Blacksmiths
Compiled and Edited by Michael R. Reilly
Updated 01/10/2006
The first plow is said to havebeen brought in by D. Bonham. At that time, the settlers went to Milwaukee toget their plows sharpened and repaired, which had to be done very frequently,for on much of the land grew what was called red root brush, and the ground,being literally filled with these tough roots, was very had to break.
With the increasing number ofpeople who came to this area to work, it is only natural that there must beother businesses to tend the needs of these settlers. Probably the busiest wasthe blacksmith, for sharp drills were needed every morning in the quarrybusinesses and every boss wanted his ready before the day’s work began.
About 1839 or 1840, Rice Gale came in and put up a blacksmithshop on Section 35, near the house of D. Bonham. Mr. Gale was followed byMr. Nottingham, who built one nearby.
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1850 – Census takenAugust 28, 1850
Thomas Paine, 28, Blacksmith, son of Thomas, 50, farmer, England
Charles Cooling, Blacksmith, 31, England
Richard Cooling, 37, Blacksmith, England
STEPHEN3 WEAVER (WILLIAM F.2, JAMES1) was bornJune 25, 1810 in Sussex Co. , England, and died August 06, 1894 in Pewaukee,Waukesha, Wisconsin. He married (1) ELIZABETH MAXON Abt. 1830 in Kingsbury,Broome Co., New York. She was born in Delaware Co., New York, and died December1832 in Oneida County, New York. He married (2) PHOEBE MAXON August 13, 1833 inDelaware Co., New York. She was born March 18, 1816 in Courtright, Delaware, NewYork, and died April 10, 1886 in Pewaukee, Waukesha, Wisconsin. He married (3)SARAH HANKEY Abt. 1887.
Burial: Forest Hill Cemetery, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Emigration 1: 1830, Oneida Co., NY, then to Kingsbury, Broome Co., NY.
Emigration 2: 1837, Originally came to Wisconsin in 1837 but stayed only a fewmonths.
Emigration 3: 1855, Returned to Wisconsin
Occupation: Blacksmith
Residence 1: Pewaukee
Residence 2: Abt. 1832, Lived at first in Delaware Co., New York with firstwife.
Residence 3: Bet. 1839 – 1855, Moved to Chenango Co., New York with Phoebe.
1860
Thomas Paine, 37, England, Blacksmith
Peter Harris, 23, Blacksmith, Scotland
Charles Cooling, 41, Master Blacksmith, England
James Meiddleton, 27, Blacksmith, England
William Middleton, 36, Master Blacksmith, England
John A. Carver, 24, blacksmith, New York
Before long Sussex was knownthroughout the Wisconsin Territory as “that English settlement”. Itbecame a typical English village. The Episcopal church [St. Alban’s] aroundwhich the cabins began to spring up soon came to be the center of the buryingground for the village, following English churchyard customs. Years later – in1864 – when the church was outgrown and moved away to be made into ablacksmith shop, after the new stone structure has been put up north of thevillage’s “four-corners”, the graveyard occupied the center of thecommunity. It still does, and the newer residents, who have not had associationswith a former age there, say that “Sussex can never amount to anything witha graveyard at its’ heart”.
Lisbon: School District No.10 – Annette C. Purdy, Teacher/ 43 scholars. No schoolhouse site to speakof. The 27(?) x 9 house is located on the street, bounded on the north by a blacksmithshop; on the east by a barnyard dog kennel; and on the south by a potatopatch. The sound of hammer and anvil–the yelling of dogs–the neighingof horses–“the rumbling of wheels o’er the stony street”–the dirt ofthe road mingling with the fumes of the barn-yard and smoke of the forge,make it just about as unfit a place for a school as can wee be imagined. TheProspect Hill establishment is quite respectable in comparison with the Sussexinstitution. Miss Purdy is doing as well as could be expected under thecircumstances. She is a superior scholar, a competent teacher, and is worthy ofa better schoolhouse to labor in. Waukesha Freeman, July 1, 1862
Blacksmith Humor (Waukesha Freeman, August 4, 1863)
Why is a blacksmithlike a safe steed?
Because one is a horse-shoer,and the other is a sure horse.
THOMAS CAMPBELL (DONALD1) was born November 17,1829, and died October 06, 1899. He married LOUISA WINN June 13, 1856, daughterof GEORGE WINN and LAVINA ?. She was born in Lockport, NY, and died November 14,1905.
More About THOMAS CAMPBELL:
Emigration: August 04, 1854, From the port of Greenlock, (?) onboard the sailingship Hinford of Glasglow
Masonic: Bet. 1878 – 1879, Master of Sussex Ashlar Lodge
Occupation 1: Bef. 1854, Blacksmith
Occupation 2: Bet. May 1854 – 1857, Blacksmith in Grand Trunck Forest,Canada
Occupation 3: Bet. May 1857 – March 1863, Blacksmith in Ozaukee County
Occupation 4: Aft. 1863, Blacksmith and wagon business was conducted instructures to the west of his home on Main St. in Sussex.
1870
Charles Heinm, 27, blacksmith, Hanover, Germany
James Wilkins, 59, blacksmith, England
Thomas Campbell, 40, Blacksmith, Scotland
Alexander Turner, 22, blacksmith, Scotland
David Harrington, 21, blacksmith, Wisconsin
Charles Cooling, 51, blacksmith, England
Warren Horess, 21, blacksmith, New York
Adolph Sperendiano, 34, blacksmith, Prussia
DONALD ROSS CAMPBELL (THOMAS2, DONALD1) was bornJune 02, 1859 in Port Washington, Ozaukee, Wisconsin, and died September 18,1925. He married ELLA SIMMONS January 22, 1884, daughter of VOLNEY SIMMONS andJANE EDWARDS. She died December 28, 1933
Occupation: Aft. October 1899, Took over father’s blacksmith business
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“Yesteryear in Sussex: Fred Stier’s Blacksmith Shop“, by FredH. Keller, Yesteryear in Sussex Revisited, page 35-36. Where Cain’sService Station stands today was once the center of Sussex, the “FourCorners.” [Main and Maple Ave.]. Charles Cooling, an English immigrant,operated Cooling’s Carriage and Wagon Shop on the southeast corner. Fred Stiertook over the shop around the turn of the century, It became Stier’s Blacksmith Shop. This picture was taken in 1906. Only four individuals canbe identified today. Those beginning third from left; Fred Stier, Francis Stier,Roy Stier and William Smith. Stier was a good iron smith but not a businessman.He had a habit of marking work down on a blackboard with chalk. Occasionally itgot erased and occasionally his wife would come down to copy all the accountsfrom the blackboard and they’d be gone. In a 1900 bill made out by Fred’s wifethe price to set one horse shoe was 20 cents and four for the bargain price of70 cents!
According to Fred Keller (SussexSun, Tues. Oct 10, 1978, p20), the railroad commissioned Guy Peterson ofMadison to drill the well. After going down 500 ft he lost his drill bit. Heengaged Fred Stier, a local blacksmith, a make a contraption to retrievethe bit, but weeks of trying different ploys nothing was successful. Finally adecision was made to dig a new well and abandon the 500 ft hole. The new wellwent down 800 ft to a water source, and took over one year to complete.
April 4, 1878 – Our lively, talkative CharlieNewbecker, the blacksmith and Postmaster, is crowed with business. page2. (Editor’s note: Charlie Newbecker, who recently moved into town (Waukesha)from Duplainville and began a blacksmith business. May 14, 1885)
1880
Andrew Prendergast/Pendergast, 39, Blacksmith, Ireland
William Wilkins (boards with Robert Leadley family, his wife ? Elizabeth, age 36, is their house keeper, and she suffers from some disease), 27, Blacksmith, England
Thomas Campbell, 50, Blacksmith, Scotland
Donald Campbell, 21, Blacksmith, Wisconsin
Walter Davison, 23, Blacksmith (works for Campbells), Wisconsin
Charles Cooling, 62, Blacksmith, England
Willie S. Cooling, 22, Blacksmith, Wisconsin
The book RichfieldRemembers The Past identifies Colgate was established in 1886. Initially thecommunity had the usual compliment of businesses: small hotel, general store,four saloons, a tin shop, a blacksmith shop, a cheese factory, with achurch and school nearby. The cheese factory went out of business in 1914. In1916 the community was said to possess a population of 50.
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The next post office started was in Sussex with the firstsettler here, Richard Cooling, a blacksmith and general store owner beingthe first postmaster. Jan. 6, 1851
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ii. ANDREW PENDERGAST, b. Abt. 1840, Ireland.
More About ANDREW PENDERGAST:
Occupation: 1880, Blacksmith, town of Lisbon, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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By the 1890’s, local business directories listed CharlesBrooks, Donald Campbell, Frank C. Peterson, Mike Cooling and Fred Stier asblacksmiths. Source: Business History in Sussex – Lisbon, Blacksmiths, byFred H. Keller, Sussex Area Chamber of Commerce, 2005, page 8
Waukesha Freeman, July10, 1890 -Mr. Chas. Brooks and family, of England, arrived here on the eveningof the fifth. Mr. Brooks comes to take charge of the blacksmith shopformerly occupied by W. L. Cooling.
Waukesha Freeman,November 27, 1890 – Merton: Mr. [William] Campbell has rented his blacksmithshop to John Madison and is going to move his family to town.
February 12, 1891 – Mr.Campbell is coming back [to Merton] to resume his duties in the blacksmithshop the first of March. Everyone will be pleased to have him back again.
Merton – Mr. Winkler of NorthLake has purchased the building from Otto Otterson, used by him for a blacksmithshop, and will remodel it into a creamery. Waukesha Freeman, November2, 1899
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1900 Census
M. W. Sullivan, Sept 1848, 51, Michigan, Blacksmith
Fredrick Stier, Oct 1874, 25, Germany, e 1882, Blacksmith
Donald Campbell, June 1859, 40, Wisconsin,Blacksmith
William Wilkins, Oct 1854, 45, England, e 1861,Blacksmith
1910 Census
Stin Fredrick, age 34, Germany, emigrated 1882/92 (This wasprobably Fredrick Stier)
Donald Campbell, 50, b. Wisconsin
Charles Dieffenbach, age 25, b. Wisconsin
John Magnusson passed away onNew Year’s morning. Although he had not been in good health for some time, deathcame unexpectantly. He was born in Sweden in 1876. As a young man he worked as blacksmithapprentice for three years, then served in the (Swedish) army for two years.After this he came to America, returning to his native land in 1908. In 1910, hecame back to America, bringing with him a wife, who with five children survivehim. The children are Sven, Margaret, Helen, Ingrid and Arthur. The deceased hasbeen a successful blacksmith in this village for many years, untilrecently, when ill health has often kept him from his shop. Funeral serviceswere held on Sunday afternoon from the M. E. Church of which he was a member.The Rev. Buxton officiated. Interment was in Rose Hill cemetery. WaukeshaFreeman, Wednesday, January 6, 1937
Yet by 1918 the blacksmith wason its way out, as only two were listed for the area – John Magnusson inTempleton, and John Ellsworth in Sussex (Note: Waukesha Freeman, December 18,1930, lists John as a village of Merton County Supervisor). The last blacksmithwas a Russian immigrant, Roman Kanawick (note correct spelling below). Source: BusinessHistory in Sussex – Lisbon, Blacksmiths, by Fred H. Keller, Sussex AreaChamber of Commerce, 2005, page 8
Editor’s Note: Name: Roman Kanewic SSN:398-32-5078 Last Residence: 53089 Sussex, Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States ofAmerica Born: 25 Mar 1885 Died: Nov 1971 State (Year) SSN issued: Wisconsin
Instead of a blacksmith, as was his father, RoryStier, son of Fred Stier, age 17, auto mechanic
1920 Census (taken by Geo Wileden is separated into twoenumeration districts 173 sections 1 – 18 and 174 sections 19 – 36.)
William Bluelmason ?, blacksmith
John Magnusson
1930 Census (Town of Lisbon enumeration district 14excluding the village of Sussex)
Walter Smith, age 27, blacksmith at a motor works
John Magnusson, blacksmith, general works
Albert Smithy of Milwaukee has purchased the blacksmithshop and tools from Mrs. John Magnussen and has taken possession. He will movehis family to this village as soon as he can find a vacant house. WaukeshaFreeman, December 8, 1937, page 2 of 10.
Charles Krueger and family are moving to Kewaskum to maketheir home. They had been living in the former Young house for the past year.Mr. Krueger operated the Magnussen Blacksmith shop for some time.
WaukeshaFreeman, March 30, 1938, page 12 of 16.
For Sale – Real Estate
Blacksmith Shop: $4,000 including tools and equipment. J. Boltz, Merton, Wis.Phone 21-W. Waukesha Freeman, July 4, 1945