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    Forged in Philadelphia
    Forged in Philadelphia
    Forged in Philadelphia
    Ebook112 pages1 hour

    Forged in Philadelphia

    By Rebecca Eckfeldt Gibby

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    About this ebook

    The year is 1792, and although American independence has been secured, individual freedoms are still elusive for many. Adam Eckfeldt is an apprentice to his fathers blacksmith business. For his father Jacob, there is no question the young man will someday replace him, but Adam has other aspirations.

    The Eckfeldt family slave has his own dreams. Christian yearns for emancipation. This yearning only increases when he falls in love with Ona Judge, maid to Lady Martha Washington.

    In post-revolutionary Philadelphia, Adam and Christian must forge the pathway to their dreams. These friends navigate the unfamiliar territory of the early abolitionist movement as well as the ins and outs of the Washington household. Their unlikely friendship and their loyalties are tested as they each face dilemmas that will alter the course of their young lives.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbbott Press
    Release dateFeb 10, 2014
    ISBN9781458214003
    Forged in Philadelphia
    Author

    Rebecca Eckfeldt Gibby

    Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rebecca Eckfeldt Gibby honed her writing skills on children’s drama and primary song lyrics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from Drew University. She lives in Chatham, New Jersey. This is her first novel.

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      Book preview

      Forged in Philadelphia - Rebecca Eckfeldt Gibby

      Copyright © 2014 Rebecca Eckfeldt Gibby.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      www.regibby.com

      Cover illustration by Abby Baldwin Slywka.

      Abbott Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      Abbott Press

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.abbottpress.com

      Phone: 1-866-697-5310

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4582-1399-0 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4582-1401-0 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4582-1400-3 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2014901539

      Abbott Press rev. date: 2/6/2014

      Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Glossary

      Introduction

      T he story about Adam Eckfeldt producing the first US coins, with household silver donated by Martha Washington, came down through my family from one generation to the next. It was made plausible and believable by a copy of an oil painting by artist/historian John Ward Dunsmore, Inspecting the First Coinage, rendered in 1914. That scene hung in a place of honor at my childhood home in Philadelphia. In time, I made copies and gave them to all of my own children, nieces, and nephews. However, to my knowledge, no one ever knew whether the tale was true or acc urate.

      In 2010, I read Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla R. Miller. On page 245, she referenced Philadelphia blacksmith Jacob Elkfeldt as making the hardware for the Free Quaker Meetinghouse in 1783. I knew from the family tree that Adam’s father was named Jacob. It was too much of a coincidence. The name had to be Eckfeldt, not Elkfeldt. So I contacted Ms. Miller and asked about the source for that reference. With her blessing and after careful research on the construction of the Free Quaker Meetinghouse, I determined that, indeed, the name was Eckfeldt. Jacob and Adam, having both been Philadelphia blacksmiths—it had to be them. Research led me to confirm the story of the production of 1500 half dismes in 1793 and Adam’s part in that historic act.

      Further research led to my discovery that Jacob Eckfeldt’s slave, Christian Van Phul, ran away in 1793. That was close to the time that Oney Judge, Martha Washington’s personal maid, also ran away. While there is absolutely no evidence that they knew each other, they certainly could have since the slave community in Philadelphia at the time was small. Their ultimate escape to freedom with the help of Absalom Jones is purely fictional. My familiarity with the early Quaker abolitionists in Philadelphia added yet another dimension to the historic landscape.

      This story has begged to be written by me for over fifty years, and I am excited to finally accomplish my lifelong ambition.

      I have taken some liberties with the exact timeline. However, most of the characters in this book are real and were in Philadelphia during the years 1790–1796. The organizations and the buildings referenced are also accurate. A copy of the Dunsmore painting and a glossary of people, places, and organizations may be found in the back of the book.

      Chapter 1

      "T here. That should do it! I believe that will hold for a good, long time."

      Adam Eckfeldt lifted his head, flexed his cramped shoulders, and stood to his full height. Sweat rolled down his forehead, cheeks, and chin. He wiped the moisture from his eyes and carefully inspected his work.

      Using tongs, Adam held out the teapot he’d repaired to his young servant Christian. Christian had been traded to Adam’s father, Jacob, four years ago, at the age of fourteen, for a plowshare, two scythes, and five rakes. He was learning the blacksmith trade alongside Adam, who had recently celebrated his twenty-fourth birthday. Christian was an African who was five feet, ten inches tall. His job was to pump the bellows, heating the fire in the forge while Adam worked the hot metal over the crack and beat it smooth with his hammer. Christian took the tongs and plunged the teapot into a barrel of cold water. The forge filled with the hiss of steam as the water hit the red-hot metal.

      Bank the fire for the night and close up the shop, would you, Christian? Adam put down his tools and wiped his hands on his apron. I have to dine early and get to the firehouse for a meeting. We’ll let this teapot cure for the night, and tomorrow morning I will deliver it to President’s House for Mrs. Washington. She’ll need it for afternoon tea.

      Adam turned and headed to the door but stopped short when he saw Christian’s disappointed expression.

      What is it, Christian?

      Nothing, sir. It’s nothing. Christian turned back to tend the fire.

      It’s far from nothing with such a long face. Would you like to go with me to President Washington’s house in the morning, Christian?

      Oh yes, sir. I would like that very much.

      It’s Mrs. Washington’s girl you want to see, I’m guessing. What’s her name? Ona Judge? The one who brought the teapot this morning? She caught your eye, didn’t she? teased Adam.

      Well, I have to admit she did, sir. I would not mind seeing her again.

      All right. We will go together. Adam removed his leather apron, hung it on a peg, and started toward the door of the forge.

      Thank you, sir. Christian’s face was flushed with excitement and gratitude. It is most kind of you to understand.

      Well, Christian, we men must stick together when it comes to the ladies. I am most fortunate that Miss Maria Hahn worships at St. Michael’s German Lutheran Church, where my family also attends service. I see her with her family every Sunday. That makes courting much easier. Adam winked and waved as he left the forge.

      Have a good evening, sir, Christian called after him.

      Adam made his way from the forge and through the shop, which was empty at this hour of the day. The shop was a small, wooden structure between the forge and the house. Customers could enter through a door that opened onto Fifth Street. A large sign that read The Sign of the Sickle was nailed over the door. Inside was a broad, plank counter covered with household items left for repair. Wooden shelves on all four walls of the shop were filled with metal rings for wheels, staves to form barrels, and boxes of fireplace tools, pots, pans, nails, hinges, and latches of all sizes.

      Adam worked at the blacksmith business his father, Jacob, had started upon arriving in Philadelphia in 1764. It was a growing business in a flourishing city. Now it was 1792, and the War for Independence from England had been won. Philadelphia was the capital of the government, culture, and commerce in the newly formed United States.

      Adam paused on his way through the empty shop to examine an iron cook pot with a crack in it. I need to get to this tomorrow, he thought as he returned it to the counter. After I return from President’s House.

      A mansion at Sixth and Market Street in Philadelphia served as the official residence of President and Mrs. Washington. The house, formerly owned by Robert Morris, had recently been renovated and expanded to accommodate the president’s family and many servants. The four-story brick building, considered very grand by Philadelphia standards, was now referred to by all Philadelphians as President’s House.

      Adam crossed the walkway between the house and the shop in three easy strides. He wiped the dirt from his arms

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