restored the old blacksmith shop from the 1860s and was looking for someone to run it .
Bill met Betty in Bentsonport , and together , they run the Iron and Lace store that ’ s adjoined to the shop . Bill teaches and does demonstrations . He also has a successor trained . According to Bill , he uses a few newer tools like a chop saw , but 90 % of the blacksmithing techniques and practices he uses can be dated back to pioneer times and earlier .
“ It ’ s a preservation of all the traditional techniques , and passing them down to a younger generation ,” he said . “ There ’ s a lot of interest in blacksmithing .”
Two towns , one people
TOP : The foot bridge to cross the Des Moines River to get from Bentonsport to Vernon . The bridge was built in 1882 , connecting the two towns . BOTTOM : The old schoolhouse in Vernon , which rests across the river from Bentonsport , and operated from 1868 to 1960 . PhotoS by Donald Promnitz / The Ottumwa Courier
On the other side of the river rested South Bentonsport , which was considered the lower part of the town . However , wanting to become their own town and have their own post office , South Bentonsport broke away to become Vernon in 1852 . However , while Vernon and Bentonsport may be their own entities , they ’ ve never considered themselves anything but a single people . This sentiment was put into practice with the construction of the Bentonsport Bridge in 1882 , which crosses the river to connect the two .
Vernon ’ s schoolhouse went up in 1868 and before it was built , children were ferried across the river to go to school in Bentonsport . The schoolhouse closed in 1960 , and when it did , Betty Printy was one of its last students .
“ And I went to the Vernon school over there up to eighth grade when they closed it . And we lived in a small house over there – I had four brothers and four sisters — so it was crowded ,” she said . “ But we didn ’ t know and we had this beautiful place to roam . And we played in the river all the time and … [ picked ] a lot of berries .”
The two towns are connected not only by a bridge , but by history — and it ’ s a history that those who live there are reminded of every time they go out on their porches .
20 | Now & Then