[TheForge] Re: coal and conner prairie

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

I learned blacksmithing at Conner Prairie, its actualy 1836 but who's 
counting? <g>
CP was ranked awhile back as the best living history museum in the US, ahead 
of venerable places like Colonial Williamsburg, Plimoth Plantation, and the 
Henry Ford Museum.  From what I've seen of CW...I'd agree, Conner Prairie is 
much better.

I honestly don't know when coal was being commonly used in that part of 
Indiana.  Do know that smiths were still making charcoal much later in that 
vicinity.  Coal was being used in Tidewater, Virginia, as early as the 
16-teens, being imported from England, and being used alongside charcoal.

Jerry V

<< I've heard some discussion about when American smiths switched from
 charcoal to coal for their forges and thought I'd toss this out.  I'm
 sure not everyone switched and some continued and some returned, not
 the point I'm going to make.
 
    There is a 1840's recreation village in Indiana called Conner's
 Prairie, it's just north of Indianapolis, one of the "shops" is a
 black smith's shop. The day I was there the guy at the forge was the
 "apprentice" and he was talking about how he wasn't sure if he liked
 the new "stone coal" that the smith had bought.  He moaned a little
 about it smelling bad, but then said something like, "well, I guess if
 it gets hot enough it's alright".
 
    This is supposed to be a perfectly historically accurate village,
 the people all dress and stay in character.  (well, I got the potter
 to break character, but that's another story)  It's administrated by
 Earlham College and they are supposed to have done everything they can
 to make it accurate and change things if they learn they are
 inaccurate.
 
    So.. is there a specific time when this "change" occurred?  Did the
 "change" happen wholesale or was it a preference or convienence thing?
 Is 1840 about right or just right for the "frontier" that the area was
 at the time?
  >>