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Sturley Garrison, my great grandfather, was bornJune 9, 1873 in Clearfield County, PA. He was 81-years old when he died in Trenton, NJ on September 24, 1954.
Sturley, like his father Levi before him, was a blacksmith by trade. Around 1900, Sturley moved his family to New Jersey and set-up a blacksmith shop in the town of Endinburg (later known as West Windsor). Sturley kept his shop until 1918 when, on July 23rd, he was hired by the Trenton Fire Department as a blacksmith. In 1918, the Trenton Fire Department was still using horse-drawn engines to respond to fires. In the summer of 1919 Trenton replaced its last horse team with a motorized engine, meaning Sturley no longer had the job of shoeing the horses. Even with the horses gone Sturley’s skills with working metal made him a valued member of the Fire Shop.
On October 1, 1949, Sturley retired from the Trenton Fire Department. For 31 years Sturley worked as a smith in the fire shop. On October 1, 1949, at age 76, Sturley retired from the fire department.
Ironically, I never knew that Sturley worked for the Trenton Fire Department. My grandfather told me his father was a blacksmith and used to watch me try to move the anvil that was his father’s, but he never mentioned the fire shop. It wasn’t until I got a copy of his death certificate that I knew of his career. His profession was listed as “Retired Blacksmith Trenton Fired Dept”. The city’s fire museum does not have any known photos of Sturley, but I still hope that one day a photo will be found. 
Hi, Moe,
Thanks for participating in “Workday Wednesday.” I would have never thought that a blacksmith would work for the fire department. A very interesting story!