Dakota Sunset Museum

Meade W.R.C. Hall
Stocker Blacksmith Shop
Gettysburg, SD 57442


    The Meade WRC Hall, better known as the Lee Stocker Blacksmith Shop, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior in 1995.
    The building was erected in 1901 by an ambitious and active Women's Relief Corps. That group was the women's counterpart to the Civil War Veteran's organization known as GAR, or Grand Army of the Republic. Funds for erecting the building were received through donations and various activities of the Relief Corps. It was one of the centers of community activities and was also used for church services by several religious organizations.
    In 1920, the WRC sold the hall to George LeRoy Stocker for $1,800. Stocker, known locally as "Lee," was from Blakesburg, Iowa, and settled in Gettysburg in 1907 where he opened a blacksmith shop. After purchasing the hall, he relocated his business in the building, adding a forge and a variety of shop tools and installing a new entry doorway to accommodate wagons and sleighs.
    With only very brief interruptions, Lee Stocker (1873 - 1970) continued to operate the shop until 1966 while still in his 90's. In addition to blacksmithing, Stocker did welding, wood work, and repaired wagon wheels for area farmers. His business evolved somewhat over the years, responding to the automobile and other technological changes, but the appearance of the shop remained unchanged. Electricity was installed to power the line shaft for machinery and to hand operate forge bellows, but the original forge and most of the other tools remained in use throughout Stocker's over sixty year career. Lee handmade many of the tools used in the shop.
    The shop was permanently closed after Lee Stocker's death in 1970. Ownership of the shop was passed on to his son, Worth, who used it primarily for storage. In 1993, the Stocker family deeded the building to the city of Gettysburg. In 2000, the city of Gettysburg deeded the shop to the Dakota Sunset Museum.
    The museum is in the process of trying to preserve the shop and donations are appreciated. The roof and windows have  been  repaired and a videotape has been made describing the contents. Anyone interested in the preservation project should contact the Dakota Sunset Museum, 205 W. Commercial, Gettysburg, SD 57442. The telephone number is 605-765-9480, and the email address is dakotasunset@sbtc.net.

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©2005
Last updated January 6, 2005