Monday July 19, 2010

I love old barns. This one was next to our motel in Berlin, Ohio

I had more fun here then I’ve had shopping in a long time – even bought a few things. I prefer online shopping, but this was a fun place to walk through – and find things I didn’t know I needed.  Except, I did know I needed a new purse – the one I grab when I go to the grocery store, with all my cards, money, and ID.

I had been here before, and knew Cerwin would be impressed. He was! This is located in Dover, Ohio.

Freida’s (Mrs. Warther) Gardens are beautiful and welcoming when you arrive at the museum.

The workshop where Ernest “Mooney” carved was built in 1912.

There are 5,000 arrowheads in the shop.

The museum is full of his incredible carvings – mostly trains.

Carving was his hobby, he designed knives to help make a living for his family. I’ve had a Warther knife for many years, and it continues to be my favorite paring knife.

Our guide (in pink) met Mooney before he died. She had lots of information about him and his carvings saved in her memory bank. In this photo she is explaining how he used ivory in his carvings.

The trains he carved were made of walnut, ebony, or ivory.

He worked in a steel mill and carved a replica of it, with moving parts. He joked that he could even make the lazy guys work in this mill.

On days that Mooney’s grandson Mark is here, he creates a wooden pliers for each child who goes through the museum.

He makes a few cuts – just like his grandfather did – without sawdust or wood pieces left over.

After demonstrating the pliers and handing it to a young boy, he explained how his grandpa got so much done in a day: Up early to carve, off to work at the steel mill, home from work for supper and family time, early to bed – NO TV.

Mooney’s pliers

The pliers tree is one of his masterpieces. He “saw” it in the wood. This is made out of one piece of wood – no sawdust or leftover pieces. If every pliers is closed, it will go back to the size and shape of the original piece of wood. He demonstrated this on a Johnny Carson show.

More train carvings.

The details are amazing

A variety of sources for ivory.

Abraham Lincoln was his hero.

The funeral train was filled with amazing details – even the casket of President Lincoln. My photo of that did not come out very good.

His last train, which he never finished – thus some of the pieces in front of it

After leaving the museum, we watched men making knives in the workshop.

Frieda’s Button House tomorrow night.