Fingers and bow flying, Dennis Stroughmatt takes listeners on a musical odyssey not so different from his own musical journeys into Upper Louisiana Creole cultu...re. Taught to play fiddle by local Creole fiddlers living along the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Dennis is now the authority on this regional pocket of American antiquity. A vibrant blend of Celtic, Canadian and Old Time sounds, this unique music bridges gaps between contemporary Canadian and Louisiana Cajun styles. Preserved by families in the Ozark foothills, the music remains largely intact and true to the traditions that have been passed down over three centuries.

Community members representing the Red House Interpretive Center Board and others participating in the upcoming Heritage Days in Cape Girardeau were on hand to... receive a proclamation from Mayor Harry Rediger honoring the event during the Sept. 19 City Council meeting. More about Heritage Days: http://bit.ly/2d58vWj

Our Wheelwrights just finished live-streaming the process known as "hooping" a wheel. It was a team effort as they had a little help from our Blacksmiths and ou...r Joiners. (Watch closely! They ran into a little hiccup in the beginning and Andy will explain what happened!). This is the final wheel for the ox wagon that Coach & Livestock is hoping to have up and running by the weekend.

Working as a Smith of any kind (and most trade shops for that matter) requires a lot of imagination - especially the ability to see all of the steps required to... bring a raw material into a finished product. The Gunsmith is no different - with all of the raw materials we work, it's important to look past the bar of iron, bucket of old brass, or chunk of wood, to see the finished firearm beyond. Below is the progression from a 1/2" x 1" iron bar, becoming a finished cock for a gun lock. Also, an image of the tumbler of a lock, starting as a rough forging, milled into a finished internal piece. More on that neat tool behind next month!