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Postell to honor his heritage with blacksmith demonstration at festival
Melvin As a child, Bronce Postell listened to his family's oral history about the past -stories about those men of his ancestry who fought in each war, about the traditions that made his family strong, about the great-great-grandfather he was named for, Bronce Matheson, and about his great-great-great-grandfather Melvin "Mel" Matheson, the "Custom Blacksmith."

Fascinated, he learned that as a young man in the early 1800s, his legendary blacksmithing grandfather from Andrews made wagons almost entirely by hand, except the hubs and metal tires. With his adept skill he actually made his own horse, mule and oxen shoes from rod steel, shodding his own work stock himself.

With a deep desire to emulate his role model grandfather, 18-year-old Postell began just over a year ago setting up a forge of his own on his family's Greens Creek community farm.

He covered the countrysides, looking for all the old-time instruments he could find... gratefully accepting a gift of an antique stump vise that is more than 100 years old. Soon, however, he found that many of the old tools -wood picks, froes, mauls -were gone or handed down to those who only use them as keepsakes. So after he had his forge going, the young Postell simply began making his own tools.

Postell, along with his mentor, Doc W. Cudd Jr., will set up two blacksmithing forges in the Catch the Spirit of Appalachia section of the Greening Up the Mountains festival scheduled for Saturday, April 22, at the foot of the historic Jackson County Courthouse.

In the old days reclaimed charcoal was made when chestnut or hickory logs were placed in a hole in the ground, lit and allowed to burn covered for a week. Each forge setup at the festival will hold self-contained coal to demonstrate technique, trouble-shooting, and original craftsmanship (with original items for sale to the festival-goers). Both student and teacher will be there to answer questions about this revitalizing art.

"Not many people are blacksmiths today, especially ole-time mountain-learned blacksmiths," said Postell. "My great-great-great-granddaddy Melvin liked working with iron, so I guess it's in my blood; it just comes natural with me."

Bronce Postell (below) will honor his heritage with a blacksmithing demonstration Saturday, April 22, during the third annual Greening Up the Mountains festival in downtown Sylva. Fascinated by stories of his ancestors, young Postell made it his mission in life to emulate the blacksmiths in his family, including his great-great-great-grandfather Melvin "Mel" Matheson (above), who was known as a "custom blacksmith."

Blacksmith Bronce Postell
To learn the art of traditional blacksmithing, Postell began looking for a teacher. His search led him to Richard Hampton, a blacksmith and farrier in Whittier (Hampton had at one time worked in an Ohio Amish community). Then Postell located Cudd, who began learning the blacksmithing trade when he was only 9, operating the blower on the forge and securely holding articles as they were created.

Some 20 years ago, Cudd himself became a "custom blacksmith," working on historic restoration and state historic sites, while creating his own custom designs for a full line of traditional door knockers and hardware, meat skewers, candle holders, fire sets, artistic iron work, along with restoring plow points, drawing knives and tools.

"My uncles on both my mother's and father's sides were very willing to teach me the blacksmithing craft," said Cudd. "So when I met this fantastic young man who wanted to learn the trade, I was willing to help him. To be a blacksmith, a man has to have a lot of patience. Bronce has what it takes; he is well on his way to becoming a fine blacksmith."

Postell, a youth who desires to honor his heritage in blacksmithing, says he has found his mentor. "Doc Cudd is a good fellow and an excellent teacher," he said. "Friendships like mine and Doc's are like a good weld that sticks together indefinitely."

In addition to blacksmithing demonstrations, Greening Up the Mountains this year will feature a Fiber Fair coordinated by Joyce Moore of City Lights Bookstore, Master Gardners from the Cooperative Extension Program, a Wheeling Through the Mountains event sponsored by Pathways for the Future and a keynote speech by Joyce Dugan, former chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and a recent Women's History Month honoree.

Entertainment on the main stage will include performances by Smoky Mountain Drum 'n' Bass, the Fiddling Dills Sisters, the Queen Family and Cherokee Dancers. A post-festival concert by Jonathan Bird is scheduled at Lifeway Church beginning at 5:30 p.m.

In addition to food and craft vendors, participants will have an opportunity to enjoy street painting sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council, bird and tree walks sponsored by the Nature of Sylva, an all-you-can-eat breakfast sponsored by the Golden Age Senior Center and a 10 a.m. Parade of Many Colors sponsored by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia. SPIR will offer Bingo games throughout the day, as well as a T-shirt lottery worth more than $300 in prizes to the winner.

Sylva Partners in Renewal, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, and the Tuckasegee Alliance invite everyone to come out and visit the traditional blacksmithing displays at one of the largest spring events in Sylva's history. Call 586-1577 for more information.

Back to Archive: 04/13/00.