July 30, 2025
PIONEER BLACKSMITH DIES
LEAVING $150,000 ESTATE.
Henry Nevins Came to Kansas City
in 1869, and Opened Shop
on Third Street.
Henry Nevins, pioneer horseshoer of Kansas City and in the early days a fair prototype of Longfellow's "Village Blacksmith," died at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon at the family residence, 1032 Olive street. He was 70 years old.
He was born in Tipperary county, Ireland, and came to this country when a young man, spending some years in Canada, where he learned the blacksmith trade and where he married. Later he crossed the line into the United States, settling first in Burlington, Ia., and from there removing to Kansas City in 1869.
He first opened a shop at Third street and Grand avenue and for twenty years Nevins's blacksmith shop was a landmark.
In those early days when railroads were in their infancy and mules and horses were yet the main standby for transportation, the blacksmith was a most important person.
Nevins met the situation with an energy that never seemed to tire, and it is on record that during rush seasons he has been known to stand in the smith forty-eight hours at a stretch, without sleep, eating in the shop meals brought to him by his wife.
Early in his career in Kansas City Mr. Nevins began to put his savings into real estate, and this policy he continued throughout his career. But once in his life did he part with real estate he had purchased, and that was about eight years ago, when he sold to the Armour Packing Company the property at 306 West Eighth street for $10,000, and for which he had paid $900 in early days. For an other property next to the Gillis opera house, which cost him $800 he recently refused an offer of $800 a foot.
Practically all his wealth is in inside Kansas City real estate and a conservative estimate of his estate places the figure at $150,000.
Later he moved his blacksmith shop to 512 Walnut street, and when that property became too valuable for a blacksmith shop he moved once more to 512 Grand avenue, where he continued in business until five years ago, when he retired, owing to advancing age and continued ill health.
He leaves a wife and six children, three sons and three daughters. The children are: John M., James H., William J., Elinore, Catherine Marie and Rose.
The funeral will be held Saturday morning at 9 o'clock from St. Aloysius's church, and burial will be at St. Mary's cemetery.
Labels: Armour plant, blacksmiths, cemetery, churches, death, Eighth street, Grand avenue, immigrants, Olive street, pioneers, real estate, Third street, Walnut Street
