Knight Foundry, Sutter Creek, California

Visitors with an interest in learning historic skills, can take hands-on workshops at the foundry for one or more days, or, if you really get the bug sign on for a full craft apprenticeship in pattern making, blacksmithing, and machine tool work or molding and casting in the foundry. The foundry plans to build a full scale IM steam locomotive from scratch, and workshop participants will have a once in a life time chance to become engine builders for a day. There will be plenty of opportunity for young people and school groups to get involved in hands on projects, too.

The fascinating story of Samuel Knight's life unfolds as we see his patented Knight Water Motors in action. Big wheels and small drive machine tools, grinders, the blower for the blast furnace and the compressor. Knight took the lead in developing a new kind of turbine -- the impulse water wheel - and using it to power a vast array of machines. Knight invited everyone in town town tothe foundry to see the first electric light lit up.

In the end he adapted his wheel for use to create electricity and designed and built some of the first hydroelectric plants in the west. Impulse water wheels are generating electric power all around the world to this day. But he set up his shop so wellthat it was never electrified or modernized. It hascome down to us today just as it was in the 1870's

All graphics created and owned by Ray and Cheryl Herndon