Amenia Blacksmith at work outside his shop on DeLaVergne Hill. Photo was
taken by Dr. Walter Lukins, a veterinarian who lived on Mygatt Road on the property that
was once Morgan's Cider Mill.
Amenia's Village Smithy, 50 years at the
Forge
This reminiscence of Paul Maier, Amenia blacksmith was contributed by
his son Richard, now retired and living in Indiana.
The year was 1928 when a young man of 22 years lived his dream of
moving to a country where he had heard "all you have to do is pick up the gold off
the streets." The country he left...Germany...the country where the gold
"was"...the United States...the young man...Paul Maier.
An older brother had preceded him to America. This brother, upon
completion of processing at Ellis Island, heard of available farm work in an area about
100 miles to the north. The year...1926...the farm...Hiddenhurst, a beautiful estate just
north of Amenia. The work was hard, the hours long, and the pay was $1.00 a day, but it
was the opportunity for a future not available in the then economic strife-ridden Germany.
Paul knew he would join his brother in America.
Once he arrived at Hiddenhurst, Paul, a blacksmith by trade, saw the
opportunity to be the blacksmith for the farm. He left milking cows and working in the
fields for shoeing the workhorses and making repairs to the equipment as needed. It became
a full time job. Of the $30.00 per month income, he kept $5.00 for "incidentals"
and sent the rest to his mother and father in Germany to help feed and clothe the
remaining family of nine.
Then, he had to face the results of the great depression that began in 1929. In the cities
hundreds of thousands of people were out of work; there just weren't any jobs available.
But there was need for farming, and Paul was fortunate to have his trade. By 1932, Paul
had saved enough money to send for Helen, his German girlfriend who would become his wife.
He purchased a rundown home with a shed in Amenia for $5000. The shed would become his
first blacksmith shop. A large investment for the time and, it was in the middle of the
depression. But all things considered, with a trade and a supportive wife, life was good.
As Paul plied his trade, his excellent work and work ethic resulted in a growing business.
There were times when he even had to turn down work.
While much of his ironwork was done at his shop half way up DeLaVergne
Hill, he did many farm jobs right on site. He had converted an old pre-war Ford truck to
carry his forge, anvil and other equipment so he could set up for work under a spreading
tree along the road to the farmer's barnyard.
His occasional visits to farms around the area were big events for
Amenia farm children. Joe Duffy and his sisters Margaret and Alice recall the excitement
of Mr. Maier gracefully handling their father's two massive draft horses, Simon and Jerry,
as he shed them outside the Spingarn barn in Leedsville.
As tractors started to replace horses for farming, Paul's smithery
became more involved in hackney horses. He was frequently called on by the Equestrian
Center and Chauncey Stillman, who was noted for his carriages that graced the grounds of
the Wethersfield estate.
Having gotten some not-so-fresh eggs at the grocery store one day, Paul
bought two chickens from a customer. Thirty years later, Paul had 5,000 chickens and had
been in the chicken and egg business all those years, while still maintaining his beloved
blacksmithing trade. He and Helen had three children; Ursula Sonnenberg, who now resides
in Hyde Park, Richard P., who as a boy helped his father blacksmith, but never followed
the trade, and Tillie (Maier) Incorvia, who still lives on DeLaVergne Hill.
Paul's ornamental ironwork and craftsmanship can still be seen in
various parts of eastern Dutchess County. The impressive gates and fencing that surround
the formal gardens at Wethersfield, commissioned by Mr. Stillman are the work of a true
artisan. He also crafted the gate at the entrance to the Amenia Island Cemetery on Route
343. Paul also did work for Jimmy Cagney.
Paul was an Amenia resident for over 50 years until his death in May
1987. His devoted wife Helen passed away only two months later. They both took pride in
their town and helped make Amenia a memorable place.
|
