Streibich Blacksmith Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Streibich Blacksmith Shop
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Newman, Illinois |
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| Built | 1891 |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000086 |
| Added to NRHP | February 21, 1991 |
The Streibich Blacksmith Shop is a very old building in Newman, Illinois. It used to be a busy workshop where a blacksmith made and fixed metal items. A blacksmith is a person who shapes metal, usually iron, by heating it and hitting it with a hammer.
This shop was built in 1870 for Ignatius Streibich. He was the first blacksmith to work there. His shop made important tools for farmers and useful things for homes in the area.
The First Power Plant
Ignatius Streibich did something very special in 1891. He started the first electric power plant in Douglas County right inside his blacksmith shop! A power plant makes electricity.
Even though this power plant only ran for one year, it was a big step. It showed people in Newman how electricity could work. This helped future efforts to bring electricity to the town.
A Family Business
Ignatius Streibich stopped working in 1912. A few years later, in 1916, his son Fred bought the shop. Fred Streibich continued the family business as a blacksmith until he passed away in 1932.
Later, from 1938 to 1969, a Machinist named Kermit O. Tucker used the building. A machinist is someone who builds or fixes machines.
A Historic Landmark
The Streibich Blacksmith Shop is very important to history. In 1991, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history.
It is one of only two places in Douglas County that are on this national list. The other is the Arcola Carnegie Public Library in Arcola.
