The 2015 WMSTR will highlight blacksmithing and metalworkers. Visitors can enjoy blacksmiths working on a number of forges (where the blacksmith heats and shapes the iron), a complete line-shaft driven machine shop, and an operational foundry (workshop) that will feature aluminum casting. “Blacksmiths from all over the country will be on hand to demonstrate their talents,” WMSTR President Mark Kerklviet explained. “We will also have a good representation of Fairbanks Morse engines.”
In early America, blacksmiths were highly revered and respected. Society considered them ultra-intelligent jack-of-all-trades. Without a quality blacksmith, towns were not able to function properly. Gradually, however, the trade began to wither away. The decline of horses being used for transport and labor eventually led to the disappearance of the traditional blacksmith altogether.
Also on hand during the weekend will be a steam hammer, which is used in shaping forgings and driving piles. Steam hammers come in all sizes, depending on the project’s needs. One of the largest ever made was built by the United States’ Bethlehem Iron Company in 1891. That steam hammer weighed upwards of 6.5 tons and was capable of delivering a 125-ton blow.
WMSTR’s steam hammer is not quite that large, but it is an historical treasure nonetheless. “It came from the rail yards near the Twin Cities,” explained committee member Jerry Christiansen. “We make our souvenir plates on it now.” The hammer will make stamp plates on the 1/2 hour from 9:00am to 5:00pm. The plates will then be made available for purchase.
The steam hammer in question was built by Morgan Engineering in Alliance, Ohio and used to forge iron parts that were to large or heavy to be handled by hand. It carries a plate date of 1876 and uses stem pressure to move up and down, making it a perfect addition to the grounds at Rollag. Burlington Northern Railroad must have agreed; they donated the 1,500-pound hammer to WMSTR in 1975. Construction began on a base for the monster machine in 1975. It took nine feet of concrete to hold the hammer, which commenced operation in 1976.
This year’s reunion is also the 100th anniversary of the Murray Iron Works Corliss Steam Engine. The Corliss is a steam engine fitted with rotary valves and variable valve timing. American engineer George Henry Corliss of Providence, Rhode Island patented the engine in 1989. “It is a neat old engine with a rope drive system that runs the flourmill,” Kerklviet explained.
