THE BLACKSMITH.
(AKA: Jose Mario Lot, Parrott's Blacksmith Shop.)
1852 - Today
The blacksmith with the tools of his trade - c1850.
Originally 2 lots, the current shop sits on lot 2, so this is the history of lot 2.
1852 Italian Saloon owner Luigi Marietti.
1853 The Colombo Saloon, with Wm. Daegener as part owner. By the end of the year, the saloon operators are Joseph and Catherine Wittman.
1854 February - D. S. Jocker & Co. buy the building.
1854 June - Wittman is again running the business.
1854 July - After the fire, the building is rebuilt of wood and is both a saloon and a restaurant.
1857 J. D. Patterson's stage line has an office in the building.
1857 Burns in the August fire, rebuilt of wood.
1861 Franklin and Wolfe own the building, they sell to Wittman and J. Vanderbuilt.
1862 Wittman and Jockers own the building.
1863 O. F. Becker owns the building.
1864 Jockers re-purchases the building.
1866 F. Stoltze buys the building.
1870 C. Koch is the owner, both the saloon and restaurant are run by D. Rolleri.
1880 G. Gerber and E. Kress operate the business.
1900 By this time the lot is vacant.
At some point after this there may have been a traveling photographer on the site.
1945 The empty lot was the center of activities during ceremonies establishing the town as a state historic park.
1947 State purchased from Frank and Jeanette Dondero.
1950s Blacksmith display was built.
1960 Zane Orr operates the stagecoach concession from this lot. Vern Holzell(?) worked there.
1965 Charles (Charlie) Robinson had blacksmith shop in building.
1974 June - John Baker opens concession. Builds a new add on to the shop. Brings garage from Brainard house.
There were also livery stables and wheelrights who carried on a business that would have hired men that were good at forming hot steel. Another blacksmith started where the City Hotel Lobby is today. Originally the lot is owned by Isaiah F. and Levi E. Colburn.
1852 The lot sells to Mitchell Coleman and John Mooney. It may have been a blacksmith shop.
1853 Coleman sells the business to Austin Smith.
1854 Coleman deeds the property to Gordon and Austin Smith they have a blacksmith shop.
1856 Austin Smith & Co. run an ad in the Businessmen's Directory, located on Main above State Street.
OTHERS.
1856 Campbell & Hedden was another blacksmith shop doing work on Broadway opposite the Masonic Hall and they run an ad in the Businessmen's Directory.
1856 John S. Canon was a wheelright and carriage maker on Main Street. His ad in the Businessmen's Directory.
PARROTT'S BLACKSMITH
P.O. Box 1555
Columbia, California 95310
(209) 532-4474
