Help Rebuild the 1860s Blacksmith Shop at Old Fort Klamath

One hundred and fifty years ago the ring of a blacksmith anvil echoed from the hills above Fort Klamath. The Fort was established as a U.S. Army military post on September 5, 1863 on Linn Creek (now called Fort Creek, a tributary of Wood River) That anvil's ring was last heard in 1889 when the military abandoned the fort. Let's bring it back. Let's bring Oregon’s frontier history back to life for thousands of children and visitors.

For more than 150 years, the blacksmith shop at Old Fort Klamath has been silent. The original building is long gone—yet its story, its purpose, and its legacy remain essential to understanding Oregon’s frontier past. Today, we have a rare opportunity to bring that history back to life in a way that future generations can see, hear, and experience for themselves.

We are raising funds to rebuild the Fort Klamath blacksmith shop as a working, historically accurate 1860s forge, complete with tools, equipment, and educational displays. This will not be a static museum exhibit—it will be a living, breathing piece of Oregon history.

Why the Blacksmith Shop Matters

On every frontier fort, the blacksmith shop was the beating heart of daily survival. At Fort Klamath, the smiths repaired wagons, shod horses, forged tools, fixed equipment, and kept the Army and early settlers moving. Without the blacksmith, nothing worked for long.

Rebuilding this shop restores a missing piece of the fort’s story—one that visitors can walk into, smell the coal smoke, hear the ring of the anvil, and watch iron come alive under the hammer.

We Are the Living Blacksmiths of Fort Klamath

Every May and August, we—two volunteer blacksmith reenactors, Richard Rambo and Gina Janelli—haul our forges, anvils, tools, and equipment to the fort to demonstrate 1860s blacksmithing exactly as it was done here more than a century and a half ago. We do this entirely by hand, using period‑correct tools and techniques. We are not actors. We are not hobbyists. We are the living continuation of the original Fort Klamath smiths. And we do it because this history deserves to be kept alive. We are volunteers. We donate our time, our labor, and our tools.

Your support goes directly into rebuilding the shop itself.

Hundreds of Oregon Students Learn Here Every Year

Each May, several hundred 4th‑grade students visit Old Fort Klamath as part of their Oregon history curriculum. They gather around the forge to watch sparks fly, hear the ring of the hammer, and learn how essential blacksmithing was to frontier life.

In August, we return for public demonstrations for families, tourists, and community members.

But right now, all of this happens under a modern gazebo—because the original blacksmith shop no longer exists.

The Problem: A Missing Building Means a Missing Story

Without a proper structure:

Our Vision: Rebuild the 1860s Blacksmith Shop using a late 19th century cabin from the Poe Valley area of Klamath County donated to the Klamath County Museum by the Webber Family. The cabin being used in this project was built on the Webber Homestead in the Casey area of the Klamath Basin. It was known locally as "The Little Log House at the Base of Stukel Mountain" While the cabin withstood the ravages of time because it was encased in another structure it needs substantial repairs, a new roof, repairs to the main support beam, foundation, flooring and siding to match the board siding of the original military blacksmith shop.

Your donation will help us construct an historically accurate 19th century blacksmith shop , complete with a duel firepot brick forge and chimney, workbench, tool holders, and authentic 19th century blacksmith tools and equipment. There will be working anvil stations, educational displays, viewing areas for school groups, as well as period‑correct doors, windows, and hardware'

This will allow us to demonstrate blacksmithing year‑round and give visitors a true sense of what life was like at Fort Klamath in the 1860s

Why This Matters

This project is more than a building. It is:

A hands‑on learning experience for Oregon students

A living demonstration of frontier craftsmanship

A community heritage project

A way to preserve skills that shaped the American West

A gift to future generations

When children stand in front of a working forge—feeling the heat, hearing the hammer, watching iron glow—they connect with history in a way no textbook can match. All visitors to the shop can, for a moment in time experience the smell of a coal forge and hear the ring of an anvil just as their ancestors would have done in earlier times.

Bring History Back to Life

We are asking for your help to rebuild the Fort Klamath blacksmith shop so that this essential piece of Oregon’s past can stand again—alive, working, and ready to teach.

Every donation brings us one step closer.

Every share helps spread the word.

Every supporter becomes part of this story.

Please donate today and help us rebuild the 1860s blacksmith shop at Old Fort Klamath.

Let’s bring the forge back to life.