With all the hustle and bustle of Frontier Days, sometimes it's nice to slow down and go back to a simpler time.

Docs Town is that trip back in time for many people, be that a quiet break at the Tea House, or a moment in the old church.

One place that is always active, if a little slower than its modern counterpart manufacturing facilities is the Docs Town Blacksmith. Inside, people will find volunteers using the very same shop and equipment that was in use as far back as 1914.

One of the volunteers working the anvil for Frontier Days was Frans Maritz, a journeyman farrier. He was working on odds and ends, all of which ended up displayed at the front of the viewing area with other smiths' pieces.

"We're pretty fortunate today with all the machines," commented Maritz. "You think about just cutting a piece of steel nowadays we got chop saws, band saws, guillotines, whatever. Back then that was not the case. We try and keep up with the tradition here, doing things as traditionally as possible."

Maritz admits that the blacksmith trade is a dying breed.  Not many people these days want to spend the thousands of hours it takes to master the craft, getting burned, bruised, and battered the whole way through. 

"It's hard work," stated Maritz. "It's something that if you want to do it, you really need to want to do it. It's not easy."

That's part of why he believes it's so important to keep these showings going. If anyone feels inspired to pick up a hammer and strike the anvil, it helps keep the craft alive. 

"Practice makes perfect, and I think the biggest thing if anybody's interested in doing it, don't be afraid to fail," said Maritz. "Fail lots and make peace with the fact that you're going to be burning up the best piece of metal that you've ever made."

Docs Town and its various old-timey structures are open all summer on weekends from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.