David Don
working at the forge in the
Don Blacksmith Shop
Fossil, Oregon, U.S.A

Not only did he shoe horses, but he worked on all manner of machinery from cars to the hand plow seen in the front of the photo.  It is unknown if the shop in this photo is the one that burned (as described in the newpaper article below) or if this is the shop after it had been rebuilt.

Fossil Journal   Fossil, Wheeler County, Oregon
August 17, 1934
Blaze Destroys Blacksmith Shop and Livery Barn

   David Don’s blacksmith shop and the large adjoining building owned by the Fossil Livery & Feed company in Fossil lie in ruins smouldering since Tues morning when they were burned between 6 and 7 o’clock by fire of undetermined origin.

   Trees intervening saved the homes south of the fire and the Gaffney garage building north of the fire. The Smith home west and the Luther home and feed store east of the fire were saved by garden hoses and later by the big hoses of the fire department.  Mercifully, there was no wind and the fire occurred while the air was coolest of any time of day and the humidity greatest.

   When discovered first by T. B. Hoover who turned in the alarm, the blacksmith shop was all in flames, the fire starting in the rear of the building.  The volunteer fire department was very prompt and very energetic but could do nothing to save the shop or the adjoining livery barn. They did keep the fire from spreading although it was so hot in the street that several people were scorched.  A section of sidewalk was set up for a screen to protect the men working with the fire hose and some wore wet quilts as protection,

     It looked bad for the whole town for a while during the worst of the conflagration but the buildings made of single lumber walls burned quickly and the rest of the town was saved but not until furniture and personal effects were carried out of nearby buildings in preparation for the worst.  A sick woman was safely transferred from the Luther home with no bad after effects.

   The blacksmith shop carried $800 of insurance and the barn $2000.  The barn was rented to C.W, Thompson who used it for storage. The machinery and drilling outfit that put down the Fossil oil prospecting well here a few years ago was stored in the building.  The J. L. Milam family had been occupying rooms there until recently. David Don’s loss in machinery and tools will run into thousands. He will rebuild the shop on the same location.

   Over nineteen years ago, on the evening of March 20, 1915, another blacksmith shop and another livery barn and garage on the same ground burned at about 7:30 o’clock in the evening with an estimated loss of $8500 according to the Fossil Journal of March 26, 1915.  The loss was partially covered by $2500 insurance.  The whole property destroyed was owned then by the Fossil Livery and Feed company.  “By hard work,” says the Journal report, “Don & Degonia’s new blacksmith shop (referred to above as the Gaffney garage building), the residences of L.C. Kelsay (now owned by Frank Jay) and the L. T. Morgan (the Luther home) were saved by the abundance of water in the reservoirs.  This fire also originated in the shop and it was never learned how it got started.

Fossil Journal, Fossil, Wheeler County,  Oregon, U.S.A,
 August 31, 1934
DAVID DON BUILDS SHOP ON SITE WHERE 2 HAVE BURNED
   Rebuilding of David Don’s blacksmith shop, which was destroyed by fire August 14, began Monday,  The new shop will be a one-story frame building, 30 x 50 feet, with concrete floor and corrugated iron roof.  Mr. Don and A.C. Luther, assisted by Walter Blevins, are doing the work and expect to have the building ready for the re-opening of the shop in about two weeks.
   This is the third blacksmith shop to be rerected at the same location, both of the others having burned.