This collection was purchased at auction in the early 80's, in Tacoma, WA. USA. The Auction took place at a local restaurant called Steve's Gay 90's. The "Horseshoe Museum" is looking for any information about the collection that is available, such as who is the Farrier/Blacksmith that made the shoes or was it a combined effort, circa. info, and who built the display case if it was not the same person. If you have any information please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can forward the information to the present owners.

Bradley,
I saw a shoe board about a quarter this size at Gen. Vallijo's home museum in Sonoma, Ca. The quality was as good or better made buy a fellow from Healdsburg Ca. circa 1900. His father was one of the men who raised the Bear Flag in the rebelion that made California a Republic in the mid 1840s.
I plan to photograph them some time, but it's a few hundred miles south and will require motorcycle trans port, so I may have to wait for spring.
How about a link to the "museum"?

Bill Adams wrote:
Click Here for HorseshoeMuseum.com

You guys are gonna love this!

Bradley,

I followed your link to the Horseshoe museum. Very interesting collection of information!

While there, I browsed the 'Links' page and found the "National Museum of Horseshoeing Tools" in Oklahoma run by a Mr. Lee Liles.

On Lee's website there is a reference to "The Ultimate Blacksmith Shop". This little shop is owned by a Mr. Bob Armstrong.

The description indicates the shop is located in Bethel, Ohio.

What the heck?!?.... I live in Bethel, Ohio! Where is this place anyway? I had never heard of it. :confused:

So... I send a quick note to Mr. Liles asking about the specific location of the "The Ultimate Blacksmith Shop".

Lee writes back and gives me the address. He also says that he had just visited Bethel a few days earlier. Dang.. I missed him.

I look at the address and guess what?

The "Ultimate Blacksmith Shop" is located.... ready for this?.....

about 800 yards from my front door!!!!!!!!!

Yep... it's a farm just across a large field, diagonal to my own place! I can step out my front door and see the guys house!

I've never introduced myself to Mr. Armstrong, but have frequently seen he and his wife taking their daily walks along our street.

I drove over to his place this morning to introduce myself and get a first hand look at his collection. Didn't catch them at home so will try again later today.

From the house you can clearly see the smithy cabin on his property. I drive by it twice a day, every day, on my way out to our other training facility and never knew it was a blacksmith shop. I've lived here four years and had no idea this little place even existed.

Amazing what you can find in your own 'back yard', so to speak!

http://www.horseshoeingmuseum.com/article3.htm

Cheers,
Mark

Horseshoe Museum wrote:
A long time past,there was a Farrier name Charley chreighton who lived near
Tacoma.He has been dead for a long time.From a story that was told,he carried william russels book around and thought of it as a bible.The work looks alot like russells pictures. Big reputation farrier,and i don't think there
were alot of great farriers at his time in his neck of the woods........

JPT,
Thanks for the story. Two of my daughters live by Tacoma, I'll have them do a bit of history serch. I love to hear about old times.

Mark,
Cool how the hundreds of millions or billions of miles of wire helped you find a shed behind your house. That place looks like a treasure trove.

Bradley,
Ill bet there is a name inside the frame or under the backing of that display.

Mark_Gough wrote:
I am thinking I need to come over and visit with you after you have introduced yourself to the neighbors. I don't know how far Bethel is from Sunbury but I am sure it is worth the drive.

Jonathan Wilson

JWHORSESHOEING wrote:
Hi Jonathan. Depends on which Sunbury you hail from. If you're up in Delaware county, it's about 2 and 1/2 hours. If you're from Montgomery county, it's about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Wish I would have known about this little shop before the Bruce Matthews clinic at my place last month. Would have been a nice place for all the farriers to visit while here. A neighbor shared that Mr. Armstrong enjoys "showing off" his collection.

I still haven't gotten over there yet but plan on doing so this weekend. I'm looking forward to the visit and will see if I can get some photos to share on this forum if anyone is interested.

Cheers,
Mark

Mark,
I just got to grin about you not knowing what's in your back yard. How many of us are just the same as you - not really knowing who's around or what. I remember I was in Salmon for a long time before I knew one of the best too makers and farriers lived there.

Take some pics and post them for us to see, would like to see them.