Sheppard Family Park is looking for some forges and blacksmith tools

There's a new blacksmith in town, and they're at Sheppard Family Park and they need your help.

Board Director and resident blacksmith Paula Briggs is looking to take the blacksmith shop there to a whole new level.

(L to R) Workshop and the Blacksmith shop.

With 20 years of experience as a Ferrier making her own horseshoes, she's looking for locals to help out by donating forges and tools.

"I'm really looking for some cast iron equipment, old forge beds. There are things called rivet forges, they were in every town and village. They had small forges where someone would stand and make nails all day. So, I'm looking for those types of forges. Some of them are very interestingly built, they could be wood with a concrete bed, you'd be amazed at what we've seen. And then there's a lot of iron ones; cast iron ones that have bellows attached to them. Those are pretty rare, but I've seen a few.

But what I'm looking for is things that we can install in and around our building.

One particular for the interior I'm looking for is a coal forge that is big enough to make a medium sized blacksmith pieces like a hammer. And we need a hood for it. Anvils also, I'm looking for various sizes of anvils and tongs, hammers, any of the tools related to blacksmithing that people may have around. They would become part of Sheppard Family Park. Whichever families that donate we could put a plaque to commemorate the people who donate."

Blacksmith shop.

Briggs likes to teach local school kids how to make metal flowers and nails, but she'd like to show them how a real forge works and share blacksmithing with the next generation.

If you'd like to create a legacy just reach out to Sheppard Family Park via Facebook or simply calling them at 403-652-6075.

Paula Briggs, resident blacksmith at Sheppard Family Park.

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