Fort Vancouver Historic Structures Report

Furnishings

The Blacksmith's Shop is one structure at Fort Vancouver whose furnishings are known almost down to the last detail. The evidence--archeological, historical, and comparative--is virtually complete, or will be when the archeological excavations have been finished and described.

Workbenches. During 1973-74 National Park Service archeologists discovered a series of rectangular postholes parallel with the interior face of the west wall. These depressions apparently indicate the locations of "work benches, vise frames, post drills, and sundry items expected in a shop of the period." [42] With the holes to provide the dimensions and with comparative data to furnish the designs, there should be little difficulty in reconstructing these features. The plans for the workbench in the Lower Fort Garry smithy given in Plate XLVIII should be of assistance in this regard, and there are numerous technical works that have information on the equipping of nineteenth-century blacksmith's shops.

Coal box. Another item not mentioned in the historical record but known from comparative data is the coal box. Almost certainly there was one in the Fort Vancouver smithy. The plan of that at Lower Fort Garry given in Plate LIII will provide the general design, although the box at Fort Vancouver undoubtedly was larger.

Bases for bellows. Four pairs of bellows are listed in the in ventories. The larger sizes, at least, undoubtedly had bases of some sort. Archeologists have discovered a "large wooden foundation" that may have been for such a purpose. A combination of the archeological evidence and technical data gained from handbooks should provide suitable designs.

Inventories. Archeological excavations in 1947-52 and 1973-74 have produced a vast amount of iron, steel, and other types of metal scrap at the site of the Blacksmith's Shop and in its vicinity. Most of these thousands of pieces were merely waste metal, ends and pieces cut off of stock during the manufacturing process and too small to reclaim. But many others represented products of the forges in various stages of production or broken objects. From them the archeologists have been able to determine not only a wide range of products made at Fort Vancouver but also a very good inventory of the tools and equipment used in the smithy itself. [43] When this information becomes available it should provide superb guidance for refurnishing the building.

Meanwhile, the inventories in the archives of the Hudson's Bay Company are excellent records of the smithy furnishings. Under the subheading "Articles in Use," the Fort Vancouver depot inventory taken during the spring of 1844 contains the following list:

For some reason not apparent the list made during the inventory taken in the spring of 1845 was much shorter. Several of the items noted in 1844 were included, but a number, several of which would appear to have been of prime importance, were omitted. The 1845 list is as follows:

By the spring of 1847 the smithy inventory had undergone a considerable change. For one thing, the fact that only three each of certain key items such as anvils, fire shovels, and pokers were listed may indicate that only three forges were operating at that time. At any rate, the inventory of 1847 was as follows:

As usual, the inventory made in the spring of 1848 was the most detailed of all those thus far examined by the writer. It presents an excellent view of the articles in use in the Blacksmith Shop during that year: