By Jane Ledbetter
As soon as farmers began populating such areas as Cypress in the late 1800s and
early 1900s, they began breaking ground in preparation for growing crops. It
did not take long for the iron and steel tools they brought with them from
their homelands or purchased in other parts of the U.S. to be bent, broken or
eroded. It quickly became apparent that a farm forge or at least a blacksmith
shop nearby could save the farmer a lot of time by getting the equipment
returned to service in short order.
Soon almost every community, including Cypress Top, had its own blacksmith shop. By definition, a blacksmith is a person who makes
or repairs metal objects by shaping the metal while it is hot and soft.
Not only could large pieces of metal be heated in a forge and straightened with
a hammer, anvil and vise, but plows could be sharpened and points replaced.
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These jobs from the days of horse-drawn farm implements have now almost all
disappeared.
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Even wagon wheels could often be repaired, and horses could be shod. Simple hardware items and hand tools like hammers, chisels and drill bits could
be made. What a wonderful place the blacksmith shop was in those days!
However, with the passing of time, factories and mass-production reduced the
need for the farm forge and local blacksmith shop. These jobs from the days of
horse-drawn farm implements have now almost all disappeared. The old shops were
often converted to auto repair shops, welding shops, machine shops, metal
recycling yards and manufacturing plants. Today, groups such as the Houston
Area Blacksmith
’s Association (www.habairon.org) work to preserve and promote the art and craft of blacksmithing as it was practiced
in bygone days.
Many artifacts of bygone days in Cypress are preserved at Cypress Top Historic
Park, 26026 Old Hempstead Highway. Cypress Top is one of Commissioner Steve
Radack
’s Harris County Precinct
