HE BLACKSMITHS OF EGG HARBOR
By Peter LeMere
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the local blacksmith was a key part of the development and success of any local farming and business community. The smithy had the skills needed to shoe horses, sharpen plow points, and forge the parts needed to make or repair horse drawn wagons, sleighs, and buggies. Egg Harbor had four known blacksmith shops that operated from the 1890’s to the 1940’s.
The earliest records are that of Charles LaRouche who arrived in Egg Harbor from Canada in about 1880. According to a family history by his grandson Charles started his shop in a tent located at the site of Maxwells. (built by Charles about 1885 ). After building the store he gradually moved from blacksmith to storekeeper but was still “smithing” in 1909 since he made the hinges and locks for the doors on the new Saint John’s church. At one time some of that hardware was on display at the Door County Historical Society Museum.
Much of the information on Joe Worachek is taken from a family history done by three of his children. He came to Egg Harbor from Slovan in Kewaunee County in early 1890 to assist his brother who owned the Kewaunee House (where Shipwreck is now located). In 1896 he married Annie Breunig and began construction of a home and blacksmith shop at the location of the present Signature shop. The family stated he learned the trade when he worked in the lumbering camps in Michigan. It is not known how long he owned the blacksmith shop. The family history just states some years later the blacksmith shop was sold and he entered into the meat market business and then into selling feed, grain produce, flour and seeds and dealing in livestock. (He drove sheep and cattle on the hoof to the railroad at Sturgeon Bay until trucks were used. Also, he owned the first truck in Egg Harbor, a 1915 Buick).
Little is known about a third smith, Henry Meyer. Did he buy the shop of Joe Worachek? We know that he was very busy since the Door County Democrat of December 14, 1917, notes under Egg Harbor news “The blacksmith shop of Henry Meyer is one of the liveliest places to be found in the county at this time. Three men are kept busy shoeing horses and doing repair work.
The fourth known blacksmith was Conrad Schneider who was born in Belgium in 1874, came to Louisville, Kentucky with his family in 1878 and arrived in Jacksonport in 1895 and built a shop there. Over the years he had shops in Peninsula Center and West Jacksonport and served as the blacksmith at Schroeder Farms in 1919 and in 1922 was at Murphy (Horseshoe Bay) Farms. The February 4, 1926, issue of the Door County News announces that Conrad Schneider has opened a blacksmith shop in Egg Harbor and states that he has twenty-five years’ experience in the trade and is an experienced tin smith and all-around mechanic. His shop was located at the site of Fireside Restaurant and parking lot. He continued blacksmithing in Egg Harbor until a few years before his death in March of 1947. While here he lived with his son Lloyd Schneider whose home was located at the site of the ranch home just North of the Village Offices and Post Office. (As we have heard in interviews, a stop to watch Conrad work was always a must for the children of Egg Harbor on their walk home from school)
By Peter LeMere
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the local blacksmith was a key part of the development and success of any local farming and business community. The smithy had the skills needed to shoe horses, sharpen plow points, and forge the parts needed to make or repair horse drawn wagons, sleighs, and buggies. Egg Harbor had four known blacksmith shops that operated from the 1890’s to the 1940’s.
The earliest records are that of Charles LaRouche who arrived in Egg Harbor from Canada in about 1880. According to a family history by his grandson Charles started his shop in a tent located at the site of Maxwells. (built by Charles about 1885 ). After building the store he gradually moved from blacksmith to storekeeper but was still “smithing” in 1909 since he made the hinges and locks for the doors on the new Saint John’s church. At one time some of that hardware was on display at the Door County Historical Society Museum.
Much of the information on Joe Worachek is taken from a family history done by three of his children. He came to Egg Harbor from Slovan in Kewaunee County in early 1890 to assist his brother who owned the Kewaunee House (where Shipwreck is now located). In 1896 he married Annie Breunig and began construction of a home and blacksmith shop at the location of the present Signature shop. The family stated he learned the trade when he worked in the lumbering camps in Michigan. It is not known how long he owned the blacksmith shop. The family history just states some years later the blacksmith shop was sold and he entered into the meat market business and then into selling feed, grain produce, flour and seeds and dealing in livestock. (He drove sheep and cattle on the hoof to the railroad at Sturgeon Bay until trucks were used. Also, he owned the first truck in Egg Harbor, a 1915 Buick).
Little is known about a third smith, Henry Meyer. Did he buy the shop of Joe Worachek? We know that he was very busy since the Door County Democrat of December 14, 1917, notes under Egg Harbor news “The blacksmith shop of Henry Meyer is one of the liveliest places to be found in the county at this time. Three men are kept busy shoeing horses and doing repair work.
The fourth known blacksmith was Conrad Schneider who was born in Belgium in 1874, came to Louisville, Kentucky with his family in 1878 and arrived in Jacksonport in 1895 and built a shop there. Over the years he had shops in Peninsula Center and West Jacksonport and served as the blacksmith at Schroeder Farms in 1919 and in 1922 was at Murphy (Horseshoe Bay) Farms. The February 4, 1926, issue of the Door County News announces that Conrad Schneider has opened a blacksmith shop in Egg Harbor and states that he has twenty-five years’ experience in the trade and is an experienced tin smith and all-around mechanic. His shop was located at the site of Fireside Restaurant and parking lot. He continued blacksmithing in Egg Harbor until a few years before his death in March of 1947. While here he lived with his son Lloyd Schneider whose home was located at the site of the ranch home just North of the Village Offices and Post Office. (As we have heard in interviews, a stop to watch Conrad work was always a must for the children of Egg Harbor on their walk home from school)