Rasmussen Blacksmith Shop was founded in 1893.

Lewistown, Illinois.

I explored over 80 years of its history. Jeff led me through the process. He heated up the coals. Red embers sent crackling sparks into the air. Wheeling his hammer, he showed me how the hands-on work was done. Nothing was better than taking photos in a smokey room with nostalgic odors.

An assortment of vintage woodworking tools, including hammers and mallets, arranged on a rustic wooden table, with some tools resting on top of the table and others inside a wooden box, in a black and white photograph.

This collection comes with the help of

Jeff Van Ness

“Metal Mangler | Wood Butcher”.

A forge with a small controlled fire burning on a bed of charcoal or coal inside an indoor workshop.

This evocative black & white image reveals the raw aftermath—the charred remains and lingering smoke telling a story of resilience and history.

How many people did take to raise and lower this Bellow?

The shop has persevered its history in the smells, textures, the weight of a hammer.

A close-up of a forging fireplace. Igniting a fire on black charcoal, with bright orange flames and white smoke rising from the fire.

I couldn’t resist showing you the hot, gold-red, embers. The heat so hot that is melts metal to a pliable form. if you look closely, you will see a Devil’s tail!