Stroud's Blacksmith Shop
Devine, Medina County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Joe Stroud (1877-1966) came here from Bigfoot in 1903, and established a blacksmith shop on this site, continuing in the craft learned from his father. Stroud soon became known throughout the southwest for his branding irons, and had a reputation as an expert farrier, once shodding all four feet of a horse in nine minutes. He persisted in working in the shop until shortly before his death. Although the business has expanded, the original anvil still rings loud from the blows of Sherille Stroud, who maintains the Stroud family tradition. 1975
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1903 Joe Stroud arrived in Devine from nearby Bigfoot and set up a blacksmith shop, plying the trade he had learned from his father. He earned a wide reputation across the Southwest for his branding irons and his skill as a farrier, and he kept working the forge until shortly before his death in 1966. Remarkably, the craft carried on at the same anvil under a later member of the Stroud family.
Why it matters
The village smithy was the indispensable workshop of ranching country, and Stroud's endurance shows how such hand trades survived deep into the machine age in rural Texas.
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Related people
- · Joe Stroud
- · Sherille Stroud
Themes & tags
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