Picture: The Kelso-Waddle Blacksmith Shop in Greenbrier in the early 1900s. Clyde Kelso and Tom Waddle are the two men in the middle with rods and horseshoes in their hands. Kelso is sixth from the right holding a horseshoe.

Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

At the turn of the century, every village had a blacksmith shop. Its services were always vitally needed because most communities were agricultural and needed farm implements as well as shoes for their horses. Even the townspeople needed blacksmiths for their horses and buggies as well as Continue reading →