Sylvanus B. Day
Sylvanus B. Day is the oldest blacksmith in years of service in Mansfield, and represents many of the characteristics presented in Longfellow's celebrated poem of the "Village Blacksmith". Having worked at the anvil 60 years in Richland County, 31 of which were passed in Mansfield, he deserves the laureation of the title of Mansfield's "Village Blacksmith". Mr. Day was born in Morris County, New Jersey, Feb. 10, 1827, and came to Ohio with his parents in 1836, locating at Plymouth, where he lived until he removed to Mansfield in 1867, since which time this city has been his home. It was the custom in those days for boys to learn trades and to learn them thoroughly and in all their branches, and having chosen the vocation he has ever since so successfully followed, went into a smithy, when he was yet a mere boy, and at the age of 10 years, shod his first horse, the animal belonging to the late John Moore, of Cass Township. This was his graduation, as it were, of which he was justly proud. While Mr. Day has been a resident of Richland County 62 years he has seen considerable of the world outside of our local confines and has temporarily sojourned in California and has visited many places. Being a man of exemplary habits, Mr. Day, like Elihu Burritt, devoted his leisure time in the acquisition of knowledge and while his education was self-acquired, it is sufficiently thorough to rival that of many college graduates. There are several points of resemblance between Mr. Day and Longfellow's "Village Blacksmith". While there was no chestnut tree to shade his smithy with its leafy branches, the smith himself is large and muscular, with sinews like iron bands. Mr. Day is a member of the Congregational church, is always faithful in his attendance at its services and has held the office of deacon and hence is commonly called "Deacon Day". The deacon's only daughter, Carrie, (now Mrs. Sam C. Clark) formerly sang in the choir, and her mother is dead; therefore the comparison of the two smiths is quite similar in each line of the fifth stanza. Deacon Day has been twice married and is the father of three children -- two sons and a daughter. His eldest son, Willis, is an officer in the navy, and the naval captain B.F. Day, is the Deacon's brother. There are other blacksmiths in Mansfield, who have also seen years of service, two of the most notable are William Ferguson and John S. Neel. And Frank Wise has served 29 of the 46 years of his life at the same trade, making horse-shoeing his specialty, and was Deacon Day's partner for 13 years. After serving his apprenticeship Frank traveled five yeas working in Chicago and other cities, taking what might be called post-graduate courses to become proficient in his line. Deacon Day is blessed in home and store and, although he has passed the three-score and ten mile-stone, he seems only in the early autumn-time of life and has the respect and friendship of all his acquaintances. -- A.J. Baughman.
From Mansfield Semi-Weekly News: October 25, 1898, Vol. 14, No. 88