Charles Sandberg's blacksmith shop was one of Hockinson's memorable early trade businesses, remembered for its fiery forge and noisy anvil. Historical records connect Sandberg's work to horses, wagons, farm equipment and the transition into the automobile era.
Charles Sandberg's blacksmith shop at a glance
- Blacksmith: Charles Sandberg
- Arrival in the Hockinson area: about 1905
- Work: horseshoeing, wagon repair, wheel work, plowshares and farm equipment
- Historical image: Sandberg with Arvie Sakrison, about 1915
Where Sandberg's shop stood
The historical account says Sandberg came to the Hockinson area from the Pomeroy region about 1905. His shop stood west of the main Hockinson intersection on the south side of the road, and a later two-story shop occupied the same general location.
What a rural blacksmith did
Blacksmithing was essential rural infrastructure. Sandberg shod horses, repaired wagons, re-tired wheels, fixed plowshares, worked with wood and repaired farm equipment. His shop included numerous tongs and a trip hammer.
From horse-and-wagon work to automobiles
As transportation changed, Sandberg's work changed with it. The account remembers him repairing an early automobile stage with an acetylene torch and working on pumps before electricity became common. That transition is explored further in The Old Hockinson Blacksmith Whose Anvil Could Be Heard for Miles.
Sandberg and the wider Hockinson community
The shop eventually burned, and Sandberg moved a short distance west. He was later buried at Elim Cemetery, linking his business story to Hockinson's broader Scandinavian community. See Elim Lutheran Church and Hockinson's Scandinavian Heritage.
Historical sources
- “Hockinson Old Timers Recall Fiery Forge, Noisy Anvil of Charles Sandberg's Shop,” Ted Van Arsdol
- Historic Charles Sandberg and Arvie Sakrison blacksmith-shop photograph, dated about 1915
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