(By Stephen Kelley from the Peoples Defender, 1983)
One of several hobbies I enjoy is the collecting of photographs which depict early views of Adams County. You have seen many of these pictures during the past two years. Shown is the recent acquisition taken around 1900 by J.E. Shriver who maintained a photographic studio in Seaman. Pictured is the old blacksmith shop operated by John Dunkin in the hamlet of Dunkinsville. John Dunkin was born in the vicinity of Dunkinsville in July, 1875. He was the son of John and Rachel Rhodes Dunkin. He was probably a lateral descendant of the John Dunkin who had founded Dunkinsville on old Zane’s Trace in December 1841.
Dunkin apparently began blacksmithing in the 1890’s. His shop was located on the east side of what is now Ohio 41 immediately north of the Dunkinsville Methodist Church where Dunkin held membership. He kept his business at this location until the mid 1920’s. It was at the time he and his wife, Cynthia Stratton Dunkin, moved to Seaman. There, he opened a new blacksmithing shop in the west part of the village in what was commonly know as “Jimtown” (presently Ohio 32, west.) Dunkin continued his work until his death at age 75 during the great snow of November 1950.
Posing in the photograph, are, left to right: Joe Hayslip; Henry Short; Joe Dunkin, Stanton Young, a member of the Adams County Board of Education for several years; Ira McClelland a life long resident of Wheat Ridge; John Dunkin, blacksmith; Noble Marie; Mort McClellan; John Marie; Sig McClelland, a local carpenter; Carey Ammon Bartholomew, who served as Adams County deputy sheriff; Homer Young; and Marshall P.
Scrawled above the doorway is, “No credit here J. Dunkin”.
