Key Number:	HS 24902
Site Name:	Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop
Other Names:
Site Type:	0719 - Industrial/Manufacturing - Metal and Other Minerals: Smithy, Kiln or Welding Shop

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			73	6	6

Address:
Number:
Street:
Avenue:
Other:
Town:	Sexsmith
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: None
Superstructure:	Horizontal Log
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	N/A
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	It is located amongst other commercial structures one block north of the main commercial street of the town of Sexsmith.
Condition:	Repair: Poor
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Built	1916/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
N/A Blacksmith shop	1916/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Wm Shannon & Sons Implements Ltd. The Town of Sexsmith	1971/10/14 1986/04/22

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	1909 - he left Sweden for Canada, arrived in Winnipeg, worked as blacksmith on Grand Trunk Railroad, then had a shop in Edson. 1920 - settled in Sexsmith 1930 - he married Lottie Burns 1916 - originally the shop was constructed and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Dave Bozarth. 1920 - Nels Johnson went into partnership with Bozarth. 1928 - Nels Johnson took over the shop; Nels worked in his shop until his death in 1978. 1981 - shop still stands. The town of Sexsmith considered turning the blacksmith's shop into a local museum; unfortunately this hasn't happened. The building has shifted, however, the povetail notching is different. * * * Historical Significance: The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop was constructed in 1916 by Dave Bozarth. Between 1920 and 1928 it was operated as a partnership between Bozarth and Nels Johnson who assumed total ownership in 1928 and continued to operate it until his death in 1978. Johnson is therefore the one individual most consistently associated with this site. Johnson, a native of Jantland, Sweden, emigrated to Canada in 1909 with prior training and experience as a blacksmith. Upon arriving in Canada, Johnson was employed as a blacksmith by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway on the construction of its main line west of Edmonton. In 1910, he left the employ of the railway and opened a blacksmith shop in the new town of Edson which he operated until 1914. Between 1914 and 1920 he was engaged in a variety of activities including freighting over the Edson Trail. In 1920 he settled down in Sexsmith where he remained for the rest of his life. The townsite which would eventually become the town of Sexsmith was created in 1916 during the construction of the Grande Prairie branch of the Edmonton Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway. Dave Bozarth's blacksmith shop was one of the first commercial enterprises to be established at the new townsite which also included a general store operated by Dave Sexsmith after whom the town was named. By 1920, the town of Sexsmith had emerged as a service centre for the adjacent rural area. Its importance in this role was further enhanced in 1921-22 when the Sexsmith Flour Mill was opened. The growth of the town of Sexsmith was therefore part of the opening up of the last agricultural frontier in the history of Alberta. The Peace River country had languished as an agricultural frontier prior to the completion of the Edmonton Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway in 1916. Even with the completion of the railway, the Peace River Country continued to experience difficulties as an agricultural area after 1916 because of declining immigration into the region, low agricultural prices and the low quality of service provided by the ED BC railway. By the late 1920s these problems had been overcome, so that the settlement process in the region was complete by 1930. Preliminary investigations indicate that the majority of machines and tools associated with the blacksmithing operation are still present in the building. As well, the shop contains tools and machines that were locally made and are important examples of local Alberta craftsmanship and ingenuity. The shop and its contents for the most part remain in working condition, a valuable resource for both historical and archaeological research, in terms of blacksmithing activity areas and their associated tools and equipment. The artifacts and their arrangement at the site, that is to say, are an essential component of the site's significance. Architectural Significance: As originally constructed, the Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop was a log structure which utilized round logs and saddle notch joints in its construction. It was rectangular with a gable roof without any interior partitions thus permitting its maximum utilization as an industrial structure. It has remained virtually unchanged since construction. The only significant modification to the structure has been the squaring of the logs on the front facade. The construction materials, construction techniques and the basic design of this building are indicative of the types of buildings constructed during the initial stages of the settlement process in Alberta. The log buildings constructed during the initial phase of a town's development were generally replaced with frame and brick structures if the town achieved some degree of permanence. * * * The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop and its smithy, Nels Johnson, played a very prominent role in the agricultural development of the area from Edson north. Nels, who started a shop in Edson in 1911 before coming north, was well known as a blacksmith of extra-ordinary skill and settlers passing through Edson to continue on over the Edson Trail urged Nels to come north. Nels operated a travelling stage coach hauling equipment back and forth over the Trail for a few years and plied his trade all the way along. At the insistence of the more vocal settlers, Nels set up in Sexsmith where he went into partnership with Dave Bozarth for a few years before Dave decided to go farming and Nels bought the shop. Here he constructed equipment and repairs for farmers and in order to serve the farming population better, he had to design and construct his own equipment. Nels never turned a farmer away because his need was too difficult to fulfill; there wasn't a task he wasn't capable of mastering - if he couldn't fix a part, he simply made a new one. Many times customers came from great distances with problems other blacksmiths had turned away as impossible - but Nels always satisfied the customer. Before long his reputation spread and other blacksmiths themselves were coming to have Nels construct machinery and equipment for them. Because of Nels great skill at his craft farmers (and garage operators and equipment dealers) were able to have all their needs met locally and were spared the time and expense of travelling to Edson or Edmonton to obtain necessities to carry on homesteading. Nels was also known for his great speed at his work and set several records: - His record for shoeing oxen was 16 mins. (2 mins. per hoof as oxen have 8) - He once reset 110 horseshoes in one day - He once sharpened 160 plowshares in a day by hand, before the triphammer came He also made special shoes for horses with sore feet and acted as somewhat of a veterinarian for horses from knowledge gained in the Cavalry. This huge, muscular man was also an artisan as he took time to create some beautiful artistic pieces. One especially beautiful piece is in the Pioneer Museum in Grande Prairie. Titled simply 'American Beauty', it consists of a rose and rosebuds in a rose bowl and is so intricate and delicate that it is hard to believe it is made of wrought iron. Nels was made a life member of the BPOE (Elks Lodge) and honored by the Alberta President in 1974 for his contribution to the development of Alberta. The fact that he had his own foundry in the shop made it quite unique and increased its importance in the area 100%. With this and all the other equipment and the vast assortment of tools the blacksmith shop was unique in its own right. Combine that shop with a master craftsman like Nels and their contribution to the development of Alberta, from Edson - over the Edson Trail - and the entire northern region - was astronomical. * * * After building the log blacksmith shop in Sexsmith in 1916, the Dave Bozarth family lived in the back for a few years. This was during prohibition, and as Dave made a little moonshine, he carved out hiding places in some of the logs, with a slab attached to a spring to cover it. In 1920, Dave Bozarth and Nels Johnson formed a partnership. As Nels said, 'We got together a little machinery, namely a trip hammer (that Nels used to call his 'hired man'), disc sharpener and hand blowers and built the rest.' The shop is overflowing with tools and equipment, many of which were handcrafted. The upper part is a mass of belts that are used to drive the machinery. Ropes hand down around the shop with a nut or bolt attached to the end. These are used for starting and stopping the machinery. The drill ran off a transmission from a Model T Ford up side down. About 1937 Nels bought an iron lathe from Portage La Prairie, the earlier machinery coming from Winnipeg. He took a course in electricity so that he could wire the shop. * * * Draft Press Release Edmonton, Alberta The Honourable Dennis Anderson, Minister of Culture announced today that the Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop has been designated a Registered Historic Resource. The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop was constructed in 1916 soon after the townsite was established. The individual most closely associated with the history of the building was Nels Johnson. Johnson, a native of Jantland, Sweden with training and experience as a blacksmith, emigrated to Canada in 1919. Upon arriving in Canada, Johnson was employed as a blacksmith by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway during the construction of its railway line west of Edmonton. In 1910, he left the employ of the railway and opened a blacksmith shop in the new town of Edson which he operated until 1914. Between 1914 and 1920 he was engaged in a variety of activities including freighting over the Edson Trail. When he settled down in Sexsmith in 1920, he brought extensive training and experience in Sweden and the enterprises of pioneer Alberta to bear on his classic blacksmith operation in yet another frontier situation. The majority of the machines and tools associated with his well-established business are still present in the building. As well, the shop contains tools and machines that were locally made and are important examples of Alberta craftsmanship ingenuity. These artifacts are housed in a building which is typical of blacksmith shops in Alberta during the initial stages of the settlement process. The Sexsmith Blacksmith Shop and its contents are thus a valuable resource for demonstrating the material culture of early blacksmithing activity, which was an essential component in the settlement process.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1986/10/28

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0573