Joshua Miller, the village and community blacksmith, carried on a flourishing business. He shod horses, furnished iron parts for wagons and farming implements, and did general metal work for the community. The ring of his anvil was a familiar sound in New Salem and was heard for many hours each day. This reconstruction was made with the assistance of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The tools, forge, and hand bellows have all seen many years of service and are the type originally used by Miller.