enjoyed the forging and doing that type of thing, but it took some skill and was a good experience. I thought that I still had those two hooks, but I have not located them since we moved. They are either what I made, or ones just like them. I would like to hang them in the garage. Perhaps something is wrong with me to be reminded of using those hooks bucking bales. That was hard work, but I did not mind in those days.

It seems to me that it was only a few years ago, I was at the Nevada vocational agriculture shop and they had just done away with the forges. When I was told about it by the director, I was surprised.

In thinking of how long ago that may have been, if I am right, it was most likely about 25 years ago. Time goes fast.

When I saw that there was going to be a blacksmith at Bushwhacker Days, I knew that I wanted to see that booth, which I found. The blacksmith was from Clinton and had trained in blacksmithing and had a great amount of knowledge. He could take a piece of iron and make almost any tool.

When I first saw him, I mentioned that skill is a thing of the past. He told me it went out 100 years ago. I informed him that I remember it from when I was a kid and that I am not that old. His booth was located by the old jail which is a part of the museum. Janet Wray said that at one time there was a blacksmith across the street from the old jail.

The blacksmith at Bushwhacker Days was an interesting guy to talk with and he did some demonstrations. He had a forge going, reminding me of the aroma. I did not take a lot of time talking to him, but it helped to remind me of our heritage.

This is a subject I have thought about writing about in the past, since blacksmiths were an important part of our society and they have gone out like many other things -- including the buggy whip manufacturers. However, now the Amish are making and using them.

It is good that displays of this type were included in Bushwhacker Days. We need to be reminded of our heritage and for young people to see how life was at one time.

There is more to the heritage than gun battles and other events of the Civil War.

If the blacksmith returns next year, take a few minutes and find out more about them. I am not sure when they went out of existance, perhaps in the '50s, with some disappearing in the early '60s.

I was pleased to see a display so that I could remember what existed when I was a kid.

The blacksmith is gone but not forgotten.