in 2001, he took a blacksmithing course
from Jim Meredith at the urging of a
friend, and he just liked it. Soon he found
himself gathering a few tools and tinker-
ing in the backyards of the various Alpine
rent houses he has occupied over the
years. It turns out that it’s not easy living
with a blacksmith. More than once, a
roommate came home to cook dinner
only to find that the kitchen stove had
been unplugged in order for Todd to run
a power line out to the yard where he was
working.
Todd attended a class in Santa Fe with
master blacksmith, Frank Turley, where
he began to understand “where he was
at” in his craft and learned what he did
and didn’t know already. He also “hung
out” with local blacksmiths like PeeWee
Peebles, a world-class spur-maker from
Marathon, Buddy Knight , the ag teacher
in Marfa, and Glen Moreland, a wagon-
maker (and Doug Moreland’s father)
from Fort Davis, always learning a thing
or two along the way. Part of his hanging-
out time with Peebles was spent in an
Alpine backyard banging on things until
PeeWee kicked him out and told him to
“get your own tools.” He did. He bought
a broken anvil in Segovia, Texas and
began gathering the hammers and forges
he needed to get more serious.
Eventually, Mary Musgrave, the art
teacher at Alpine High School, rented
him a real shop in her backyard – a rusty,
patched-together, three-sided affair that
has become a bit of a hangout.
Conversation is punctuated by the roar of
a forge and the pinging of a hammer.
Friends drop by to watch or lend a hand.
Some bring their guitars or banjos, and
more than a few Lone Stars have been
consumed. It’s a place where West Texas
stories and music and metal are shaped
and honed.
What materializes in this loose setting
are unique works of slow-melded metal
magic and art. The arched, flower-
embellished gate leading to the back of
the Kiowa Art Gallery was made here, as
were the graceful handrails inside the
entrance to the Granada Events Center.
These are the decorative and useful
pieces that Todd has found to be his par-
ticular niche. Such works of art don’t
come particularly cheap. “I’d like to own
some of the things I make, but I just can’t
afford ’em,” Todd says.
Instead, he continues to invest in his
craft. He now owns four anvils and four
forges, and he’s moving into an upgraded
shop complete with an apprentice and a
newfangled plasma cutter. As Todd says,
“The plasma cutter is sort of against the
direction I’ve always gone in, but black-
smiths traditionally incorporated new
Snow falling as Todd Ellrod works in his shop, warmed by the fire in the forge.
technologies when they came along. If
they’da had plasma cutters on the fron-
tier, they’da used 'em.” However, he refus-
es to put together a website to display his
work. “I just use word of mouth. The
right people for my work don’t go to the
Internet. They talk.”
He also continues to pass along what
he has learned from others. He’ll teach
blacksmithing for six weeks at a Boy
Scout camp this summer. And he contin-
ues to be humble, calling himself a jour-
neyman rather than a master at this stage
of his game. Perhaps.
But if you’re the type of person who
would rather have banisters or gates that
are handcrafted and unique and you
don’t mind that it might take a while, you
could do worse than hiring Todd Ellrod
for the job. As for the expense, I think I
paid about $300 for my sign frame, and
considering that I avoided a potential law
suit and that it’s handsome and that it will
probably be there when the building col-
lapses, well, I consider that sign frame to
be quite a bargain.
NOW OPEN
Accepting new patients
Walk-ins welcome
Se habla Español
Espy House
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(# #&'%,++3%/)5*0,)$%5%35$+&,#%/#,)6(5;)%5&2%*")%;+ ),)2%!5(=!5#%5;,+$$%*")%;+0,*#5,2%(#&=$%*")
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*")%535$#&'% #)!$9%%
House and 5 acres - $630,000
House and 65.3 acres - $1,350,000
For More Information Contact:
House and 80 acres - $1,450,000
James B. Sammons III
C((%5,)%$0, )#)2%5;;+,2#&'%*+%2)$;,#6*#+&9
Coldwell Banker de Wetter Hovious, Inc.
5662 North Mesa Street
El Paso, Texas 79912
Tel: 915.834.4153
Fax: 915.834.4014
Cell: 915.491.7382
[email protected]
www.jimsammonsiii.com
2600 N. Hwy 118 (in the Medical Office portion of the Hospital)
Monday through Friday • 8:00am to 5:00pm
Dr. Catherine Harrington
Family Practice / Fellowship-trained OB
Board Certified Family Practice
Dr. Harrington is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Meharry
School of Medicine in Tennessee. She has a special interest in pedi-
atric patients and OB’s. To make an appointment with Dr.
Harrington, please call 432-837-0431.
Dr. Rochelle Sohl
Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery
Board Certified OB/Gyn
Dr. Sohl is an Honors graduate from the University of Texas San
Antonio. She is an Alpine native and has special interests in
menopause, pelvic floor surgeries and women’s health issues. To
make an appointment with Dr. Sohl, please call 432-837-0430.
Allison Ainsworth, ANP
Allison Ainsworth is an adult nurse practitioner who offers primary
care for men and women over the age of 13. Allison received her
MSN while working at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She
has worked with over 3,500 patients and also has experience in
supervising care for a Nursing Home.
Cenizo
Third Quarter 2012
11