Bladesmithing at Historic Washington State Park

In the below video Billy Nations, Supervisor of Interpretive Programs at Historic Washington State Park talks with us about the James Black Shop where the first Bowie knife was made!

One of the many structures folks can tour when they visit is the blacksmith shop. Built by the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation in 1960, the blacksmith shop is an interpretation center with two working forges. Washington’s most famous blacksmith, James Black, is credited with forging one of the original Bowie knives for James “Jim” Bowie in the early 1830s. The above video was a project with ADPT photographer Tim Schultz.