"FAMILY MEMORIES"

This is Sister Sanberg. She was our tour guide at Cove Fort. Bro and Sis Sanberg are ranchers from a little community in Colorado. He is a convert to the church, and was loving every minute of his Mission. Here is Bro Sanberg with Kimberly at the ole Black Smith Shop. Being born and raised on a ranch, he knew so much about all the tools and especially about shoeing the horses, which he does back home on his ranch. What a sweet gentleman he was, and so fun to talk to!
This is the leather Billows and the old iron Anvil. Bro Sanberg explained that it breaths just like a lung! See all the old tools against the stone wall that the Blacksmith would use to make horse and ox shoes? Can't you just hear the clang clang clang of the hammer hitting and molding the redhot metal horse shoes as they were shaped to fit the horse and ox hoves?
Do you know what this stange device is? Well, when the Black Smith would need to put new shoes on the Ox, if he lifted one of the Oxen's legs, like they do to shoe a horse, the Ox would drop to the ground. They cannot support themselves on three legs. So they would lead the Ox into this, put his head between the wood posts, then they would roll the leather straps around the Oxen's belley, until the straps held the Ox up. Then they could lift his foot up to shoe him.
The Ox shoe is different then a horse shoe. Instead of the "U" shape of a horse shoe, the Ox shoe is two half's. Interesting, huh?!
This is Kim going into one of the many rooms of the Fort. On this side, were the bedrooms, where travelers and family stayed. They are filled with old furniture of the times. So neat and clean....
On the other side, just across the way, are the rooms where they cooked, the dinning room, laundry room and telegraph office. In the middle of the court, was a hudge Locust tree that is over 100 years old! It was magnificent! The Pioneers didn't have nice grass in the court yard, it was all dirt back then. But they kept it sweped, and had plank walk ways.