For the want of a little forged hook - Making Hardware at the Blacksmith Shop.

Our Blacksmith shop has played a restoration and repair role within The Farmers’ Museum since 1946.

We never know what project will come in next for repair or what will need to be made. One of the smallest jobs this July was a request from the Farmers for a small hook. It proved to be a small job with an important effect!

The Farmers came to the shop and said,


“We need a little forged hook.”

I asked, “Why to you need a hook?”

They replied, “To hold a string.”

I wondered, “Why do you need to hold the string?”

They replied, “To hold the door.”

I asked, “What door?”

They replied, “The Brooder House door."

"What does the Brooder House do?"

“It holds the hen that sits on the eggs.”

So it turns out they needed a hook to hold the string,

They needed the string to hold the door,

the door to that closes the Brooder House,

the Brooder House that holds the hen,

the hen that sits on the eggs,

the eggs to hatch eleven chicks!

Which the little hen did!

So indirectly my little hook led to there being eleven new Dominick chicks at The Farmers’ Museum! Little things like forged hooks and unhatched eggs can have big results.