William Kilby Blacksmith Ledger
Name/Title
William Kilby Blacksmith LedgerScope and Content
A ledger kept by William Kilby at his blacksmith shop on the Dennys River between 1810 and 1821, recording in detail the work he completed for his customers around the area.Context
William Kilby, a member of the Lincoln family, began building his house in Dennysville in 1788, having lived briefly in Township No. 1. He was a blacksmith by trade, setting up his shop beside the Dennys River in 1795. His account books record the everyday needs of the people who settled this community until his death in 1829. In 1900, an article in the Eastport Sentinel recalled: "The Blacksmith Shop--the first one was built on the riverbank by Deacon William Kilby. He had quite a business in the way of shoeing oxen. In the icy season he shod the hoofs of cows when driven to the eddy for water. Old Dugald C. McLauchlin, the village shoemaker, was always on the lookout to perform a humane act. He kept a rope in readiness with a slip noose appliance to drag out the unfortunate cattle from the river when on the point of slipping under the ice."Collection
Photos for MapCategory
Ledger and Daybook