Eli
Blacksmith & Livery • 1870s–1880s
Name’s Eli. If you heard iron sing this morning, that was my hammer. Wheels crack, shoes thin, tools dull—my forge keeps this town moving.
I run the livery, too—feed and water, clean stalls, rigs for rent when stock allows. Travelers leave a horse with me and a story by the hay; I trade both for good work and a steady shop.
Ask me about: hot-shoeing a nervous horse, tightening a wagon tire, trail-side axle fixes, tempering steel, and what to check before renting a rig.
Responsibilities
- Farrier work for saddle & draft horses
- Forge iron: hinges, nails, tools, wagon tires
- Repair wheels, axles, doubletrees & fittings
Skills
- Drawing, upsetting, drifting, riveting
- Heat-treating & tempering tool steel
- Trail repairs with whatever’s on hand
Gear & Shop
- Anvil, forge, bellows, swage block
- Hammers, tongs, fullers, punches
- Quench tub, slack tub, shoeing stocks
Livery
- Board by day or week
- Hay, grain, tack repair
- Buggy & wagon rental (when stock allows)
Connections
- Farmers, freighters & trail outfits
- Stage line & river teams
- Soldiers needing shoeing & repairs
Shop Rules
- Cash or fair barter
- Horses calm before shoeing
- Trail damage jumps the queue
- Mind the sparks, keep aisles clear
“If it bends, I’ll straighten it. If it breaks, I’ll make it better.”