Webb Blacksmith Shop

Here at the Webb Blacksmith Shop, skilled tradespeople demonstrated their commitment to help their community. From turning axles and wheel hubs to welding iron tires to shaping horseshoes, the blacksmiths, wheelwrights, farriers, and wainwrights prepared a way for Latter-day Saints to travel west.

Edwin Webb opened his blacksmith shop in the summer of 1843. He and his four brothers—Chauncey, Edward, Pardon, and James Wesley—worked in this shop, having been taught the trade by their father, James.

The workers in this shop provided everyday blacksmithing needs to Nauvoo residents, but its significance comes from their dedication to helping build wagons for the Saints’ journey west. In the winter of 1845–46, the Saints preparing to leave Nauvoo used Parley Street to assemble and outfit their wagons once parts from this and other blacksmith shops were ready. The Webbs were among the last to leave Nauvoo; they were committed to helping the community secure the transportation necessary for their journey west.

What to Expect

The Webb Blacksmith Shop is part of the Pioneer Trail tour, which begins at the Seventies Hall and concludes at the Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home. The guided tour includes two rooms—a blacksmith shop and a wainwright shop. The tour of the blacksmith shop includes a demonstration of forging a miniature horseshoe. The tour of the wainwright shop includes a demonstration of assembling a wagon wheel.

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